Fashion week might be an endless parade of parties, paparazzi and freebies for some, but it's a different story for the people running the show. In our fashion week blogger series, industry insiders tell us what it's really like to be a part of the fashion week whirlwind.
Mac's Debbie Finnegan talks us through her day at London Fashion Week...
"I've come to the end of day three at London Fashion Week autumn/winter and I think it's safe to say this day will be hard to beat. This morning I was backstage at Charlie Le Mindu with amazing makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver. The look was pure and beautiful but there was a slightly "wrong" element to it. This was seen in the pouty perfect red lip that was a decidedly odd shade of red. First Mac Lip pencil in Auburn was used to fill in the entire lip in a full voluptuous shape.
Then we custom blended an unusual blood red burgundy colour from Mac Lipmix in Red Black and Blue. All other elements of the face were perfected and pared back. Skin was flawless and matte created using Mac Face and Body Foundation, Mac Studio Finish Concealer and Mac Invisible Powder. A hint of sculpting was added using Mac Harmony Blusher. Finally eyes were given a nude touch by lightening the eyelashes using Mac Select Cover Up Concealer and painting this on the lashes like mascara.
We also gave Mac #33 lashes the same concealing treatment and applied them on the models. This was a dramatic show from the collection that featured a punk/fetish feel in see through PVC and cream lace, huge wedge platform boots, horse hair, amazing wigs and Mohican hairstyles. The show opened with a naked lady covered head to toe in fake blood and wearing a headpiece that said "Violence" - An entrance that would give even the fabulous Lady Gaga a run for her money. With my first show time and second call time just 15 minutes apart my afternoon went by in a blur.
I left Charlie le Mindu just as the show was starting sneaking quite literally out through the back door, feeling slightly like a celeb as I raced for my waiting car. I arrived at Vivienne Westwood just as the fabulous Alex Box was starting the first demo. Just in the nick of time! It seemed Vivienne's show had been inspired with a hint of royalty or an upper class vibe.
Backstage at Vivienne Westwood. Photo: PA
The look was reminiscent of images of royalty from years ago when taken in the great outdoors. They sported ruddy faces and 'done' hair doos that had been wind swept away. This was interpreted in a colourful arty way and as always, Vivienne had a tongue-in-cheek take on this. Alex created a look that had three stages, pretty, pretty colourful and pretty screwed up. The first had gorgeous skin a hint of a lip and a natural eye with lashings of Mac False Lashes Mascara.
The next was a much more playful worn in version with lots of colour added. Mac Cyan Chromaline was drawn in a line through each socket line of the eye but totally un symmetrical and very child like. Strong colours like Mac Dollymix blusher, Mac Frozen White Pigment and Mac Beet Lip Pencil were placed in what looked to be a haphazard way as they were 'wrong' or smudged or over drawn.
The next deconstructed stage looked like the above girl had had a mental night out on the town and had way too many sherries. More colour was added in blues and pinks and golds so the model resembles and abstract painting. Then came a show stopping gilded model. We pretty much covered a models face in Mac Gold Leaf Metal and pushed gold pigment into her hair and it looked amazing. As she stepped onto the catwalk looking the height of coolness and wearing her Westwood shades and an amazing outfit the crowd give a huge round of applause. What better way to finish the day? So again, into a waiting car I went and home to replenish my kit and get organised for tomorrow's madness."