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They’re the brains and brushes behind some of the world’s most-hyped makeup brands. The Viva beauty team speaks to three experts on how they stay relevant.
AUREENKELLY, founder and CEOOF Tarte Cosmetics. It’s a little-known fact that Maureen Kelly was pursuing a Phdin psychology before her career path took a 180-degree turn into cosmetics.
Her pivot was almost 20 years ago, and the founder and chief executive of Tarte Cosmetics says inspiration came after her quest to find natural makeup proved fruitless.
“I’d go to makeup counters and was discouraged by the amount of harsh chemicals and preservatives most big brands were using in their products — I couldn’t pronounce most of the ingredients listed,” she says. “I wanted to create a line that promotes beauty from the inside out, offeringwomenamore natural alternative that was still chic and luxurious.”
What started as a passion project in her one-bedroomnewyork City apartment (where she’d pick and pack orders herself) quickly grew to encompass a line of crueltyfree, high performance makeup and skincare minus what Maureen calls the “icky bad stuff”: parabens, mineral oil and phthalates.
Today, Tarte is sold in more than 190 countries and has attracted the attention of countless devotees (whommaureen affectionately refers to as “tartelettes”).
“There’s no age or limitation to being a tartelette, butwedefine themas beauty trailblazers whoare fearlessly confident, shamelessly fun and not afraid to be unique,” she says.
“Consumers are savvier than ever before. They know that they don’t have to choose between beauty that works and beauty that’s good for you. That’s increased thedemand for those products, and I think it will only continue to grow— customers are looking for natural, cruelty-free, vegan, clean makeup and skincare,” Maureen says.
Her product pick is Tarte’s best-selling Shape Tape Contour Concealer, $46. “If you haven’t had a chance to try it yet you have to give it a shot: it’s a gamechanger,” Maureen says.
“It’s full-coverage, vegan and blendable, so it’s easy to conceal, highlight and contour. It hides everything from acne scars and dark circles to redness and pores. Plus, it has naturally derived ingredients like mango seed and shea butters to nourish, along with liquorice root extract to brighten skin.”
GUCCIWESTMAN, founder of Westmanatelier Gucci. Westman has madeover someof the most famous faces in Hollywood, including Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz. Her work has been featured on the covers of Vogue, Allure and W, and spotted on the runway for Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Marchesa and Richard Chai. She spentmuchof the past two decades working as artistic director for global brands Lancome and Revlon, before launching her eponymous clean, conscious makeup line in 2018.
Westman Atelier blurs the line between makeup and skincare, with Gucci explaining that it’s the effective, luxurious and clean ingredients that set her brand apart. “It’s unusual in makeup to combine all those elements— usually you only see that in skincare. Our focus is to make clean and natural makeup as joyful an experience as any traditional luxury brand,” she says.
“Everything is custom, from our packaging to our formulas,” says Gucci. The beauty boss says she’s focused on findingnew ingredients. “I want tomake the best possible products I can with ingredients I can trust.”
Gucci’s current go-to is the Vital Skin Foundation Stick, $120, which is available in 18 complexionflattering shades. “Vital Skin contains skincare benefits that help with manyskincare issues— from coconut oil for hydration to phytosphingosine to combat redness. It’s easy to use, feels hydrating, nourishing and reparative on skin,” she says.
STEVE KASSAJIKIAN, Urban Decay global makeup artist. It’s the gender-bending, cruelty-free beauty brand that has disrupted the industry since it burst onto the scene in 1996. Founded by Pat Holmes, Sandy Lerner, Wende Zomnir and David Soward,
Urban Decay continues to push boundaries and celebrate difference with its diversemodels and edgy messaging.
Urban Decay’s global makeup artist, Steve Kassajikian, has been with the brand for more than a decade, and says it’s how the brand challenges conventional beauty stereotypes that attracted him to the company in the first place.
Representing all ethnicities, body shapes, genders and age groups has helped Urban Decay stay relevant over the past quartercentury, Steve says, most visibly through its all-inclusive approach to selecting its “global citizens” for its annual Pretty Different campaign. This year that includes Riverdale actress Camila Mendes, pop star Normani and songwriter G.E.M.
Whenit comes to 2021 beauty trends, skin continues to reign supreme but Steve says colour is making a comeback.
Steve says he loves to try unconventional application techniques like creating hisown waterproof cream eyeshadows using the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil, $37. “You break the tip off and mix it with a little bit of eye primer for an instant cream eyeshadow that will not crease,” Steve says. “You can use this all over your base or to add colour. It’s great when you’re creating a dark smokey eye, you just need a little bit of powder eyeshadow to pat right on top.”
(5.49m x 2.74m 1.32m) $1799