LBS Backstage Beauty: Rip The Runway 2013

Tonight at 10PM EST, BET will premiere its annual Rip The Runway showcase featuring trendy designer collections from African-American designers, and celebrating the style & beauty of people of color. Hosted by Kelly Rowland and Boris Kodjoe, I must say the 2013 show is by far one of the best. I attended the taping and you guys are in for a treat. Aside from fashion-forward collections, there are guest performances by some of the hottest hip-hop & R&B artists out now including Rick Ross, Omarion, Jaden Smith, Sevyn Streeter, and more.

I remember watching Rip The Runway back in my high school days so I was honored when BET invited me backstage to chat with the glam squad that makes the magic happen. Check out what they told me:

Inspiration: The Hair

Backstage the hair looks were sophisticated and understated. Lead hairstylist for the show, Tracy Balan explained "...everything was about elevating the fashion and taking it to a whole other level. It's more high-end. Think Bryant Park, think Italian Vogue. That's what you're getting for 2013. This year, the hair is really simple. It's all about simplicity and accessorizing your hair to match the clothes."

About achieving the hair look, Tracy notes "One of the looks tonight is the classic low chignon to the back of the head or the low ponytail. You can easily achieve this with some mousse or a bit of dry shampoo in the roots to lay the hair down but the ends will have more of a wild effect. We also have alot of 60's mod buns as well, especially in the Size Sexy section. The models are wearing Vivica Fox's remy extensions line, as one of our biggest sponsors this season."

Inspiration: Fashion Freedom Segment

Beagy Zielinski, stylist for the Fashion Freedom segment noted "My inspiration for the style looks tonight was Alexander McQueen. I really wanted it to be sexy and edgy with a bit of a dark side. The looks we pulled are everywhere from London to Hong Kong to Lebanon. They're literally from around the world. So it's alot of really fun detail."

Inspiration: Size Sexy Segment

Lead stylist for the "Size Sexy" segment, Lindsay Driscoll told us that this year's theme was Vogue meet Rip The Runway. "My goal was to have these girls who are plus size (12-20), wearing the same types of outfits as your typical runway model or celebrity. You don't have to belt everything, you can still wear luxurious furs, and luxe fabrics like leather and lace. It's about finding the right designers that really tailor their pieces well and finding the right fit and fabrics. So this year we really focused on quality materials and great tailoring to make sure everything looked couture."

Get The Look: Size Sexy

When I asked about fashion tips for curvy girls like myself, Lindsay mentioned, "...make sure you accentuate the best part of you. For example, if you have really big thighs, wearing a pencil skirt so you can show off your smaller waist while still covering up problem areas is best. Pick your favorite body part and accentuate it. Also, don't be scared to wear prints or to do color-blocking. If you do it the right way, it works. Not every big girl should have to wear black to look trim. And not every outfit needs a belt."

Fashion producers of the show Carline Balan & Michou St. Jules says the creative direction of the show was bringing NYFW to BET. "With the element of our stylists and high-end segments like Lux Mode, Jaden Smith's clothing line MSFTS, Fashion Freedom and Size Sexy. It's about giving segments for everyone. If you put the entire show together, you could walk through anyone's life at a particular time."

"There are so many amazing African-American designers that don't really get the recognition that they should. So we love mentoring new talent, taking them on and showcasing that. We allow everyone on stage to be their unique selves. That's why this show isn't driven by the designers but by the stylists. The designers don't even know which pieces we chose! They don't get to see it all together until they come see the show," said Carline Balan.

Quite interesting! Well I can tell you for sure that they did an amazing job with the show. I ahd a great time at the taping. Make sure to check it out on BET tonight at 10PM EST. Head to the website for more information.

 Will you guys be tuning in?

LBS Backstage Beauty: Butter London for Libertine Fall 2013

For the Libertine Fall 2013 collection, Butter London lead artist Katie Hughes customized a special crystallized golden nail look. The vintage-like gold is new shade from Butter London that will be available this upcoming Summer 2013. Here's what she had to say about the look:

About the application: "You start off by inserting the toothpick in lip balm, then pre-glue the nail and just paste it right on. No particular pattern for the jewels, we just kept them heavily encrusted by the cuticle and brought it down from there," said Katie Hughes.

"Every single nail is different and unique, that’s the most important thing. The crystals are actually used in his clothes so he gave us three sheets of these stones to work with. I added a lot of Swarovski [crystals] so I could get that pop of sparkle so it’s really fun."

About the crystallized nail trend:

"I do think it’s going to be big this season. I always talk about the grown up nail art trend, and when I say grown-up nail art I mean half-moon manicures, graphic strips down the nail, color-blocking tips, etc. I think this is still within that because it’s an embellishment as opposed to smiley faces or crazy little things that a kid would do. I think this is still acceptable for grown-ups. Color-wise, embellishment is going to be heavily within that trend. There's alot of texture coming out in nail polish and it’s just going to a whole other place. You can really feel the glitter in a nail lacquer now. It’s all about texture."

About the nail color: "This color we custom created for the Libertine Fall 2013 collection. We already have a gold in the collection so we said ‘Can we make it more vintage-looking?’. More like jewelry you’d find at a market in the middle east or something - really, really gold. So I created it for him, for the show. It’s not out yet, but it should be out in May - during the next collection launch."

Would you try this nail trend at home?

LBS Backstage Beauty: TRESemme for Rebecca Minkoff Fall 2013

Rebecca Minkoff's Fall 2013 collection was marked by whimsical patterns and space-cadet-like shapes. To compliment the overall look of the collection, TRESemme lead hairstylist Jeanie Syfu gave models a sleek, structured look.

"We decided to take the hair a different direction from last season and have it really bold and strong. So we’re prepping the hair with the Thermal Creations Volumizing Mousse ($4.99) and then we’re applying the Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray ($5.29) on the ends, blowing them out really straight with a boar bristle brush on high heat so it’s really sleek and polished..."

"Next, we’re putting in extensions from the nape so all the girls have a really strong wight line and it just has a bold, graphic shape."

"We’re flat-ironing the hair with a little hairspray so it’s really bone straight, combing through it right before they walk out, and we’re spraying the Smooth No-Frizz Shine Spray ($4.75) on the hair just so it stays really polished. Everyone is going to have a center part and we’re just teasing it really lightly."

 This hair look is fairly easy to create at home using TRESemme's extensive line, and few core tools like a great flat iron.

 See below for a anapshot of how to get the look with TRESemme:

For more looks straight from NYFW, keep checking LoveBrownSugar.com's Backstage Beauty page for more!

LBS Backstage Beauty: MAC for SUNO Spring 2013

For the SUNO Spring 2013 collection, MAC Cosmetics partnered up with Suno for the collection's makeup look. Makeup artists channeled dusty desert chic with beiges, taupes and just a hint of tint. The makeup was definitely focused on fresh faces with a light bronze. 

"The face is fresh, with moist lips, no strong brows and no exaggerated eye. We wanted the look to give a feeling of freedom," said head Makeup Artist Carole Colombani. Artists used MAC Cosmetics Face and Body Foundation, Studio Finish Concealer, and Shaping Powder on the face. 

For cheeks, artists used Paint Pot in Groundwork to contoured the cheeks, and Quite Natural was used to add depth.

Fawntastic and Shell Cream Colour Bases were mixed to add highlights on cheekbones.

For eyes, artists mixed Emphasize and Accentuate Shaping Powder on the lid. 

This girl was so gorgeous. Love the soft, desert-kissed glow they gave her.

Thoughts on this beauty look? Would you try this at home?