celebrities without makeup

Celebrity Makeup Artist Gives Behind The Scenes Look At Business Side Of Entertainment Industry - Forbes

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 03:00 AM PDT

Have you ever wondered how celebrities develop their iconic looks and styles?

As intriguing and beautiful as everything in the entertainment industry looks, I was curious what really happens behind the scenes of these photoshoots and music videos.

Outside wanting to understand how the inspiration and collaboration process works in developing celebrities' styles, I wanted a closer look at entertainment's business side. Perhaps there's something even the average business professional can learn from.

Backstage before the European Alien tour, Ninja & Yolandi Vi$$er look on

Anthony H. Nguyen

I sat down and interviewed celebrity makeup artist Anthony H. Nguyen in a cafe in downtown Los Angeles to learn more about his work and the ecosystem of style and makeup. Nguyen has been the makeup artist for countless celebrities, including Katy Perry, Jessie J, Adele, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford. His work has been featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Style, and many other publications. He also works with clients for high pressure red carpet events, music videos, and is currently on a feature film. Despite his high-profile clientele, he still enjoys working with underground artists, such as female rapper Brooke Candy.

Nguyen sheds light on the importance of creative freedom and the value of collaborating on more independent projects, saying, "I love working with underground artists because there is more freedom; there's more room to experiment. Working with Brooke is great because she'll let me have complete control with makeup, and that's when I work my best," says Nguyen.

Portrait of makeup artist, Anthony H. Nguyen

Ross Laurence

Beyond his impressive resume, it's clear that Nguyen is a true artist when looking at his work and own personal style. As we met in the cafe, his own look was subtle and understated, wearing all black, accentuating a single silver dagger earring for a little bit of dramatic flare.

Unsurprisingly, Nguyen's passion for makeup stems from a love of storytelling and art.

"I had a lot of different hobbies as a kid; all surrounded by art. I loved theater, filmmaking, directing, and I would do makeup on whoever I was filming. I specifically loved doing horror films, and did film festivals as an amateur filmmaker throughout high school, and I did a lot of horror makeup--like blood and stuff like that. I love makeup because everything comes together--the storytelling, the creativity, and the many different outlets it can be used in," says Nguyen.

Despite Nguyen's enthusiasm for makeup, he admits he never thought he would have a career in it because he was very closeted for some time.

"I was raised in a very traditional Vietnamese family, so that played a big factor in not really wanting to explore that world, even though I loved it so much; it came very natural. So, once I became more comfortable with my sexuality, and coming out, that's when I decided to just focus on one thing and do it well. So I focused on makeup," Nguyen recalls.

Beyond his artistic talent, I noticed right away that Nguyen has incredible social skills and a strong business acumen.

Here are his tips for winning over high-profile and potentially difficult clients, along with some interesting insights into how the entertainment industry works. Even if you don't consider yourself creative or an artist, you can use this advice to excel at work.

1. Do your homework and work your butt off

Like with any client-facing work, it's important for professionals to thoroughly research their clients and understand their needs before even meeting them. This is why Nguyen always makes time to know all his clients' history, especially the "evolution of their looks," paying careful attention to hair and style. "You need to be up to date with how they can improve their image," says Nguyen.

Nguyen shared this interesting anecdote from working with Yolandi Visser from South African rap duo, Die Antwoord:

"Die Antwoord has a very signature look, so I researched all their videos, where they're from, all their interviews, etc…They hadn't done many different things with makeup, though. So that was my job: to first of all gain their trust; do all their signature looks, and then I could branch off and introduce new looks. So it's not just coming right out of the gate like, 'I want to do this and that, and make all these changes.' No, you must fall in their world first."

This advice on trust building isn't just relevant for artists and professionals working in the entertainment space; it could be applied to consulting or any other service business.

2. Stay agile and don't be afraid to try new things

Even though Nguyen is very detail-oriented and likes to try to "map out everything" he can in advance, things rarely go exactly as planned, especially in the world of makeup and entertainment.

"A lot of times things change, so you just go with the flow and make it work, and the outcome will be its own special thing. Sometimes it's better than you planned, sometimes it's worse. When it's bad, we'll all say, 'That's awful. Change it!' But it's always worth trying, so we're always trying new things," says Nguyen.

Orange "splattery eye" look from the European Alien tour, featuring Yolandi Vi$$er of Die Antwoord

Anthony H. Nguyen

When reflecting on the iconic, attention-grabbing "orange splattery eyes" that Nguyen did for Yolandi in the photo above, he shares that things actually didn't go according to plan at all, as none of the tools were working. "So then I asked [Yolandi], 'I have an idea, but do you mind if I use a straw and kind of blow the paint on your face?' She was like, 'Yah, I don't care.' So I sucked up the paint and blew it on her! And that was the icebreaker, because it was the beginning of tour, and it kind of brought things down and set the mood for the rest of the tour. And we all loved the look," recounts Nguyen. No matter what profession you're in, a little bit of resourcefulness and agility can go a long ways.

3. Inspiration is everywhere, but be sure to give credit

While Nguyen believes artists can find inspiration everywhere and anywhere, he likes to first look to fashion for ideas, but loves anything with "fantasy," ranging from old films, theater, and club kids. "That creates the base. And then after seeing the fashion and the styling, and also our setting, because sometimes it could be in studio or on-location as well. And then I create the makeup look for all that together," describes Nguyen.

Selfie of Anthony H Nguyen glamming up Adele as a glitter goddess for Halloween

Adele

He explains that "club kids" and their "free-balled makeup" have a big impact on the fashion world. "I was a club kid back in the day, and I would do a lot of fun creative makeup looks, and it would change every night. ...I'm 32 now, and things have drastically changed in the last 10 years. I'm kind of on the cusp where I'm old enough to see the differences, but young enough to try to keep up with what's happening, both from a business and art perspective, " says Nguyen.

We also discussed the dilemma of looks and styles regularly being "stolen," without crediting the original artist or source of inspiration. He explains what often happens is "unknown, underground artists are doing a bunch of cool shit, and then a big artist sees it,...copies it, and then suddenly it gets printed in Vogue and something major." Nguyen can relate to this, as it happened to him when first starting out, but feels even though this is "negative because everyone should be properly credited and acknowledged," he believes helps serve as a reminder and stimulus to keep artists "on their toes at all times and forces them to keep creating."

While the internet can theoretically create a more transparent world through social media, it's interesting to see whether or not more artists will be credited or plagiarized in the future. "Although social media's popularity amongst young people can lead to more 'homogenized looks,' it also creates an incredible platform for all artists--new or seasoned--to showcase new and unique art," adds Nguyen.

Does #nomakeup trend help women or is it bare-faced cheek? - Thomson Reuters Foundation

Posted: 21 Mar 2019 06:00 PM PDT

Campaign dates back about three years to when singer Alicia Keys vowed not to wear make-up anymore but it has gained momentum this year with other celebrities and industries following suit

By Kezia Kho and Lin Taylor

LONDON, March 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - From the skies to the stage, women are taking a stand for equality by wiping off their make-up, sparking a bare-faced trend that won rising numbers of followers globally but also triggered vocal defenders of the benefits of cosmetics.

An online #nomakeup campaign dates back about three years to when U.S. singer Alicia Keys vowed not to wear make-up anymore but it has gained momentum this year with other celebrities and industries following suit.

British singer Jess Glyne made headlines in February when she took off her make-up during a Brit Awards performance while singing "Thursday", a song about not wanting to wear makeup.

Airlines Virgin Atlantic and Aer Lingus this month updated guidelines stating air hostesses no longer had to wear make-up.

A spokeswoman from Virgin Atlantic said the move was made to reflect a change in the aviation industry, where highly coiffeured female hostesses were once nicknamed trolley dollies, and Aer Lingus said it reflected "changing dress norms".

University student Yim Ji-su helped spark a debate in February about daily sexism in beauty-obsessed South Korea by ditching her make-up and shaving her hair into a buzz cut.

Abi Wright, founder of UK-based Inspiring Margot, a company working to build women's confidence in the workplace, said wearing make-up should be a choice, not an expectation.

"If, as women, we're expected to wear make-up then that simply says our appearance is more important than our skills and abilities," Wright told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"It highlights yet again that our society associates a woman's worth by appearance and nothing more."

LAWS ON DRESS

In Britain, discrimination at work over make-up or clothing is illegal under the Equality Act 2010 but this law has come under scrutiny since a 2016 campaign by Nicola Thorp who was sent home from work without pay for refusing to wear high heels.

This prompted a parliamentary inquiry that led to guidance setting out how the law might apply when an employer required female staff to wear high heels, make-up, or revealing clothing.

The United States has similar laws with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stating standards can be different for men and women as long as it is generally consistent but there has not been many challenges to sex-based employee dress codes.

The trend to go bare-faced has been picked up by the global cosmetics industry, which was worth at least $48.3 billion last year, according to market research group Mintel.

New cosmetics companies like Glossier Inc, which was valued at over $1 billion this week, are offering products that cater to various skin tones and emphasise a natural "no-make-up" look.

"No make-up is really a symbol of being empowered and being comfortable in your own skin, not having to hide behind something," said British make-up artist Lee Pycroft.

"It's positive because it's taking away the association that women have to look a certain way to fill a certain role," said Pycroft, who has worked with celebrities like actresses Anne Hathaway and Laura Linney and supermodel Elle Macpherson.

SKIN DEEP

But the bare-faced movement has divided opinion over whether this is a serious assertion of female equality or the focus on make-up as a negative for women was overblown.

Ria Cooper, 25, who at 13 became the youngest transgender woman in Britain in 2007, said wearing make-up could be positive, transformative and more than skin deep.

She set up a beauty salon in northern England in 2018 to support and guide other trans women with beauty tips who might not feel comfortable at traditional salons.

"I believe woman are beautiful without make-up, but I also believe make-up does do wonders," Cooper said in a phone interview."Make-up makes you feel beautiful and more confident."

Make-up artist Pycroft said she has seen firsthand how it can change a woman's demeanour, having done several make-overs for domestic abuse survivors and other vulnerable women.

"Having seen the way make-up can be used as a tool to help people, it can have a very positive part to it," she said.

"Make-up is often thought of as superficial and a bit fluffy, but it can bring about the person that we've forgotten about. It can be really empowering."

(Reporting by Kezia Kho and Lin Taylor @linnytayls; Editing by Belinda Goldsmith Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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