In the midst of NYFW I got to pick the brain of Celebrity Makeup Artist, Brigitte Reiss-Andersen, who's credited for making under Nicole Scherzinger in January Allure. Did you see that? The girl is stunning without all of her flair. It didn't surprise me! Andersen dished on her makeup must-haves, celebrity fave and most exciting project yet. Check it out.
During fashion week and one of the things that amaze me the most is how the models run around to a ton of shows each day and have their makeup layered on and then taken off over and over again. How are they steering clear of breakouts and keeping their skin looking fresh and healthy?
Oh, those girls are not by any means immune to spots and irritations. The smart ones bring their own makeup remover guaranteed not to irritate their skin. If a girl is lucky and goes from a show where she had literally no makeup to one where there's a stronger look, she won’t need to take it off and the makeup artist can "build" upon it. In general though, it is essential for them to keep their skin clean and well taken care of, which most do. And don’t forget, these girls are 18-23 years old.
I know you've worked with a ton of celebrities including Cindy Crawford. What was the last project you worked with her on and what was the goal of the look?
The last job I did with Cindy was a cover and a story for Vogue Mexico a few months ago. I wanted her to look a little less glamorous and a little more edgy. The look was strong with a graphic emphasis on the eyes. And of course I let the beautiful quality of her skin shine through and glow.
I know she's a model and in print airbrushing can do wonders, but I've met her in person and she really does look like she's 30! As her makeup artist, what tricks are there to make someone appear younger?
To look more youthful, your skin should look radiant and luminous. It’s that simple. Children have the extraordinary advantage of having superb, reflective complexion. And you know what? You can wear ANY kind of makeup as long as your skin remains natural and glowing. The downfall is when women want to wear more makeup for the sake of staying glamorous and they slather thick, heavy foundations and chalky powder on their skin. It instantly ages you, no matter how young you are. So in order to keep looking young, women need to take good care of their skin. A product such as the Meaningful Beauty Glowing Serum can help women achieve this natural radiance.
What are the top three must-haves in your kit and why?
I try not to get too attached to products so I don’t get stuck in a makeup rut. By changing things up I discover new tricks, fresh ideas and fun concepts. This way I always have some favorite toys. At the moment they are:
- Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm. Great, smart product. Fun colors, it does indeed moisturize the lips and with the twist-up packaging you don’t need to sharpen it!
- Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream – the original lip gloss. I also use it to shine up eyelids for shoots.
- RMS cream eye shadow. They are easy to use, sheer and luminous and come in great shades.
You've accomplished so many things so far, what project was the most fun to work on?
Gosh, I have been part of so many incredible projects! To single one out is hard because sometimes it has to do with working with a fascinating photographer like Helmut Newton, or a favorite model or celebrity. But I recently strayed quite far from my comfort zone by venturing into TV. I was part of a great docu-drama show on E! called "Scouted". The premise had to do with pretty girls getting discovered somewhere in America and getting a chance to perhaps become models in NY. I was doing the girls makeup for their tests. It was very challenging but lots of fun. I always enjoy a good old makeover on a regular person! But I did it from a fashion point of view, since they were supposed to look like models on a shoot, which added a whole different dimension. It’s instant gratification to see how miraculous the change can be and the joy it can bring.
When I walked into the suite at the Dream Hotel downtown to chat with Nicole Scherzinger about her new line of press-on nails for imPress all I could do was stare at her legs! She was wearing loose, leather shorts and a great pair of stilettos that made her gams look redic. A dancers legs for sure, they only made me want to hit the gym and do a thousand lunges. I had to stop before it got creepy and focus my attention onto the reason I was there, the nails.
As the Celebrity Brand Ambassador for imPress Press-On Manicure, she designed nine styles: three solid neon colors and six patterns that will launch in May at CVS and Walmart. Her favorite are the ones I ended up trying on at the event, which are a gradation in color from purple to black to midnight blue with black stars on them. They're rock star chic.
