Tom Pecheux

Alessandra Ambrosio Talks French Kiss Lips & the Million Dollar Bra Backstage the VS Fashion Show

After waiting for makeup artist, Tom Pecheux to finish Alessandra's makeup, I nabbed the first interview with the power duo! This is my third year covering backstage for Victoria's Secret and each time I try to bring you something new. This, by far, is a fun clip. Stay tuned as there's much more to come!

VIDEO: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Backstage Beauty Report

Yesterday I went backstage before the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which was held at the 69th Regiment Armory in NYC, and got the scoop on the secrets behind the Angel's glowing skin, bombshell waves and scored an interview with high fashion model, Liu Wen. Check out the video interview I did backstage with Lead Makeup Artist, Tom Pecheux, and find out which products he used on the models after the jump!

Here's a shot of the main products used to create the look.  Before applying foundation, Pecheux massaged each of the model's skin with Rodin Face Oil to moisturize and awaken it by stimulating circulation.

Pecheux wanted to create a believable tan complexion and used Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Bronzing Powder in Glitterati across the models' faces in places where the sun would hit (cheekbones, chin, nose and brow bone).  He then blended Victoria's Secret Luminous Mineral Blush Duo in Starlet into the apples of the cheeks and up into the temples to make the tan look natural.

Inspired by Marilyn Monroe, the eye had a thin line of liquid liner and lashes were real!  Tons of mascara.  To finish, he used Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Lipstick in Wisper with a top coat of Very Sexy Lipgloss in Sublime.

Check out the video for the real deal:  

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Backstage Makeup Secrets Video

Tom Pecheux created a golden California girl look by enhancing the models natural features with sunkissed contoured cheeks, false lashes and a bit of pink on the lip.

Key products: an array of Victoria's Secret Lip Lacquer shades (they last!) and Victoria's Secret Ultimate Makeup Kit.

Check out the video of the master applying the look on a VS model and giving me tips and tricks on applying false lashes:

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show: Backstage Body Sculpting Secrets

This was perhaps me at my A-game as an "investigative reporter."  What I do for my BeautySweetSpot readers, let me tell you. Picture this – me in a 5' x 8' area, enclosed by a curtain backstage surrounded by three buck naked Victoria's Secret models and two women hand painting them with self tanner. Yes, I was the reporter who had to see for myself exactly how the ladies were being self tanned and how they took the extra step to perfect their already perfect bodies.  So allow me to fill you in:

First of all, all three models back there were concavely skinny with A cup boobs.  I was not surrounded by bombshell bodies.  It's amazing what VS lingerie can do to a stick figure!  I have to say though, none of the girls I was back there with were the core VS models.  They were cast just for the show.  The core models were all shapely and very toned.

I had to get that out.  Their beachy glowing bodies started two days ago when the models met with spray tanner, Jimmy Coco at the Giraffe Hotel in NYC to begin the process. Then, at the show the girls whole bodies were rubbed down by one artist under makeup artist, Tom Pecheux's lead with a combination of moisturizer and Victoria's Secret Sunkissed Bronze Instant Self Tan Lotion with Tint.

Once their whole bodies were covered, they went to a second woman who used the Victoria's Secret Flawless Airbrush Body Tan to sculpt their bodies, a paint brush with foundation to cover flaws and bruises and finished by using a light shimmer product coming out this holiday season.

The girls said they didn't feel sticky and that the formulas dried quickly.  None of them looked tanned, just sun-kissed.

Estee Lauder Introduces New Pure Color Lipgloss

What if there was a lip gloss that had the strong pigment of a lipstick, and the smooth application and luster of a gloss?  Estee Lauder’s new Pure Color Gloss has just that. I've always been a fan of Pure Gloss, which provides long-lasting color and hydration (minus the stickiness)! The new collection has a spectrum of 34 hues in shine, shimmer, or sparkle finishes so you can choose your desired look for any occasion.  It also features six colors created by Tom Pecheux, Estee Lauder’s Creative Makeup Director and beauty guru to the fashion world. As someone who has worked with countless celebrities, Pecheux’s custom colors are stylish and playful—and still classy reflecting the brand etiquette of Estee Lauder..

The new gloss is available at nationwide Estee Lauder counters and online for $18.

Go Backstage at Catherine Malandrino

Yesterday's Catherine Malandrino Fall 2010 Presentation held at the Chelsea Art Museum was strong and the look was stunning.  The inspiration was "the earth as seen from above," which explains why the models hair was gathered up into a tree.  A slew of celebrities attended including Whitney Port and Mena Suvari.

(Photo below of Whitney and Catherine).

Lead MAC makeup artist, Tom Pecheux, created an Asian inspired look on each of the girls by lengthening rounded eyes with Tarnish Bronze and Club eye shadows, and extending the eye even further by bringing it all the way into the inner nose area.  He also rid any arch in the brow with powder.  The lip was a new MAC color launching this fall that Angelina Jolie is already wearing, I'd share the name with you, but it's unnamed!  

"The key to getting all of the hair to stand up on top of the head is texture," commented Odile Gilbert, the lead hairstylist.  She used Phyto Matte Fiber Paste along with Phyto Workable Holding Hair Spray and combed the hair up onto the top of the crown before securing it with two elastics. 

My favorite part of the look was the nails.  Jan Arnold lead the Creative Nail Design team in creating a nail that was "reminiscent of leather."  By combining Dark Ruby and Popper Shimmer, she created a taupe milk chocolate shade then added Creative Nail Designs Super Matte on top.  To take the nail art further, she continued to texturize it by dabbing each nail lightly with a fiber free makeup sponge.