Lifestyle Mirror

New York Fashion Week kicked off today at Lincoln Center. That means lots of exciting clothes, and more importantly for us, some very fabulous backstage beauty. At Richard Chai, the designer continued his domination over downtown cool by collaborating with MAC artist James Kaliardos. Kaliardos, a major industry player, captured the alternative vibe of the collection with a "soft, graphic sixties liner" achieved with MAC's Fluidline in "Dirty Blonde"—which, to our knowledge, is an unreleased shade. (He insists that it will "keep all day.") Kaliardos also used the gel liner to touch up bolder brows, making the eyes really pop. He kept skin moisturized and clean, concealing where needed. 

Accompanying that pretty face was a slick ponytail crafted by the pros at Aveda, finished off with some "gold suede" nails by Julep. The manicurist used two coats of their Sienna polish topped with a matte top coat (a major trend so far—three out of three shows featured matte nails!). The mattifying effect on a metallic nail gave a luxurious, textured finish. It's a great idea for a personal twist on the metallic trend. We'll be trying it ahead of season. —Phillip Picardi (@pfpicardi)