BUZZING IN TO SPRING

Apr 16

A LITTLE SUNSHINE. A FEW FLOWERS. AND SOME VERY REAL BEES.

After a long, grey winter, the Spring Seasonal Beauty Test was all about warmth, sunshine and the feeling of finally having the sun on your face again.

Lily Stinchcombe, Sarah Harrison, Gabbie Snyder and Stephanie Benevides joined us in the studio, with Earl Simpson looking after hair and makeup, for two spring-inspired beauty looks. One fresh and relaxed, the other involving a rather unusual collection of tiny winged visitors.

HERE COMES THE SUN.

For the first look, the inspiration was simple: blue skies, warm skin and that wonderful feeling of spring arriving after months of cold, dreary weather.

Fresh makeup, sun-kissed tones and an easy, relaxed mood gave the portraits the feeling of a sunny afternoon. The idea was to keep everything light and uncomplicated, with the warmth of the skin playing against the freshness of the spring palette.

A little sunshine, without having to leave the studio.

A LITTLE BUZZ.

The second look took its inspiration from a beauty editorial featuring bees. It seemed like a fun idea to explore, particularly alongside the flowers and fresh spring colours.

And yes, the bees were real.

Not alive, thankfully, but real preserved bees, carefully attached to small skewers so an assistant could position them around the models' faces.

The effect was wonderfully strange. Tiny bees appeared to rest on cheeks, eyebrows and among the flowers, creating photographs that were equal parts delicate and unexpected.

Lily's expressions were particularly entertaining, bringing a little humour to a concept that could easily have been taken far too seriously.

THE STING IN THE TALE.

There was, however, one rather unexpected development.

After the session, one of the models developed hives in the areas where the bees had been resting against her skin. She hadn't been aware of a sensitivity, and it was something we hadn't anticipated when planning the photographs.

It was an important lesson about working with unconventional props, particularly natural materials that may still cause reactions even when they're no longer alive.

A reminder to ask a few more questions about allergies before introducing anything unusual to a set.

The photographs turned out beautifully, but the bees certainly gave us something to think about.