Our September fashion shoot was a look ahead to A/W16 and all things grunge ‘n’ glamour.

Printed silk bombers, androgynous fits and embellished blouses were the order of the day, but it was the hair and make-up that really gave this shoot an added edge. So how did hairstylist Denise Bray and MUA Michelle Kinsella do it? We went behind-the-scenes to get their tricks of the trade…

Hair

Slicked-down Forties glamour was all over the A/W16 catwalks this season, and Denise took her inspiration from the high-gloss fringes at Mary Katrantzou’s A/W16 Ready-To-Wear show. The best the thing about it? This style is super easy to achieve, and she told us how.

Prep

“Simple enough to start with, to begin I brushed Rebecca’s hair into a middle parting and then smoothed it out with the thick GHD,” says Denise

Styling and Setting

This look is all about the soft waves, which Denise achieved without the use of a curler.

“First, I gently worked a little hair gel into the front of the hair a few inches down from the parting,” she explains. “Manipulating the hair into a soft, matte wave, I clipped this down with banana clips on either side to let it set.

The Finish

“With the banana clips still in place, I took a backcombing brush to the length of the hair and added a slight hint of volume to it,” says Denise, who finished up with a good spritz of Schwarzkopf Silhouette Hairspray. “Then, when we were ready to shoot, I simply removed the clips and the gelled, waves stood obediently in place.”

Makeup

Eyes were toned down for this look, to give a bold lip a chance to shine.

Prep

“I started with my ever-reliable Pestle & Mortar Hydrate Moisturiser,” says Michelle.

Base

Michelle’s go-to combo for glowing skin? A mix of MAC Strobe Cream and Chanel Vitalumiére foundation. Michelle applied the foundation with her fingers before patting with a damp Beauty Blender.

Contour and Highlight

“For a slight definition, I used Rosie for Autograph’s Cream Contour Stick under the apple of the cheeks and around the jawline,” says Michelle. “I then dusted highlighter from Charlotte Tilbury’s Bronze & Glow kit on the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the cupid’s bow.”

Eyes

Eyes were kept understated with just a sweep of YSL Faux Cils Mascara. Simples!

Lips

The colour pop lip was the real showstopper of this look. “I used MAC Odyssey, one of my favourite deep purples,” says Michelle.

See the full shoot in our September issue, on shelves now!

• behind the scenes
• bts
• hair
• hairstyle
• how to
• inspo
• inthemag
• Makeup
• makeup goals
• mary katrantzou