Greg Wencel, CoverGirl makeup pro, works his magic on a model backstage at Jeremy Laing.

Jeremy Laing first showed his Spring 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week in September, so for his encore presentation at The shOws last night, makeup artist Greg Wencel and hair artist Justin German were charged with taking the original beauty look and giving it a special Toronto twist. Let’s listen in on how they did it:
MAKEUP LOOK: Greg Wencel, CoverGirl makeup pro
Designer inspiration "Jeremy wanted it to look quite lived in and handsome. He didn’t want them to look too princessy, or too done or too glam."
Creating the look "We left the brows and the lashes bare. We combed clear mascara through both to get rid of any unruly hairs and to give them a little bit of definition. On the eye, we used Iced Cappuccino blush underneath the eye and the brow bone. Then we put a clear gloss on the eye—we just pressed that onto the eye with our fingertips. We used the same blush on the cheekbones. We wanted it to be tone on tone—soft focus. We wanted to give the cheeks definition without competing with the eye. Using the same colour softly draws your eye to the eyes."
Fresh touch "I think it has a little bit of a ’70s feel, but what makes it modern is the lack of lashes and the lack of a defined brow. Also, the blush—it reminds me of the ’70s too, that high sculpted cheekbone, but because it’s not as angular and it’s not as harsh, it looks more modern."
HAIR LOOK: Justin German, Pantene consulting stylist
Designer inspiration "The thing about Jeremy—his stuff is simple but it’s modern. It’s not fussy. [The clothes] go with this look, because it’s linear but it still has a modern edge."
Creating the look "On either side, we’re doing a two-strand twist instead of a corn row—when you twist it, it looks like a rope, like a coil. Then we gather them at the bottom with a simple ponytail down the back. For product, we’re using a Sebastian Moldable Shine Wax, because it’s a little bit greasy—almost like a pomade, old school. At the last minute, we’ll use a matte putty, so [it will look] more edgy but not greasy. I like the look of the shiny and the dry together."
Pony up "[The look is]  
a twist on the ponytail. The ponytail is it in the centre of the head one year, then it’s low, a deep side part, a high ponytail. The low pony is classic. Braids have been around for so long, so it’s  a nice twist to make them… twist." German’s all-time favourite pony look? "I always love me a good old-fashioned high ponytail. Kind of Madonna-ish. Tight, tight head and really hot."
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