BCBG’s Genius Makeup Idea

Photo: Getty Images

At the first show on the first day of New York Fashion Week, makeup artist Val Garland did something that made us go, “Why didn’t we think of that?” Backstage at BCBG at Lincoln Center this morning, the British makeup artist pulled off a role reversal that might actually be better suited to real life than the runway: makeup first, skincare second.

To build each model’s easy, end-of-summer glow, Garland applied MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder ($32) just under cheekbones for a sun-kissed effect. Then she pressed a mix of coral and pink lipsticks on the apples of the cheeks, blending it into the existing color. (Don’t want to mix your own? Try a cream blush.)

The dewy, fresh-faced part was thanks to moisturizer, which Garland patted right into the top of the cheeks for radiance without shimmer. The face was clean and healthy-looking—exactly the sort of summer’s-end effect to try at home. “She’s very real,” Garland said of the BCBG girl. “She doesn’t look like she’s wearing much makeup.” Our point exactly.