Moments after her New York Fashion Week trip with Cetaphil, MEGA Beauty Director Agoo Azcuna-Bengzon revisits her best big city moments and the relevance of backstage beauty today
The cinematic backdrop of the concrete jungle, the adrenaline of the crowded sidewalks to the vacant benches, and the rich diverse culture—New York is inarguably one of the cities that look better in real life than on postcards. But the true beauty of it, as many residents would tell you, is in its spirit, energy, and vitality. New York is an epicenter of creativity, and for the style and beauty loyalists, a big playground for fashion week.
Related: MEGA Goes to New York Fashion Week With Beauty Director Agoo Azcuna-Bengzon and Cetaphil
“It has definitely been a while!” MEGA Beauty Director Agoo Azcuna-Bengzon reminisces, revealing that her recent visit with Cetaphil felt like seeing and experiencing the city for the first time again. “And being there for fashion week felt surreal. It was always just something I would see on my feed, and this time, I was actually in the heart of it all.”
With Cetaphil taking the lead in what appears to be the most fashionable collaboration of the season, one can expect nothing less: special dinners, exclusive discussions, happy hour, and backstage access—to name a few. But as for Agoo, the modeling immersion at the Wilhemina Models office was one for the books. “We were coached by Mandy Dyonne Lieveld, and also got our Polaroids taken as part of a casting process,” she shares. “We also had lots of fun at the Cetaphil pop-up at Chillhouse for a collaboration of the brand with Highsnobiety.”
In truth, the real highlight of the entire experience was, of course, the exclusive backstage pass at the Alice + Olivia Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear presentation. “It was amazing to see a huge pool of artists all working simultaneously to create different beauty looks all at once, with some models needing identical makeup looks,” Agoo elaborates on what it feels like to witness the beauty battlefield. “To me, it looked like organized chaos. So much was going on yet everyone kept it together and they all knew how to have fun with it all.”
Referring to the relevance and the influence of backstage beauty, she adds, “I think being able to witness the process helps you appreciate the final product even more. Seeing the entire transformation shows you how the beauty component is necessary and integral for the fashion look to work.”
A beauty director’s take
Fashion week is and always will be a visual feast, with every show exhibiting a renewed sense of creativity through decade-defining ready-to-wear circuits. But as directors reconcile with a more experimental and expressive approach to runway beauty, skin continues to reign as a quintessential element to any look.
“Good skin will always serve as the perfect canvas,” Agoo reflects on how it perfectly translated to the show. “If it’s even and healthy, any makeup you put afterward will adhere better, look better and curved.”
The backstage secret
As we continued our conversation, the beauty director shared her fascination with how the skin preparation was executed backstage. “During fashion week, models are usually doing a ton of shows, and having to rush from one show to another evidently takes its toll on your skin,” Agoo emphasizes on how factors like stress, lack of sleep and not having the time to time to take care of yourself reflects on your skin. “The skin will appear more dehydrated, flaky and dull-looking.”
Luckily, Cetaphil is present backstage to offer a quick skin rescue. “Setting up a Cetaphil skin station backstage at Alice + Olivia helped models regain the luminosity and hydration their skin has prior to the stressful back to back appearances these shows usually require,” she says. “It was important for Dr. Lindsay Zubritsky to sit down with the models prior to makeup and find out what their skin needed at that moment. The Cetaphil Deep Hydration line was introduced to models, and was received with enthusiasm because this line seals in moisture for 48 hours. Models were also slathered with the Moisturizing Cream which is perfect for extremely dry skin, and like all Cetaphil products, works well on sensitive skin.”
The perfect collaboration
Agoo also considers the most fashionable collaboration between Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance and Alice + Olivia as a match made in heaven. “A reputable and well-established skincare brand like Cetaphil is the perfect partner for Alice + Olivia because the latter can be assured that skin prep for all their models will be done in the best manner possible,” she says. “Products like Cetaphil Perfecting Serum and Instant Radiance Mask are a mainstay backstage because they’re both armed with advanced peptides and antioxidant C which work wonders for hydrating and brightening skin without causing any irritation”
She continues, “Healthy skin will always be the perfect base. Dermatologists and beauty experts will all agree that when skin is properly hydrated, it will appear more luminous and will also enable the foundation to adhere better. Another great benefit? Makeup tends to last longer even without a setting spray!”
“And that explains why protecting the skin barrier is the key to good skin health. Once the skin barrier is compromised (this is when skin is stripped of essential moisture), the skin begins to experience a multitude of problems such as itchy, flared up, and patchy skin,” Agoo says. “Number one doctor-recommended Cetaphil products are known for their deeply hydrating properties and ingredients like niacinamide and peptides which help the skin to retain moisture and bring back its lost luminosity.”
The fashion week takeaway
And as for her best backstage beauty-approved takeaway? “Having great skin can do so much not just for the obvious, your physical self but it can also help build confidence from the inside,” Agoo reflects. “It’s really about taking care of one’s self so that you feel like you can accomplish anything. When we lack confidence, it can make us hold back and not pursue what we are passionate about. Great skin allows us to go into the world with healthy minds and enlivened spirits.”
Photography LAWRENCE DE LEON
Styling ROKO ARCEO
