Backstage at Stella McCartney with Sunday Riley

This post was updated 13.10.14: see below

I promise I’m not strangling that poor girl.

 I was lucky enough to work the Stella McCartney shows again this season, both the Green Carpet Challenge with Livia Firth in London and Stella’s SS15 show in Paris last week. They are always a highlight of the year and Stella’s team are a joy to work with.
This is personally my 3rd season and it was busier than ever last week. We had models queuing for a morning massage. Queuing! You know when you have those moments of ‘I’m so unbelievably grateful that this is my job’? I had those all morning. What a dream.

The old adage of models not taking care of their skin is so not the case anymore. These girls know their faces are their fortune and their skin showed it. The odd blemish aside, it was mainly a case of giving them a little brightening, a little massage and a glow. This was week 4 of fashion week for most of these girls and dehydration was the only sign that they have worked – in most cases – non-stop and been on flights continuously for more than a month.

I am always asked for the routine used. Last week the brief from Pat McGrath was soft, glowing skin and to achieve that I:

  • cleansed with Ceramic Slip (sometimes mixed with Good Genes and used as a mask depending on the model’s skin)
  • removed with damp cotton pads (moistened with mineral water, not tap)
  • massage with either Juno or Artemis oils – again depending on the skin type and concern – using a small amount of product is key. Too much oil means slip not grip and a greasy catwalk makeup. Not good.
  • apply Start Over eye cream 
  • apply a small amount of Bionic moisturiser to give the perfect makeup base for the team

Most of the girls had a power nap during the massage. I avoided too much lymph drainage – by week 4 of fashion week your immune system is on high alert and under considerable strain, if I was to really work the lymph they could have come down with colds/got sniffly and no-one would thank me for that with days of shows left.

I mainly worked the temples/forehead and cheeks, relaxing the face and giving a glow.

Dani with her gorgeous face that I frankly just wanted to squeeze. Look at that skin.

 The finished faces.

As per your requests in the comments see below my untouched photographs from some of the shows. The only thing being touched up in any of these is my bosom. 🙂

Gorgeous gorgeous Dani.

For more information on Sunday Riley www.sundayriley.com

All photography courtesy of Sunday Riley. Huge thanks to the team at Stella McCartney.