I’d advise anyone in a make-up rut to start small. You can just play with one thing — maybe a bold lip or a wash of shimmer. Beauty should have elements of humour, confidence and individuality, to help you have the courage to express exactly who you are. Make-up isn’t permanent, but the confidence you gain from experimenting? That stays.
When I was younger, I would buy magazines every Thursday. I’d go to the newsstand outside my office building. One day, I went to pick up the latest issue of one of the magazines but they were all gone. I saw someone carrying them away and went to chase her down and it was the young woman who was on the cover. Turns out, that young woman was Naomi Campbell!
The biggest make-up mistake people make is worrying too much and making it so complicated. One thing I always see people having a hard time with is picking the right foundation shade. I always say you should match your face to your body and your neck and make sure you go out into daylight to test the colour — then you’ll never go wrong. Buy two shades: one in the colour you are in winter and another for summer. Then you can mix them and always get the perfect shade for your skin tone.
To me, inclusivity isn’t a trend but a necessity. Every person deserves to find their perfect shade, their perfect texture, their perfect finish. That’s been my commitment from day one with Pat McGrath Labs; I also really wanted to make products that were not only high performance but time efficient for my backstage prep. They needed to have uncompromising performance and hard-working formulas. Take, for example, my MatteTrance Lipstick (£36, selfridges.com). I developed it as a way to streamline the process of creating the perfect matte lip. Backstage, it used to take me seven steps, a process that involved liner, loose powder and multiple layers. The MatteTrance formula gives you the same effect in one swipe.
My mother was my first muse and my greatest inspiration. She taught me about beauty, strength and the power of transformation. Every brushstroke was a love letter to her and in many ways it still is, but I’ve worked with so many other amazing women over the years, whether it’s Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, Adele, Tyla, or Pamela Anderson — they each bring something unique. The most magical collaborations happen when the make-up becomes part of the performance, part of the moment — when beauty isn’t just seen, but felt. That was the case for Taylor’s Bejeweled video, because Taylor is a true visionary —she knows exactly what she wants and she lives for the details. That shoot was a dream — pure sparkle and drama. Most recently, I worked with Sabrina Carpenter on her first Vogue shoot and it was so much fun. I adore her — she is one of those talents you know you are going to see prosper. We did the most amazing Old Hollywood glam look on her. I especially loved the lip, we used our Dramatique Mega Lip Pencil (£27, cultbeauty.co.uk) in Nude Venus and Mauvemoiselle.
There are five make-up products from my range I can’t live without. They are: Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence (£81, harrods.com) which does it all — hydrates, rebalances and revitalises, so skin is soft, smooth and luminous. I call it my signature glow in a bottle. Then there’s Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation (£61, sephora.co.uk), which is the ultimate canvas for flawless, luminous skin and goes on every model, every celebrity, every muse I work on; Mothership Eyeshadow Palette (£119, harrods.com), which contains iconic pigments for endless creativity and true artistry in one palette; Lip Fetish Balm Divinyl Lip Shine (£35, sephora.co.uk), which is not your average boring balm but rather a a vinyl-like shine with the most nourishing ingredients that makes lips appear full and plump in an instant, and Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo (£50, harrods.com), which makes me glow beyond imagination.
I’ve studied the make-up masters. Max Factor; Perc Westmore, who worked with Lauren Bacall and Bette Davis; Dottie Ponedel, the genius behind Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and Mae West; Allan Snyder, who created the definitive Marilyn Monroe in Niagara; the iconic Ben Nye. And let’s not forget the trailblazing Bernadine Anderson, who broke barriers and changed the game for generations to come. Her groundbreaking career saw her working with Jane Fonda and Eddie Murphy, contributing to some of the most iconic films in cinema history. These masters of their craft defined Hollywood glamour, pioneering techniques that continue to influence the industry today.
Growing up, I was captivated by how make-up could transform, tell stories and create characters. There was no formal path into make-up then, so I learned through experimentation, observation and endless practice. I worked my way up, assisting, testing and refining my craft. Of course I had setbacks — plenty! But every “no” only fuelled me to work harder.
