I was six when I “discovered” make-up. My mum and I were at my grandparents’ house, when I came across her teenage cosmetics case: Mary Quant crayons, Coty lipsticks, Elizabeth Arden eyeshadows .. It sparked my obsession with colour, make-up and its history.
Audrey Hepburn is my ultimate make-up muse and beauty icon. Her signature, doe-eyed, gamine style has proved perennially popular and she was a beautiful person, inside and out.
Who has inspired my career most? Make-up artist Mary Greenwell. Way before I was a make-up artist, I would use my pocket money to buy Vogue. The photoshoots would say “make-up by Mary Greenwell”. I remember thinking — I want to be Mary Greenwell!
One of the most memorable moments in my career was shooting for Prada in East Berlin with Ridley Scott and his daughter Jordan. We were there for a week. East Berlin was still quite avant-garde — we had all of the Prada archives there and shot in the most amazing locations. One of my lipsticks, Meet Me In Berlin, I named as an homage to this memory.
For me, make-up has always been more than glittering surfaces... It’s a signifier of creativity and humanity. You have to know the past to understand the present, and once you realise that the make-up you carry in your handbag has traversed through hundreds of years to end up in your hand, your understanding of beauty will be revolutionised forever.
After working for so many other brands for years, I was excited to do things my way. I pour my heart into my Lisa Eldridge Beauty products and I think it shows. I’m always striving to create unique shades which have been described as “un-dupable”.
My make-up philosophy is about enhancing what you have, only concealing where absolutely necessary. I’ll apply a thin layer of my Lisa Eldridge Skin Enhancing tint (£37, selfridges.com) and use my Pinpoint Concealer Micro Correcting pencil (£27, spacenk.com) to cover some redness here, lift a shadow there. I team this pared-back skin with a “my-lips-but-better” lip — my Baume Embrace in Épanoui (£26, spacenk.com). My Kitten Lash Mascara in Burnt Umber (£29, spacenk.com) is a favourite — and lifted, fanned-out lashes. makes me look instantly more awake.
The insider beauty tip everyone should know? Facial massage! I learned the importance of it from my mum and, trust me, you only have to look at her to see the evidence of its beautifying benefits.
Make-up is a creative outlet that can give such confidence. I’ve witnessed the most reserved people use a confidence-boosting slick of red lipstick to tackle what lies ahead.
Working with Isabella Rossellini for Lancôme’s 80th birthday party in Paris was a pinch-me moment. I have always been inspired by her beauty and all she stands for. Another was working with Dua Lipa for the 2019 Met Gala. I love witnessing the cyclical nature of trends, but it’s important to recognise their transience. A heavy, hyper-perfected make-up look has dominated the past few years, and the recent resurgence of 1990s grunge and more minimal looks is a manifestation of our fatigue at trying to achieve this. Likewise, the first-time round, 1990s grunge make-up was a reaction to the excessive glamour and full-on make-up of the 1980s.
Am I a smell person? Yes! When I was living in Los Angeles I went to the Violet Grey store when it first opened and was bowled over by the Diana Vreeland fragrances, especially Daringly Different (£195, e-scents.co.uk) with its iris, violet and leathery notes. Another scent that makes me happy is Oil of Ulay, as it used to be called. But it’s a bittersweet memory — it takes me back to my granny’s kitchen where she kept a bottle on the bureau.
In my bathroom cabinet? The Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF50 (£38, ultraviolette.co.uk) which gives a beautiful glow and smells amazing. Also Lancôme UV Expert Supra Screen SPF 50 Invisible UV Serum (£41, lookfantastic.com), which I use in place of moisturiser at the moment. Its invisible finish makes it an ideal base for make-up. The reusable DIEUX Forever eye masks (£22, dieuxskin.com) and my Skin Enhancing treatment cleanser (£43, spacenk.com) – it’s hardworking, multifunctioning... I can’t be without it.
If I could do the make-up for anyone in history it would be Elizabeth Taylor. When I was starting out, I was recommended to work with her for an Aids Foundation charity event. I was beside myself with excitement, but sadly, she was unwell and unable to make the journey. Tragically, this was towards the end of her life. I will always feel devastated I didn’t get to meet her that day.
