The Art of Making Makeup

What inspires you to create a new product?

For a totally new formulation, it usually arises out of a discussion with a customer, friend, or colleague. I always start from real people and real life. I’ll go away, research ingredients and start to visualise how it should feel. For me, it starts with texture. By contrast, new colours tend to emerge organically out of the mood of a season, a moment in time. Feedback from our makeup artists, who are using colour on customers every day, is especially important.

What product is the most enjoyable to make?

I love being at the bench, mixing ingredients. Seeing something new emerge out of a combination of ingredients is the closest thing to magic. But of all our products, Luminous Cream Shadow is the most pleasing to the eye. In colours such as Majesty and Spirit, the holographic pearls have so much depth and interest that it ends up looking (almost) good enough to eat!

What principles guide your creative process?

From the beginning I have been determined to create makeup that would disappear on skin, that would not look, feel, or smell like makeup. I've also wanted to only use ingredients proven to be safe and effective. It all started with our first Skin Tint which reflected the desire for the glowy look that was everywhere in the 70s – not unlike now! But Skin Tint - and its successor Firm & Glow - also made me realise that one formulation will never suit everyone, and it has been my pleasure and passion over the years to champion beauty for the individual, creating multiple formulas for different skin types and developing our Bespoke Blending process.

Which product are you most proud of?

It would have to be Rose Dew. I was fond of a particular light moisturiser, but one day the company who made it was sold off and the ingredients, texture and smell all changed. So I set about trying to create my own - which I ended up loving even more! Rose Dew is a combination of light, hydrating ingredients - Aloe Vera, Hyaluronic Acid - with pore-tightening Witch Hazel, in a serum-like texture that is thick enough not to go runny, but light enough that it absorbs quickly. It works for me, and I am always gratified to hear that it works for our customers too.

What are your personal makeup must-haves?

I could not enjoy my day without my Secret Light Concealer, or my Intense Volume Mascara. I have also always worn natural-looking foundation to protect my skin from environmental stressors including UV, applying this over Rose Dew. Wearing makeup means taking it off at the end of the day. In my view, the act of cleansing properly is the best gift for your skin over a lifetime, though I also notice a difference after using Superglow Serum!