By Larry Stanbury
For Cult Gaia’s Spring/Summer 2027 show, the beauty direction transported models into a romantic fantasy where the skin appeared warmed by weeks in the sun and the hair looked perfectly undone. Makeup artist Raoul Alejandre and hairstylist Karim Belghiran created complementary looks that felt natural, intimate, and effortlessly glamorous.
The Makeup
Alejandre envisioned a complexion that was both tanned and slightly sunburned, as though the models had spent an extended holiday somewhere warm. “It’s very lived-in and beachy, but you’re also probably rolling around in bed with a lover somewhere in Europe,” he explained backstage. Blush was swept generously across the face to create that flushed warmth, while select models received faux freckles as another sign of time spent in the sun.
The eyes were kept minimal and glossy, mimicking the natural sheen that develops on the eyelids throughout the day. Rather than creating something overly perfected, Alejandre wanted the makeup to appear “very natural, very raw, and very unfinished,” while still feeling intentional. The final result captured the relaxed sensuality of someone glowing from a holiday, a romance or perhaps both.
The Hair
Belghiran carried that fantasy into the hair with what could be described as a rom-com ponytail. His inspiration was “a dream girl with dream hair in a dream scenario,” someone experiencing a perfect day where everything feels effortless and nothing is out of place. He then imagined taking that woman out of the dream and placing her on the street in a beautiful gown with equally beautiful hair and makeup.
The hairstylist created two variations of the look using TRESemmé A-List Collection Smoothing Cream and Extra Hold Hairspray. The first featured a straight infinity knot secured loosely at the back of the head, while the second incorporated soft, whispery waves and a more chaotic version of the knot. The team protected the hair with heat spray before working through it with their fingers instead of brushes, avoiding tension and allowing each model’s natural texture and movement to remain visible.
The show’s organic setting also helped shape the beauty direction. Belghiran wanted the hair to feel grounded and connected to the surroundings while maintaining an element of fantasy. Paired with Alejandre’s sun-kissed skin, scattered freckles and glossy eyes, the undone knots completed Cult Gaia’s vision of a woman who is down-to-earth, deeply romantic and almost ready to take flight.
