INTERVIEW | Dora Abodi x Body Shop

We went backstage to see the behind the scenes make up looks for the Dora Abodi show. Head make up artist for Body Shop Lan talked us through the looks chosen for the show.

Hi Lang, what was the inspiration behind this look for the Dora Abodi show?

We were originally inspired by the horns created with the models hair which made us immediately think of fantasy but with a hint of Goth So the overall look I would say is fantasy Goth but with metallic eyes, we wanted to make it quite dark by using white porcelain skin but making the eyes black and glossy. With the lips we wanted to go with a natural shade which then makes the concept seem more realistic.

What are the main products that you are using?

We are using a black Body Shop eye shadow along with metallic Sugar Cubes to make it glimmer a little bit. When we started with the base we mixed foundation with the Illuminating Vitamin E Cream as this makes the skin more translucent so it’s not a heavy foundation and makes the skin look more porcelain and shiny. We are using gloss on the eyes in the key areas, these being the inner and outer eye corners, this brings out the element of the black and makes it look quite greasy. I would call this an irregular smoky eye as it is square and looks different on every model.

What is your favourite part of the look?

We have got lip piercings and diamonds on the models face which makes the eyes look really juicy, dirty, grubby but still beautiful at the same time.

@AmberJenner_

SPONSOR| The Body Shop Backstage at Fashion Scout Merit Award; Exclusive Interview

Ahead of the prestigious AW13 Merit Award Show, which has been won by Central Saint Martin graduate Yifang Wan this year; Fashion Scout head backstage to speak to The Body Shop team about their make-up aesthetic. Here’s what make-up artist Clare Degraft told us:

Tell us about the concept you and your team has created:

“The clothes in the Ying Fan Wang collection this season are high impact and dark, so we have gone for a natural aesthetic, to be sure not to detract from the main point of focus – the designs. Skin is high shine and dewy as opposed to matt, eyebrows are natural but defined and lips are nude. We created this look using the Body Shop Radiant Highlighter, the Moist It Skin Primer and the Extra Virgin Mineral powder on the face, the Brow and Lash Gel on the eyebrows and the Vitamin E Balm on the lips’.

How does it feel to be working on the most prestigious show?

“It’s amazing saying I have been part of something so big and extreme, the interest it creates for both the brand and The Body Shop is huge. It has provided me with a fantastic opportunity”.

What are you anticipating most this season?

“It’s only day two so I am looking forward to else Fashion Scout has in store for us, but I am particularly excited about working with Zeynep Tosun this afternoon where the make up will be darker and more theatrical, giving me an opportunity to unleash my creativity”.

Images by Dani Farrow @danifarrow & Kris Elliott @kriselliott

Interview Conducted by Brooke McCord @BrookeMcCord

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW| Lan Nguyen-Grealis, Head Make-Up Artist at The Body Shop Speaks Exclusively to Fashion Scout

Lan Nguyen-Grealis has headed up the backstage Body Shop team for season upon season at Fashion Scout, producing some of the most innovative and talked-about looks at London Fashion Week. We caught up with her to talk about the looks for Merit Award Winner Yifang Wan, what special Body Shop products to look out for, and why she just can't get enough of Fashion Scout...

Tell us about the journey you and Yifang went through to achieve the final look for this season.

Yifang was very specific that it had to be relaxed, clean with a slight awkwardness look to complement her garments and the feel of  ‘Asceticism’ . Marina Abramovic was a heavy reference. Her other influences were religious, which I interpreted that her catwalk model was based on testing their limits to become pure. There is a contrast in her look that the garments are fluid and soft combined with painful looking accessories. So we decided to keep it fresh but strong with shadowing and contouring. No colours as such as her garments are so rich in colour.  Instead we concentrated on the natural beauty of the model and try to project character and inner beauty.

What key products have you used to create this look?

I have used The Body Shop hydrating Skin Primer – Moisture It and Extra Virgin Mineral Foundation for a clean but natural skin effect and the Brow & Lash Gel to mess the brows up.  For contouring we have used bronzers in medium and dark colours to create a strong natural shade. Lips are blanked out with foundation and tipped with a dash of Radiant Highlighter, which was also added to the cheekbones for high definition.

You have been Head Make-Up artist for Fashion Scout Merit Award Winners for season upon season. What have you enjoyed most about your time backstage at LFW?

I have enjoyed all my time backstage working with the designers and seeing how they grow from season to season. I get so much inspiration here that is so invaluable.  Coming up with new ideas and concepts has to be the best feeling ever!

What should every The Body Shop lover be looking out for on the catwalk this season, and how can they achieve the looks at home?

On the catwalk look out for great polished skin achieved by great preparation and highlighting benefits. The use of the new Colour Crush Eye Shadows and Colour Crush Lipsticks (out in September 2013) that are so pure in pigment and really beautiful for multipurpose all over, on lid, lips and cheeks.  I really think they will surprise people with their lovely natural tones mixed with really bright ones. There is something for everyone and very easy to create at home.

It may not feel like it but Spring is fast approaching. What key items should ladies have in their make-up bag for April?

The key items should be the Vitamin E Face Mist that you can keep spraying to keep your skin moisturised and fresh. The Lip and Cheek Stain for colour and stain on lips and cheeks. Also the Shimmer Waves are great for touching up for day and night for eyes, and a highlighting as a bronzer. 

The Body Shop are celebrating their 21-years of Body Butter this year… What Body Butter will you be celebrating with?

Backstage this season we love Mango for scent and Coconut Shimmer for perfect illuminated skin. 

For more information on The Body Shop, Lan Nguyen-Grealis and The Body Shop products, go to The Body Shop website and keep up-to-date with The Body Shop Twitter- @TheBodyShop 

SPONSOR| Exclusive Backstage Interview with Toni & Guy on celebrating their 50 years in Hairdressing

Toni & Guy are Fashion Scout's time-honoured sponsors, each season a fantastic team of Toni & Guy stylists create beautiful hairstyles that perfectly compliment the shows at London Fashion Week.

Having caught up with the head stylist of the team , we asked what they thought would be the trend predictions of 2013, "60s hairstyles are still going to be a big trend for the year, but also there will be more structural and graphic looks and looks that play with product,  so contrasts between wet and texture."

We also asked about Toni & Guy's 50th anniversary of hairdressing, "We're really excited, all the Toni & Guy's all over the world are coming together. Once a year we come together to have an event where we will celebrate being a part of Toni & Guy and we will show our new hair collection in September but this year we will have a huge celebration. It's a very big year for us"

The renowned hair team is such a crucial part of every showcase and they tell us why the love being a part Fashion Scout, "It's great because it allows a lot of  young people to get together celebrating fashion. It's a nice place to work because there's always team work, you know a lot of us have worked together for a lot of seasons so we've worked together, we meet twice a year to do this and there's always a lot of organisation that goes into these events"

Interview Conducted by Toni May (@Fashion_Loving)

Images by Kris Elliot (@kriselliott)

EXCLUSIVE| Designer Interviews at the launch for Vauxhall's new supermini- Adam

  

Vauxhall have teamed up with three of Britain's most innovative designers to create three customised cars for the launch of their new supermini, Adam. Available in three trims, the Adam car blends your own sense of style and taste with classic Vauxhall detailing and top-of-the-range components. 

Fred Butler, Louise Gray and Vauxhall Fashion Scout designer James Small worked with mentors and the designers at Vauxhall to designer three one-of-a-kind cars to celebrate these individualised cars. Vauxhall Fashion Scout caught up with the designers at the launch party of the Adam car & exclusive behind-the-scenes film. 

Fred Butler

You collaborated with Vauxhall this season on designers for their new ADAM car; how did you find the experience and what drew you to take on board the project?

I've never done a car before and I don't think i'd ever get the opportunity to do it again so it was amazing. I love trying out different things, anything that comes my way.

What was the experience like?

Brilliant because it was very free- we could do whatever we wanted. I really enjoy doing origami so that is what I did, and then I made it big.

What do you think of Vauxhall Fashion Scout , have you managed to see anything this season?

Brilliant, yeah really exciting. I haven't because I was finishing my own collection but I came to Pam Hogg yesterday after my show.

We caught up with Fred again later on after the premiere of the new Vauxhall ADAM film and advert.

What did you think of the film?

I think it's fantastic, the mentor side of it; it's captured that forever. I don't think anyone necessarily would have been able to get all of those people together so yeah.

What was it about Diane (Pernet; Fred's mentor for the project) that inspired you?

Just her really; always being so open, friendly and supportive.

James Small 

What drew you to the project initially and what was your experience working with Vauxhall like?

I've worked with Vauxhall for many a season and they've been very supportive and they're very open minded. They don't really put any pressure on us to change our designs or our viewpoints and they're very creative in their own way. I went over to Germany and met their whole design team and they're an amazing bunch; very creative and we all got along.

Words by Madeleine Ayers (@MadeleineAyers)

SPONSOR| Exclusive Backstage Interview with The Body Shop Head Make-Up Stylist Lan Nguyen-Grealis

The Body Shop are world renown for their incredible range of beautiful make up, fantastic ethos and impeccable sense ethics, and Vauxhall Fashion Scout are incredibly proud to have them as a sponsor for S/S13. As the official backstage make-up sponsor, The Body Shop are on hand for all the Vauxhall Fashion Scout shows, collaborating with designers to produce a catwalk look to amaze and impress the front row Fashion Elite. 

At Vauxhall Fashion Scout, we pride ourselves on nurturing the future of British Talent, and none more so than our Merit Award winners, which this season was awarded to Heohwan Simulation. Leading The Body Shop backstage team was Head Make-Up Artist Lan Nguyen-Grealis, who we spoke to ahead of the show on exactly what her plans were for this thrilling new season. 

You've been Senior Artist for The Body Shop for a multitude of seasons now and have worked with Vauxhall Fashion Scout for years. What has been your highlight of your time at VFS so far?

My highlights from VFS has been seeing the growth of designers develop their shows. Also seeing the collaboration between The BodyShop and Vauxhall has been a great venture.

Our Merit Award Winner this season is Heohwan Simulation - known for his clean lines and sharp aesthetic. How are you looking to compliment the make-up with his trademark look?

With Merit Award Winner we are planning to reflect the collection in the makeup by creating clean and bold solid colours. Keeping the look simple.

What key Body Shop products will you be using to create this look?

I will be using the new colour crush eyeshadows and gloss with oil free foundation with pressed powders.

We've been preparing for weeks for London Fashion Week- that key trends can you see coming through for S/S13?

The key trends emerging for SS13 are smokey coloured eyes such as blue and purple. Strong eyeliner and the new nude bronze and matte. 

Fashion is always one step ahead- whilst we're looking at S/S13 trends this Fashion Week, what current Body Shop products and trends do you recommend for this Autumn/Winter?

This Autumn/Winter trends such as the strong brow look using the brow kit is essential. Creating strong red lips by using the lip pencil such as Rosy Red to line and fill in lips. Also skin was fresh and dewey so using the Vitamin E spray mist and Radiant highlighter. The lip and cheek tint is important for cheeks and lip stain which created the natural flush and effortless lips.

For more about The Body Shop, and their ideas, products and styles for S/S13, head to The Body Shop website, here! Stay tuned for more exclusive imagery from behind the scenes with Vauxhall Fashion Scout and The Body Shop.