Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week: Backstage at Herve Leger by Max Azria with MAC, Moroccanoil, and CND

The Scene: Controlled calm. The people in charge of backstage had things down to a science. Press was shuffled in and out quickly – there were many cameramen trying to document the looks, but none stayed too long.

Overheard Backstage: It wasn’t exactly overheard… and it wasn’t technically backstage… but a netbook-wielding woman was spotted outside the tents hurrying toward the backstage area, blogging frantically as she power-walked. Somehow she didn’t trip or fall.

Products: Makeup: MAC lipstick in Lady Danger

Hair: Moroccanoil Luminous hairspray

Nails: CND Solar Oil, CND lacquer in Desert Suede, CND Speedey top coat

Get the Look: Makeup: Artist Lisa Butler created an extremely simple look, prominently featuring one of MAC’s most iconic colors. She wanted the “skin [to be] left alone” as much as possible – aside from moisturizer, she advocating only using concealer to “soften any reds in the skin,” allowing the red lip to stand out. With the ever-popular Lady Danger, she strove for a “chiseled,” “serious” look. Using a brush, she applied the shade to lips, taking care to create strong, sharp lines at the edges of the lips – she wanted a “pointy, angled lip” rather than a plump, pouty one. For blondes, Butler shaded in the eyebrows a bit to add to the “serious” effect. This look was striking and sexy on the models, but the rest of us might need a bit of foundation and mascara to make it work.

Hair: Stylist Bob Recine kept it similarly simple – he was inspired by “the girls themselves” to create a low, easy, “unbrushed” ponytail. Recine used Moroccanoil Luminous hairspray on wet hair and blow-dried it, using his fingers to create texture. He then brushed the hair out, pulling it back into a tight ponytail at the nape of the neck. He secured it with an invisible elastic and sprayed more Luminous hairspray. The ponytail was “free-flowing” and voluminous, but tight and controlled at the front. The hairnet was temporary - it preserved the style during makeup and dressing.

Nails: Duplicating the nails at Herve Leger won't take much effort. Angi Wingle filed the nails short and coated them with CND Solar Oil for health and shine. She polished the toenails with two coats of Desert Suede and one of Speedy top coat, a combination reminiscent of “retro pantyhose.” Her rationale for the minimalist look was drawn from the effortlessness of the Herve Leger woman.