Can you describe your earliest makeup memory?
Hmm, that would probably be shoplifting Wet n Wild Kohl Eyeliner from CVS [laughing]. I didn’t always have the budget that I do now, but beauty was so important to me. My mum is a natural beauty, she’s like 5’10” and looks like a supermodel, but she never wore makeup in her whole entire life. I had this aunt actually—Aunt Mary—and she was fabulous. She was always dating the most wealthy men and in her house she had an entire bedroom that was just used a wardrobe room. I was like [gasps] “I would die if I had my own wardrobe!” So, she was really my inspiration because she loved makeup and all that stuff. Because mum wouldn’t actually let me wear makeup I was always sneaking out and shoplifting eyeliners and stuff like that. I got a job at 15 just so I could buy products because I always had such a fascination with makeup and learning different tricks and tips. It’s been in my blood since day one.
Where did you pick up inspiration for your early looks?
You know, back in the day we didn’t have YouTube and all this stuff! I was in the days of AOL Messenger and dial-up [makes impressively realistic internet dial-up sound], so I remember looking at a lot of fashion magazines getting inspiration from there. I would look at the way that they would do makeup and I would try to replicate it, but back then we didn’t have video tutorials or anything! It was really just about experimenting and playing and going with the flow with makeup.
Since then, how has your relationship with makeup changed and evolved over the years?
It’s evolved and changed because I’m constantly on the hunt for the latest and greatest. Whenever I’m asked what my favourite beauty brands are, I’m like, “How long do you have?!” [Laughs] It’s a list of so many. I love constantly trying new things and I think that the beauty industry is so interesting because it’s so individual to people, you know? For some it’s about packaging, for others it’s about long-term skin benefits… I really think that for me it’s about trying everything and seeing what works for me. Plus, with makeup, it’s all about a feeling. Sometimes I want to be super glam, and other days I’ll want to be really, really natural so I’ll just do a light concealer, a bit of bronzer, lip gloss, mascara and call it a day. My beauty routine is ever-changing.
So, have you got that beauty wardrobe of your own now?!
Yes, I do, actually. I have an entire room! I call it my office [laughs]. It’s not really an office, but my laptop is in there and there’s a desk in there but it’s more of my wardrobe-glam kind of room. It’s my creative space and really where I get inspired.
