First of all, Emma is one of those people who have a gentle soul, a beautiful sweetness and strength and passion you can see throughout every work she does.

We had already spoken with her in other interviews here on The Italian Rêve, about some of the tremendous looks she did in the last two years, but we finally had the chance to meet her in London, at The Wall Group offices. We immediately started talking about beauty, how the industry is changing and her burning passion for perfumes (we are waiting for your personal line to come out, Emma) and about her clients, from Rachel Brosnahan to Sara Sampaio, underlining the great beauty of one of her favorite clients ever: Dame Judi Dench.

From discovering the tips for a self-confident red carpet look and the top 10 list of her favorite perfumes, you shall not miss this interview. And, of course, she is the one to follow for the best makeup look that enhances the natural beauty of women.

How did your passion for beauty begin? How did you live your relationship with Beauty when you were younger?



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Oh, God. I grew up in the countryside, a real country girl, and then suddenly I did a bit of a change: I must’ve been 14 or 15 years old and got really into what was going on in London, and I suddenly got into Fashion. I had always liked to use my mum’s old Vogues and things like that. I used to obsess over this old vintage Vogue beauty book with images from the 20s to the 70s – I used to look at it to absorb it all.

And I think that that’s how it started. It always seemed a bit of a fantasy world ­– I guess it was the fashion world ­– from being in the countryside and quite rustic. So it started in that way I think.

The collaboration with Elizabeth Debicki for GQ Magazine is amazing; we loved it. The makeup is perfect but very fresh. What’s the secret for you for such natural makeup?

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I think in that situation her face does everything for you, so you only have to enhance what she already has. That makeup, in particular, was very tonal, there was actually quite a lot of makeup. I just wanted to enhance her cheekbones, and also, we were thinking about early 90s kind of starlet makeup, so it was a bit of taupe, mauve — not a lot of colors.

TAUPE

MAUVE

TONAL MAKEUP

“…her face does everything for you, so you only have to enhance what she already has.”

On an Instagram post, you said, “when I started doing Red Carpets there were no filters, no Facetune, you had to send the client out the room on a red carpet flawless and feeling amazing.” I think it’s very interesting how things have been changing. How did the industry change for you over the years, and what were the things that you had to adjust to?

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I’m quite old school, so there are some things about Instagram that I am a bit uncomfortable with. A lot of people do BTS pictures for instance, and I know some of my clients are really into them, so they ask them.
Some of the younger clients I can see that are really into that and they are doing it themselves and that’s fine a little photo shoot, but I think there is a lot of people that I work with that just love that quiet time we have to just enjoy. And then they go out of the room, and the flashlights are on, but there is some kind of intimacy, in that time we have. And sometimes, I don’t know, it can be invasive. But it depends on the client, you have to read them and you have to stick to them.

You also work a lot with Judi Dench; she’s stunning. How important is trust in a relationship with a client?

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Judi is a dear friend at this point, and she never tells me what do to ­– I have a quite classic style and Judi just loves a smokey eye, and that’s always been her signature look, so I do that. But trust is very important, it is necessary to friendship. And I also want to make Judi and everybody feel amazing, even if they’re not in the mood for going out: you are exchanging energy, and you’re helping them with the process of going out.

We have a good laugh; we have a good giggle, we don’t really talk about work and stuff, we can talk about friends and family. It’s lovely; I love my relationship with her, it’s one of the most special ones.

“We have a good laugh; we have a good giggle… I love my relationship with her, it’s one of the most special ones.”

The Red Carpet is always a hectic moment, full of adrenaline and beauty expectations: how do you live it as a makeup artist? And what is the best part for you?

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You’ve basically got two hours to nail it. And there are a lot of variables that can happen in those two hours. I have a look at the dress, we have a talk, and I normally have an instinct as soon as I see it. I look a lot at the pictures of the girl before I see her, and I decide what the best is, what I like that works for her.

I love the process: again, it’s transforming the energy, making them go from feeling ordinary to spectacular, going out there and feeling all this. When you’ve done a job when the girl is looking at herself, and she’s like illuminated and so happy, for me that’s everything. I worked with this lovely girl last week called Leila George, it was her first big red carpet, and it was a big deal for her. She had an amazing dress, and she was so happy. But she said, “you made me feel like myself.”

And that to me, ultimately, is the best because I don’t want to make them feel like a completely different person, they have to feel like the best version of themselves ­– if I achieve that, that’s great.



“…it’s transforming the energy, making them go from feeling ordinary to spectacular…”

We also loved the makeup you did for Rachel Brosnahan in Milan. What can you tell us about that?

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It’s funny I had a different idea for Rachel for that. Basically, the hair was going to be quite strong. I was thinking about a stronger lip or a graphic eye, but somehow it was slightly more beautiful and understated work for that because the dress was quite severe, but it was so cool. Also, I looked at Rachel and said to her, “you remind me of Rachel in Blade Runner. With the hair and the suit.”

So it turned out a bit more understated than I kind of thought I was going to go, but actually, I think it works. Also, I didn’t want her to be like Miriam Maisel, she had to be Rachel, and hopefully we achieved that.

Yes, I loved it.
 Where do you find inspiration for your work and is there a particular process for you?

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“I always see things:” I mean I am a film buff and I have a bit of a photographic memory. I pull out the references and I see the frames, like when I saw Rachel and went all the way with Rachel from “Blade Runner.”
 I love vintage or period stuff and old shoots, going up to quite recent things, also film characters. And sometimes I see the girl like a character in the film, and that’s funny because they’re promoting a film, but that’s a different thing. There are so many variables.

Or for example for Mackenzie Foy, it was all that dress: I knew exactly what I wanted to do with that dress. And so yes, it depends, there are so many things. I don’t necessarily like to follow trends particularly, though: I kind of like when it’s more about the girl than the trend.

Is there an editorial or red carpet look you’re particularly proud of?

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The one for Elizabeth Debicki in Cannes I really love. I did it in about 20 minutes because she was late off the plane and she had no time, and we turned it around so quickly and she looked like a serene swan.

In general, it’s really hard to say because sometimes you look at them and go “I’m really happy” and I think I had a conversation with another makeup artist and she said that sometimes you’re like, “I wish I did more” or you’re never quite happy. Sometimes when you’re looking at a girl in a room the looks seems stronger than you see when you get all the flash because it bleaches everything out, so you don’t always see the details. There’s a sort of balance that most of the times it’s hard to gauge, but my favorite one I’ll have to have a look and then tell you!

And can you explain us the makeup you did for Sara Sampaio at the British Fashion Awards?

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Sarah wanted a modern, clean and polished beauty look for the British Fashion Awards to work with the edgy simplicity of David Komas’s style, whom she was representing. We loved the Pat Magrath Matt nude lipstick in 1995 and I focused on bringing out Sara’s amazing green feline eyes and killer cheekbones with contour and highlighter, so she literally gleamed with radiance.

“…she literally gleamed with radiance.”

What is one person, both from the past and the present, that you would love to do makeup on?

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I’ve always loved Catherine Deneuve, I love that ’60s style. Angelica Huston as well, in the ’70s: I’ve always thought she was an amazing face for makeup, I was obsessed by Angelica Huston. They’re very different, but I’ll take those two.

The beauty industry is changing a lot with inclusion and different ways to feel beautiful. How would you like to see the industry in the future?

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I’d like it to be a little more accepting of real beauty; I think people are being a little unkind to themselves with plastic surgery and filters and all that stuff. And I’d like it to be more honest, that’s my feeling. It’s all got a bit out of hand.

I think this is a fine line with retouching. It’s things like a little bit of shadow in the eye, maybe get rid of a shadow or a blemish, but you don’t want a full-on plastic surgery where the lips are bigger and it’s like a completely different person that looks like a million of other people. Because I think it’s incredibly sad that you’re putting on unrealistic ideas of what people look like. Judi’s wrinkles tell a story that is so beautiful. She’s such a beautiful woman, and you wouldn’t want to change that: that’s her. So, I think a bit of more acceptance of individuality would be awesome. 



Since you said you are perfume obsessed, what’s your perfume of the moment?



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I have many! There’s this new brand called Ostens, it’s amazing.
There’s a new one they put out and that I got the other day that is called Cashmeran Velvet, that smells a bit of sandalwood, cedarwood and musk, it’s beautiful.

“I’d like it to be a little more accepting of real beauty”

And what is your Top Ten List?

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1) Ostens Impression Cashmeran Velvet

2) Diptyque 34 Kimonathe

3) Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose

4) Le Labo Santal 33

5) Le Labo The Noir

6) Sel Marin By James Heeley

7) L’amandiere by James Heeley

8) Boy by Chanel

9) Coco Eau de parfum by Chanel

10) La Tulipe By Byredo

What’s your skincare routine?


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I had really terrible skin when I was growing up, so I’ve always been quite militant looking after it. I like a foaming cleanser, like a fresh one, in the morning. I like this new cream that I’m using from Augustinus Bader and I also love a retinol mask. I love masks, and depending on what’s going on with my skin I’ll do a mask, whether it needs brightening, or something else. I love brightening products.

I guess I have a handful of products.

What’s the product that can never be missing from your bag?

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Sisley Black Rose Mask, I’d say. I use it on pretty much everybody before red carpet if there’s time. Because that glowy-ness you see, it’s always like it kind of plumps up the skin and it soothes and works on everybody so I’d say that.

What kind of beauty project would you like to create in the future?

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I’ve always dreamt about doing a perfume. Because I love it so much, it’s quite an emotional thing for me, and maybe I would like to work with perfume rather than makeup. I mean, I love makeup too, but this is more of an emotional thing.

“I love brightening products.”

What’s the brand that for you is changing a bit the rules of makeup or is doing something new?



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That’s really hard. I love Asian brands, and they have my kind of aesthetic, so I love Sensei, Shiseido. I love their quality.

What I don’t like is a very heavy foundation and things like that, it’s very hard to find a brand.  Lisa Eldridge’s new lipsticks, I haven’t seen anything like that: that’s a new one.

I can’t wait to try them. People say they are unique.

_____



They do look like Velvet, and they have a great texture. Because she’s so obsessive and loves makeup so much she’s got the best choice of colors, because her research was so intense. I’d say those lipsticks, then.

What are the products that can never be missing from your own makeup kit?

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A liquid eyeliner, I like the MAC ones. I’ve got a bit of trademark, it’s all about the lashes and the liner for me, and a kind of pink-y nude lipstick and a good foundation: but very light, like the Chanel Vitalumière or Vitalumière Aqua. They’re good for me.

Do you have a personal signature makeup look?



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Absolutely, it’s very predictable. It’s like a golden-y eye, liner, lashes – a bit more 60s, I suppose: it seems to suits me, but I don’t work well with it. I’d love to wear a bold lip, but it looks terrible on me, so no. [laughs]

If you go beauty shopping what are the products that you’re always attracted to?

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I’m always going through new foundations and more skincare, actually. New exciting brands that kind of have a buzz about. But a good new mascara is always great, one that doesn’t smudge. I love highlighters because I love that radiance. The Holy Grail of highlighters is Tom Ford – I still think he did the best highlighters. That’s still what I tend to use the most, I think.

“The Holy Grail of highlighters is Tom Ford – I still think he did the best highlighters.”

Natural Look or Crazy Look?

Natural.

Cold or Warm shades?

Warm.

Bold eyes or bold lipstick?

Bold lipstick.

Red Carpet or Editorial?

Red Carpet.

Matte or Glowy?


Glowy.

What’s the best thing about being a makeup artist for you?



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I think it’s just the fact that every day is different, and every client is very different. A lot of different personalities and tastes: just the diversity, I love that. The unpredictable.

What’s Beauty for you?

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It’s going to sound really cheesy, but it’s actually more about internal grace in people that comes out in the face. To me, I think that you see it, particularly as people get older. I work with incredibly beautiful people all the time, and I think that the thing that touches me is when you see that in people.

Photos by Johnny Carrano.

Follow Emma Day: @ladydaymakeup

Credits Images: 

Getty Images for Red Carpet Pictures. 

Elizabeth Debicki for Vogue Australia by Hans Neumann.

Elizabeth Debicki for GQ Australia by Hans Neumann.

Maisie Williams for Telegraph UK by Tom Craig.