Edward Bess, the boy who made beauty editors blush (comparisons were drawn with a popularised vampire - see main image) launched his niche makeup brand in New York back in 2006 with a collection of lipsticks designed to flatter different skintones. The then twenty-year-old (yes, twenty) went on to add in products for eyes and complexion, and brought it to London last year with Zuneta.com. Next up: a skincare range launching this autumn. Ladies and gents, meet Edward Bess.

What's the founding philosophy of your brand?

Less is more - with makeup, a little goes a long way. Also, to design colors that are not based on trend or season.

What's been your proudest moment?

Selling out of Lip Wardrobe my very first day at Bergdorf Goodman

Which models do you love to make up?

I still get excited to do my mom's makeup

In which city are the most beautiful men and women to be found?

It's hard to beat the beautiful faces in London

Which other beauty product do you wish you'd created?

I have always longed to offer skincare and am excited to finally debut my range this Fall - inspired by the Black Sea.

Who makes up your dream team on a shoot?

I am lucky to work with the dream photographer Ruven Afanador. He makes any model look good.

Text: Grace Timothy

Sometimes finding the right salon can be pretty terrifying. We've all been given a dodgy chop or somehow emerged with an undercut and assured the stylish we loved it before crying every morning and purchasing a vast array of hats. So last week when Because was invited to visit Paul Edmonds' prestigious salon in Knightsbridge we obviously had to go in the name of research.

We know, it's a tough job but the people need to know about these things and who could refuse an invite to a salon referred to as Edmonds' "House of Luxury".  So off we went.

We were welcomed by his hand picked group of stylists and sprawled out on velvet arm chairs awaiting our luxurious fate. The glow of Paul Edmonds' own range of candles then lead us through the intimate corridors to the cutting room. Lined with ornaments and family photographs, we quickly felt right at home. Admittedly feeling a little peckish before the pampering was set to begin, silver trays brought an array of snacks and fresh coffee. Seated in the leather bound chairs, we were poised to receive one of Edmonds' three bespoke hair treatments. The Ultimate Protein Rejuvenate Treatment enriches dried and damage locks, exactly what a girl needs after too many hours under the sun.

Our hair was initially washed with an exfoliating shampoo to open the cuticles, and then applied with an all natural, pure protein. Glossy and masked with an egg like mixture, it was then set in a dryer for thirty minutes. A sealant conditioner from Shu Uemura's hair care range was then applied, and we were ready for the prestigious blow dry. Curled with a wide barrelled brush alone, the stylist took time and care to create the perfect glamourous messy curls that we had requested.

Edmonds and his team had given us the perfect glamourous, healthy and bouncy hair - a barnett fit for a princess (or a royal wedding at least).

This season, larger than life make up has been a popular tool for evoking the drama that every memorable show requires. Viktor & Rolf saw red for their flame-faced femmes, while multi coloured polka dots ran amuck upon the faces of Louise Gray's ladies. But leave it to Vivienne Westwood to smear her models faces with what can only be described as war paint - more fear inducing and awe striking than anything else we'll see this Fall. As she flounced through a downpour of golden confetti, Westwood took her bow whilst surrounded by women who would look more comfortable at a carnival freak show than a runway. Though never one to shy away from bold, theatrical make up, Westwood has truly outdone herself with black on white, chaotic punk-warrior face paint. 

Once again enlisting the aid of make up extraordinaire, Val Garland, the resulting looks were darker than ever - and what else would we expect from the First Lady of Punk? With skin painted a pasty white, it quickly became apparent that these were nothing less than blank canvasses. The MAC Cosmetics team was on hand to apply ink using paintbrushes and paper, while haphazard shapes were scrawled across faces, vaguely worked around the outlines of models' features. Combined with mirrored nails by Sophie Robson, the beauty for this collection was nothing short of art. 

Unsurprisingly, when Garland was asked about the make up artistry involved, she said, "We wanted to take it a little Tim Burton." The dark, wispy shapes that crept across features had suggested as much, reminiscent of Burton's animated masterpieces such as Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. Despite the obvious link, this was not the most popular cultural reference to Westwood's warrior women. As the last model strutted down the glitter-strewn runway in a bright white bridal gown and flourishing a bouquet, eyes were focused on her blacked-out eyes that bore striking similarities to Natalie Portman's costume makeup in 2011 blockbuster, Black Swan. Making a stark contrast to her snowy white dress as she blew air kisses to the audience, the resulting effect was positively ghoulish - and the perfect finale for a show, which boasted make up artistry at it's most effective.

Words by Lore Oxford.