Summer is all about going less is more as far as our beauty routines are concerned. It’s a mantra we subscribe to all year round but come this time of year we commit to it even more so. Like you, we welcome the benefits vitamin D has on our skin courtesy of more hours of natural sunlight and spend the majority of our time covered in tinted moisturiser and SPF rather than foundation. We refresh with face mists (Chantecaille Pure Rosewater, if you’re asking), not concealer and seek solace in the fact that our morning make-up routines don’t extend far beyond a sheer cover-up, highlight, brushed up brows and some variation of nude or blush lip. The elusive no-makeup makeup look comes into its own during summer and it’s easier to pull off than you think.
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”1806791″]
Becca Cosmetics is the undisputed master of that whole straight-off-the-runway, effortless look. Talk to any beauty aficionado about about the Aussie brand and cue the deluge of “it’s good skin for dummies” type reviews. And it’s totally deserved. Since opening up shop in 2001, it’s made a name for itself offering the key staples we all need with the mission to help us enhance the best bits we love rather than simply concealing the parts we don’t. Their Shimmering Skin Perfector is a bona fide cult classic and their limited edition Champagne Pop highlighter shade sold a record-breaking 25,000 compacts in the first 20 minutes it was on sale on Sephora.com sending people hunting for it on Twitter with the hashtag #findingchampagnepop. What makes the range so damn modern though is because it’s just so easy to use and that’s where Kerry Cole comes in.
As the brand’s style director, she’s responsible for working on new formulations (she’s a makeup artist so what she doesn’t know about beauty, isn’t worth knowing) but also on training Becca staffers and you and I on how to use them. We caught up with her recently at the brand’s New York HQ to talk about the key Becca Products we all need to master that look; the latest treatment she swears by and what the rise of YouTubers mean for the make-up artists.
HOW HER LOVE OF BEAUTY STARTED EARLY: My grandmother would let me play at her vanity. She had all the lotions, potions and beauty products a little girl could dream of. She collected beautiful vintage perfume bottles, and would tell me stories about where each one came from. She never left the house without her hair perfectly pinned, and nails painted to match her lipstick. She was the epitome of grace and a true makeup maven so naturally I blame my makeup obsession on her.
LIFE BEFORE JOINING BECCA: I was an art major in college, and quickly realised that although I loved painting, I wanted to turn my passion for makeup application into a career. After receiving a certification in esthetics and editorial artistry, I entered the world of professional beauty working in many facets of the industry. For the past 16 years, I’ve worked with several key brands as a National Makeup Artist, Field Educator, Master Class Teacher and Global Brand Ambassador. I’ve traveled the world doing makeup for celebrities, lead makeup master classes and educational trainings. I’ve worked on the new product development side as well as the marketing side so I guess you can say I’ve worn a lot of pretty hats along the way.
ON BAGGING HER DREAM ROLE: As the Style Director of BECCA I get to wear a lot of hats, from promoting the brand globally, to having my hands in new product development and marketing. But what I absolutely love most is that I can follow my passion for beauty, and educate men and women through sharing my tips and tricks, teaching them a beauty routine that’s believable and achievable while helping them accentuate what they love about themselves.
ON JOINING FORCES WITH BECCA: I think it’s great when great makeup artists align themselves with a brand, especially when the connection and collaboration is genuine. True working makeup artists are on the front line every day, and have a great understanding of what women want and how to make application achievable to the masses. At the same time it helps the brand speak to an audience they might have not been speaking to.
A NOT-SO-AVERAGE DAY: No two days ever look the same. I’m usually getting on a plane to fly domestically, internationally, or on a train to work from our NYC headquarters. Believe it or not, I’m actually based in Maryland where I have a home office and Glam Cave that I work out of when I’m not traveling. When I’m not on the road, you can find me testing new products, colour matching, filming, stylizing photos for Instagram, helping to create education materials, marketing content and endlessly reading beauty pages/blogs to keep my creative juices flowing.
BALANCING TRAVEL & HOME: I’m so grateful to have my hubby by my side, he’s my biggest fan. He encourages me to get out there, travel, and make the world a prettier place. He has a great respect for what I do, and my travel schedule. We’ve been together for seven years and married for three, and of those 10 years, traveling has always been what I do so I guess you could say that’s all he knows. We’re both very independent too; we don’t complete each other, we only try and accentuate one another, so when we’re together its truly fun and special. If you’re in the same situation, my advice would be to communicate, be present when you’re together and invest in making last memories you can cherish when you’re on the move.
The Instagram beauty world is filled with how-to’s, so I’ve tried to set myself apart by showcasing applications that are quick, easy and achievable. I don’t use a fancy camera to film, and don’t edit or fix the lighting; I try to keep them as natural as possible.
THE EVER-CHANGING NATURE OF THE JOB: When I first started in the industry social media was non-existent, and now it’s something that drives our business. I never thought I’d be taking selfies and self-application videos for Instagram, but I can honestly say it’s been an amazing platform for both myself and the brand. I love how I can post short tutorials so our BECCA Beauties can not only see application, but also how the colours look live in action. The Instagram beauty world is filled with how-to’s, so I’ve tried to set myself apart by showcasing applications that are quick, easy and achievable. I don’t use a fancy camera to film, and don’t edit or fix the lighting; I try to keep them as natural as possible.
ON LEARNING ABOUT BEAUTY THROUGH VIDEOS: If you’re just looking for inspiration on how to put makeup on yourself, YouTube is a viable resource and great for inspiration. If you’re looking to be a true makeup artist, beauty training is extremely important. What I’ve learned through an artistry program, classes, on set work, and apprenticing some of the top artists in the industry is something you can’t learn from YouTube. Hitting the pavement, working crazy hours, and taking jobs for free taught me so much about how this industry truly works. I’m a huge advocate of furthering your education if you want to be a makeup artist; learn as much as you can from being in the thick of it.
There’s a huge difference between the working artist and those that just do makeup on themselves. Since this shift, a lot of people think makeup artistry is just self-application, that anyone can call themselves “makeup artists”. The term has truly lost what it means.
THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT BEING A MAKE-UP ARTIST: We’ve seen a shift in the makeup artist industry. For the last 15 years it’s been about the working makeup artist providing application, demos, and tips/tricks to the industry and now we’re seeing a lot of that info coming from ‘selfie artists’ and people who solely do makeup on themselves. There’s a huge difference between the working artist and those that just do makeup on themselves. Since this shift, a lot of people think makeup artistry is just self-application, that anyone can call themselves “makeup artists”. The term has truly lost what it means.
ON HER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH SKINCARE: Well I have a love/hate relationship with all things skin related. I’ve struggled with acne my whole life and feel like I’ve tried every product under the sun. After college I went back to school to be an aesthetician to have a better understanding of skin and skincare because at the end of the day, if you’re not confident with your skin you’ll never love your makeup. Skincare is the foundation of everything.
FAIL-SAFE ROUTINE SKINCARE & MAKE-UP ROUTINE: Because my skin is so problematic, I try and keep my routine consistent, especially when I travel. I start each morning using Fresh Soy Cleanser and at night, I use PanOxyl to treat my acne. I treat my skin with Retinol Resurface Reform about three times a week and each day I use Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser. At night, I add retinol as a night treatment and I swear by Shiseido Benfiance for my lips. Body wise I use Korres Body Butter in Fig followed by a few spritzes of Diptyque or Commodity Fragrance. I’m a true believer that SPF should be part of your skincare routine as opposed to incorporating it through your make-up. SPF in makeup doesn’t have enough protection and you’re not getting its maximum benefits unless you’re using a TON of foundation. I love Anthelios Aox by La Roche Posay and use it as the first step in my beauty routine. SPF should always be the product that’s closest to your skin. On my good skin days, I’ll use Makeup Forever’s Face and Body and other days BECCA’s Ultimate Coverage Complexion Crème or Ever-Matte Foundation. Whenever my skins a little lacklustre a quick sweep of Shimmering Skin Perfector puts a pep in my step!
THE ‘IT’ TREATMEMT SHE SWEARS BY: I’ve started having Mirco Needling and I absolutely love it! I’m finding that my skin looks more even, plump, firm and my acne scars and hyperpigmentation are starting to fade. I’ve also noticed that I’m getting less breakouts, which makes me extremely happy.
ON THE BECCA PRODUCTS EVERY WOMAN SHOULD OWN: 1) Under Eye Brightening Corrector: it’s like sleep in a pot for the eyes and instantly makes eyes look less tired and bright; 2) Backlight Priming filter for those that need to get their glow back and blur imperfections; 3) Ever-Matte Primer for those that are oily – it’s like liquid blotting papers in a tube or Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation for those that are on the dry side and want to add a bit of luminosity with flawless coverage; and 4) Shimmering Skin Perfector to highlight and bring out your favourite features.
HAIR RITUALS: If I have an event, video, meeting or something important I always wash and style my hair but on an off day I try and skip washing it. If I wahs my hair it always needs to be fully styled, which I don’t always have time to do. I’m not lucky enough to be able to wash and go. I also find that skipping washes makes my colour last longer. I try and rotate the shampoos I use about every other month and have Oribe, Living Proof and Phyto on rotation. I can’t live without my Tangle Teezer, Beach Weaver or Harry Josh Hair Dryer too.
This was such a great article! It was so inspiring and such a great read!!!
xoxox
-Stephanie