Backstage Beauty at Sera Lilly 2009

A model has her hair and makeup done backstage at Sera Lilly. Photo / Nicole Saunders

Sera Lilly is playing with the notion of rebellious, reluctant princesses - womanly, eclectic, and kind of soft Eighties all at once.

Hair

This is the first time Mana Dave from Blaze hair salon has worked with Sera Lilly, but he's pulled together one of the freshest hair looks of the two days.

He wanted to mix a multitude of textures to reference Sera's soft Eighties vibe, so out came the mini-crimps (think teensy afro-style waves), then piles of loose fly-aways and finally, big fat braids. On some girls, he braided complex quiffs at the forehead, opening out the braid to resemble that great grownup up-do, the petal bun.

On others he braided ribbons of Sera's fabrics (a particularly pretty version around the base of her neck on Keisha Castle-Hughes). Textures were kept in-tact and interesting using Redken #3 Fabricate.

Makeup

Australia's Rationale brand is best known for beautiful skin care, but has come to Air New Zealand Fashion Week to launch its new range of makeup (it's been around in Aus for about five months). So naturally the look creative director Eithne Curran took was to showcase fine, beautiful skin with only light layers and shadows "to show the woman" she says.

The palette of tones stayed nude (Rationale Beautiful Skin SPF 19 in a number 2 or 3, in fact), with a dusting of platinum mineral base (use a big kabuki brush to get sheer, not powdery finish).

The eye was sculpted with more of the same and then finished with Rationale's Beautiful Lash: a mascara that actually hydrates and helps the lash grow with the peptides and hyaluronic acid more usually found in skin care.

Take home tip

We love the effect of the mini-afro crimper - but instead of recreating the Seventies 'fro, use it to get volume without the pain of back-combing. Mini-crimp 2 to 2.5 centimetres at the roots to get great volume, fluff and go.