Lucy Wearing
British Make-Up Artist
Takes us through her Stella Magazine cover story with Ellie Goulding!
Ellie Goulding’s internationally renowned make-up artist takes us through her skin-sational Stella Magazine cover story! We just loooove her natural beauty looks!
Can you tell us about the chosen look? What was the inspiration for it?
For this shoot I worked from mood boards set by the magazine, basically fresh natural beauty.
What products did you use to create the look?
I prepped Ellies skin with Rodial dragons blood eye masks and the Dragons blood sculpting gel moisturiser. For base I used face and body by MAC. Tom Ford sculpt and illuminate, Sisley photo cernes éclat under eye concealer to knock out any blue undertones, Dior eyeshadow palette 537 over the lid and blended into the socket line and lower lash line. I used Daniel Sandler’s water colour liquid blush in Angel blended into the cheekbone onto the apple of the cheek. I love these because they give a beautiful subtle finish to the skin that you don’t really get with anything else. For lips I used Bobbi browns crushed lip in haute cocoa. No lip liner, I just smudged it in with a brush. I set the make up with MAC blot powder to take away the shine not to add more coverage. So you can still see the skin. I brushed the brows with Surrat Expressioniste brow pomade and filled and balanced them with Dior and Sisley brow pencils. 3 shades to give depth.
Any tips for anyone at home wanting to recreate a similar makeup look?
Work the foundation in with your fingers the warmth from your fingers will help the foundation to melt into the skin. Any where you need to conceal, pat it on with the pad of your finger. You should test the foundation on your decolletage. If you blend it into the skin and you cant see it then its the right one for you. The concealer should be the same tone as the foundation you can test that on the back of your hand.
What was the vibe like on set?
It was fun. The shoot was pretty quick maybe 4 hours in total. Raphael Salley was doing Ellie’s hair and Nathan Klein was styling, we all work together a lot so its a well oiled machine. I had a quick chat with the photography editor Naomi McMullen looked at the outfits and got on with it. I picked out a texture from each look and added it to the make up. There wasn’t a lot of time for changes so simple effective procedures. I added Dr.Lipp to the cheekbones to add a gloss to the skin. Then some Surratt lid lacquer to the eye for another, changed the lip etc. Had a spot of lunch and was out the door. It was a very efficient day, Adam Whitehead shoots really fast.
What would you say your signature beauty look is?
I don’t over think my work. I like to push natural beauty. I love seeing skin. I like to work with the tones naturally found in it. My work is very instinctual and reactive. I love the immediacy and transient nature of make up.
Do you use cruelty-free beauty products in your kit?
RMS is a great conscious brand everything they produce from the labeling packaging and ingredients is responsibly sourced and produced.
What can we all do to be a little bit more green or ethical as a make-up artist?
You cant work with Ellie and not be acutely aware of what your using, the planet etc. Lucy Seigle is also now a great friend of mine I try to reduce my kit from single use plastic i.e. plastic straws and I use Bamboo baby wipes that are biodegradable and the most eco cotton buds on the market. Ellie has talked at various UN events around the world. When I was heavily pregnant we went to a climate summit and I got to hold a piece of 700 year old ice and listen to Greta Thunburg and lots of scientists speak on the side of a mountain in the snow.
Packaging in this industry is really bad, there is so much unnecessary plastic involved. Its good to invest in brands that recognise this. But day to day get a refillable coffee mug and only use biodegradable bamboo wipes. That’s a start.
You should follow Crystabel Riley on instagram for non toxic green and everything in-between make up.
"Great on the lips but also makes a great glossy skin finish!"
What would you be doing if you were not a makeup artist?
A historian or curator! I would have loved to have worked on the recent Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A . Anything to do with cultural history and the arts.
What items should everyone have in their kit?
Dr Lipp because its multifunctional, great on the lips but also makes a great glossy skin finish and MAC blot powder.
Who is your dream client?
I work with one of my best friends that’s pretty much the dream client I reckon.
Do you have any career highlights so far?
2 world tours with Ellie, designing Ellie’s MAC collection and then shooting the campaign. Working with Soundgarden. Working alongside Scarlett Johansson when she directed a live streamed show for Ellie in New York – she’s a great conversationalist, a very interesting person. I enjoyed spending a couple of days with her. Travelling the world with a bunch of brilliant people making friends allover it. Making my radio documentary Making faces for BBC world service. I have also been working on a beauty co op with Syrian women in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan with London College of Fashion, professor Helen Storey, Liz Maclafferty and UNHCR training them up and helping them to start their own business’. That has easily been the most interesting, challenging, emotional and rewarding place that my trade has taken me.
What is a day in the life like for you?
I have a young baby so I’m so tired and equally so happy right now. I could be at Rhyme time singing wind the bobbin or its all ‘work hard’ and champagne.
What your best piece of beauty advice?
Wear sunscreen everyday, even in winter! My favourites are Elta MD UV Daily and Dr Sams Flawless Daily Sunscreen.
What do you loooove about Dr.Lipp?
Everything. I’m a bit of a lip salve addict at junior school they used to confiscate them from me because they thought I was addicted. Most of them dry your lips out even more and you find you’re applying it all the time. Dr Lipp doesn’t do that and its multifunctional so you could smudge a bit on the eyelid for a night out. I actually wouldn’t use anything else now.
