Beauty Spotlight | Creating the Raw Beauty Look of the Resort 23 Runway
Defined by a dedication to raw beauty, the hair and beauty look for Aje’s Resort 23 ‘Sculptura’ runway was one that remained true to the effortlessly cool ethos of the House.
Envisioned by Creative Director Edwina Forest in collaboration with Hair Director John Pulitano, Beauty Director Isabella Schimid and Nails Director Cindy Vellis, each model’s look was subtly tailored to reflect her natural features, allowing real skin, soft tints of colour and undone textures to take centre stage and complement the vibrancy of the collection.
Beyond fresh skin and slick tresses, the look of ‘Sculptura’ was also one that honoured Aje’s pledge to minimise our impact on the earth and maximise our positive impact on humanity by consciously partnering with creative collaborators who are equally committed to the same values.
Read on to learn more and uncover the techniques and products behind the raw beauty look, as seen on the Resort 23 runway.
In a desire to create a sense of structure contrasted with a touch of vulnerability, Aje partnered with sustainable, kind and clean haircare line, O&M, which creates products formulated with native Australian ingredients. Led by Hair Director John Pulitano and finessed using ghd tools, tresses for Resort 23 were styled to mimic the effect of salt water on the strands, with a sleek, wet look commencing at the crown before descending to slightly drier ends — echoing the aesthetic of having just emerged from the sea.
“Essentially, you're taking the natural texture of the hair and enhancing the strands with a product that gives it a super-sleek yet relaxed finish,” John Pulitano told The Aje Report.
Prior to makeup application, the models’ faces were primed by Sunday Riley to create a smooth, luminous canvas for the cosmetics to subtly enhance. After a deep cleanse using their Ceramic Slip Cleanser, the skin prepped with the brand’s cult-favourite Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment, a pioneering serum which naturally brightens for a radiant complexion. It was then followed by a curation of hydrating products, including ‘power-drink’ for your skin Pink Drink Firming and Resurfacing Essence, before finishing with their award-winning C.E.O Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil to maximise the models’ natural glow.
“This look is all about skin,” Beauty Director Isabella Schimid told The Aje Report.
“We wanted to create a healthy, naturally radiant complexion that complements the raw beauty, effortlessly cool approach that Aje does so well. Using Sunday Riley, we were able to create that unmistakeable glow with just a few products. Good Genes really exfoliates, pumps and brightens the skin, leaving an even, naturally luminous base where little to no foundation is required.”
As a final touch prior to makeup, their Auto Correct Brightening and De-Puffing Eye Contour Cream was applied to banish any darkness and instantly illuminate the under eye area.
To create the face of Resort 23, Beauty Director and longtime Aje collaborator Isabella Schimid applied a touch of subtle colour with products by Flavedo and Albedo, an emerging Australian beauty brand dedicated to high performance makeup with plastic-free packaging. Delivering a soft dewiness and wash of colour with Dew Tint on the cheeks, the models’ eyes were defined with the brand’s Bright Stripe Eyeliner in Gold, a super-soft wax-based pencil that delivers high-pigment hues in a waterproof gel formula, with High Glow in Champagne over the top.
Inspired by the tonality and texture of the runway, vegan and cruelty-free nail polish brand Gloss & Co tailored the nails of Aje models in the long-lasting shades of Lullaby and Dreams; both soft sand tones that reflect the earthen colours present in the ‘Sculptura’ collection.
“[It was about] keeping it light and fresh with a soft shape and light buff. Beginning with a Ridge Filling base coat is a crucial step in every manicure as it behaves like double-sided tape for the next one-to-two coats of our two chosen colours, Lullaby and Dreams,” said Nails Director, Cindy Vellis.
“[We finished] with a nice thick layer of Gloss & Co’s UV-cctivated Top Coat which dries almost immediately as well as a drop of nourishing Cuticle Oil on each nail to protect the perfect manicure.”
Aje sincerely thanks all brand partners for contributing their specialties to the Resort 23 runway.
Aje sincerely thanks all brand partners for contributing their specialties to the Resort 23 runway.
