By Emily Barth Isler, Allure
Green beauty is still a relatively new concept to many people — the idea that cosmetics and skincare products can be formulated with all natural ingredients and can be just as effective as glamorous as their traditional counterparts. It’s only human nature to stick with what we know, and find comfort in what we know works. Nowhere is this more true than on the red carpet, where celebrities are expected to look flawless, and be just as glowy-fresh at the after-party as they were at the step-and-repeat. This forces makeup artists to be scrupulous about what they're using on their clients faces. "This isn't a time to try out new things," a celebrity makeup artist once told Allure in the past. "You just can't risk it."
[post_ads]Makeup artist, Katey Denno, however, has made a name for herself as a celebrity makeup artist who uses primarily all-natural products. An anomaly in the industry, Denno also counts herself as a green beauty lifestyle expert, and works with A-listers such as Felicity Jones, Cara Delevingne, Cobie Smulders, Amanda Seyfried and more. Intrigued, we asked Denno to share her story, and give us the deets on what she really uses, how the stars feel about it, and her commitment to green/natural beauty.
How long have you been a makeup artist?
"Twelve years ago I resigned from nearly a decade-long career as a social worker. I was working in the Bronx in New York City, in women’s health and HIV clinics, when I met a makeup artist at a dinner party who told me about her work, an industry I knew nothing about. I was in the right place at the right time, and signed on with The Wall Group within a year, as their first ’new talent’ artist. I can’t believe I’ve been this fortunate in this industry for this long."
How did you become interested in/committed to green products?
"As a social worker, I was a big advocate of teaching clients the importance of knowing what you put into and onto your body. That translated into my work as a makeup artist, but when I first began, the options were pretty slim, and for the first few years I didn’t think much of using whatever the makeup stores / counters told me was best. At some point I noticed on the back of a very popular pro-makeup palette, a cautionary sticker, stating that some of the creamy product contained within was not for use around the eye, nor the mouth. I was really confused by this as the palette was for lips and eyes, and it opened my eyes to the unknowns in all of the products I’d been slathering on my clients.
[post_ads_2]
I started researching and testing products, and found a small, but growing network of women in New York City who were passionate about the small-but-growing green beauty industry. I remember going to an event at Tata Harper’s house where I sat next to Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS Beauty, and learned about the start of something then-unknown, called the Environmental Working Group. We were all intrigued to hear that they would be starting an online catalogue of potentially hazardous ingredients in beauty products. Now, many years later, green beauty is leading the pack, with all major mainstream brands getting in on it."
Can green makeup really last through a whole movie premiere?
"Absolutely! Makeup artistry techniques that have kept red carpet makeup in check throughout the years are my tricks of the trade. Applying products strategically, in layers, utilizing translucent powders under creams, can prevent skin's natural oils from seeping through and breaking them down and sliding off. Products in the green beauty market have become much more high-tech, and while there are some holes in the non-toxic cosmetics industry, they’re filling up rapidly. There are liquid matte lipsticks, blush that truly stains, mascaras that don’t flake and even hold a curl, foundations that provide luminous full-coverage and look stunning under intense photography lights… the sky really is the limit at this point."
Does organic makeup out-perform conventional counterparts?
"I hesitate to use the word organic because, although it would be wonderful if all products we used on our skin (and put into our mouths!) were organic, for me, using cosmetics that have been formulated without any ingredients that are known carcinogens, skin-suffocators, endocrine system disruptors, and / or detrimental to the earth, is more than enough.
[post_ads]I truly think that there’s no reason for anyone — no matter your skin type, tone, or age — to use any skincare that’s not in the ‘green beauty’ market. The ingredients have long since arrived, and are able to deliver potent peptides and vitamins and resurfacing agents to keep skin glowing, taut, and healthy, in a way that mainstream skincare truly can’t in my opinion. When it comes to makeup, I don’t claim that every product from the mainstream market has been recreated in a way that out-performs its predecessor. I’m still on the hunt for some amazing products to replace a few of my long-standing favorites, and if I’m doing an underwater or beach photoshoot I’m likely to gravitate towards products that absolutely will not smudge or budge — and as of now, that’s just not happening in the green beauty world. Not yet…"
Have any stars ever refused/hesitated to use green products on the red carpet?
"When I first started using green beauty products on my celebrity clients, I would pick and choose who I’d let in on it. I’d often fill palettes with lipsticks and re-pot foundations so that my choice in products wouldn’t cause fear. That was over eight years ago, at a time when green beauty wasn’t yet cool, or trusted, and with good reason. The products that came before weren’t up to snuff; textures were crumbly, colors boring, and long-lasting was a pipe dream. As time passed and I began to know my clients, and I began to be known for my affinity for the green beauty scene, clients became interested in what I was using, and I found myself leaving behind more than just scrapings of products for them to keep in their evening purse… I was being asked to leave behind the deliciously scented face oils, foundations that made their skin glow, cheek and lip colors that felt weightless but had intense pigments… and that’s how it all began."
Have any stars been converted?
"Sure! Most of them have cosmetics contracts that prevent them from being associated with other brands, so it’s been a struggle for me to share which products I use to create red carpet looks, but I can tell you that countless of your favorite actresses use the products I turned them on to on a daily basis."
[post_ads_2]
Did any stars seek you out specifically because of your use of green makeup?
"Absolutely. But, and I completely understand where they’re coming from on this, when it comes to nights on the red carpet, function is generally far more important to most than ingredients, or a backstory about the women on the wind powered factory lot who made the lipsticks. It’s more about the photo, and not having to think at all about the makeup on your face over a long night of smiling, smooching hello’s, and bright flashes going off over and over."
A few of Denno's current natural beauty favorites:
1. Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Illuminating Primer: "I love mixing this with foundation for an overall luminous finish. I also use it to spot prime the high planes of the face (cheekbones, bridge of nose, cupids bow) when I’m not using foundation, to leave those areas looking extra radiant."
2. Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation: "This is a gorgeous liquid foundation that leaves all but the most oily of skin looking perfectly glowy and fresh."
3. Ilia Beauty Silken Shadow Stick: "I love to smash this into the lash lines for definition and dazzle. My current favorite shade is You Spin Me Round, a gorgeous gunmetal hue."
4. Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks: "It's way too tough to pick just one of these! The colors and density of pigment can’t be beat when you want full color — no matter the color!"
5. Kjaer Weis Eye Shadow: "These are the best eyeshadows, EVER. They’re Italian made, which means they’re going to blend better, have longer staying power, and be solidly true to color from first use, to the last. I can’t say enough good things."
6. Ecobrow: "These are fantastic gel brow pigments."
7. R.L. Linden & Co. La Balmba Rosa: "I’ve been a huge fan of RL Linden's sheer lip balm for years. It’s phenomenal in stick or pot form!"
8. Gressa Skin Minimalist Contouring Serum Bronzer: A little of this stuff goes a long way. I love to define cheekbones with this, mix it with body lotion to give legs a bit of a boost, or mix it with foundation, ever so slightly, to give an all over bronzy glow."
9. True Botanicals Vitamin C Booster: "I’d been researching the effect of vitamin C on the skin for years. Finding the right topical product was definitely not easy, and I’ve tried nearly every one on the market. One thing I’d read over and over is that it’s nearly impossible to stabilize C within a liquid, and keeping its efficacy at full strength when it’s pre-mixed is highly unlikely. When I came across the delivery method that True Botanicals uses, I was pretty excited; they supply the powdered, high-potency C powder, which you can either mix with water (genius! and super cost-effective), or with their Cellular Repair Serum. It stimulates collagen production (which keeps skin bouncy and plump), fights wrinkles, makes skin tone more even (less need for foundation!), and overall brightens skin."
For more on the green beauty scene, keep clicking:
[post_ads]Makeup artist, Katey Denno, however, has made a name for herself as a celebrity makeup artist who uses primarily all-natural products. An anomaly in the industry, Denno also counts herself as a green beauty lifestyle expert, and works with A-listers such as Felicity Jones, Cara Delevingne, Cobie Smulders, Amanda Seyfried and more. Intrigued, we asked Denno to share her story, and give us the deets on what she really uses, how the stars feel about it, and her commitment to green/natural beauty.
"Twelve years ago I resigned from nearly a decade-long career as a social worker. I was working in the Bronx in New York City, in women’s health and HIV clinics, when I met a makeup artist at a dinner party who told me about her work, an industry I knew nothing about. I was in the right place at the right time, and signed on with The Wall Group within a year, as their first ’new talent’ artist. I can’t believe I’ve been this fortunate in this industry for this long."
How did you become interested in/committed to green products?
"As a social worker, I was a big advocate of teaching clients the importance of knowing what you put into and onto your body. That translated into my work as a makeup artist, but when I first began, the options were pretty slim, and for the first few years I didn’t think much of using whatever the makeup stores / counters told me was best. At some point I noticed on the back of a very popular pro-makeup palette, a cautionary sticker, stating that some of the creamy product contained within was not for use around the eye, nor the mouth. I was really confused by this as the palette was for lips and eyes, and it opened my eyes to the unknowns in all of the products I’d been slathering on my clients.
[post_ads_2]
I started researching and testing products, and found a small, but growing network of women in New York City who were passionate about the small-but-growing green beauty industry. I remember going to an event at Tata Harper’s house where I sat next to Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS Beauty, and learned about the start of something then-unknown, called the Environmental Working Group. We were all intrigued to hear that they would be starting an online catalogue of potentially hazardous ingredients in beauty products. Now, many years later, green beauty is leading the pack, with all major mainstream brands getting in on it."
"Absolutely! Makeup artistry techniques that have kept red carpet makeup in check throughout the years are my tricks of the trade. Applying products strategically, in layers, utilizing translucent powders under creams, can prevent skin's natural oils from seeping through and breaking them down and sliding off. Products in the green beauty market have become much more high-tech, and while there are some holes in the non-toxic cosmetics industry, they’re filling up rapidly. There are liquid matte lipsticks, blush that truly stains, mascaras that don’t flake and even hold a curl, foundations that provide luminous full-coverage and look stunning under intense photography lights… the sky really is the limit at this point."
Does organic makeup out-perform conventional counterparts?
"I hesitate to use the word organic because, although it would be wonderful if all products we used on our skin (and put into our mouths!) were organic, for me, using cosmetics that have been formulated without any ingredients that are known carcinogens, skin-suffocators, endocrine system disruptors, and / or detrimental to the earth, is more than enough.
[post_ads]I truly think that there’s no reason for anyone — no matter your skin type, tone, or age — to use any skincare that’s not in the ‘green beauty’ market. The ingredients have long since arrived, and are able to deliver potent peptides and vitamins and resurfacing agents to keep skin glowing, taut, and healthy, in a way that mainstream skincare truly can’t in my opinion. When it comes to makeup, I don’t claim that every product from the mainstream market has been recreated in a way that out-performs its predecessor. I’m still on the hunt for some amazing products to replace a few of my long-standing favorites, and if I’m doing an underwater or beach photoshoot I’m likely to gravitate towards products that absolutely will not smudge or budge — and as of now, that’s just not happening in the green beauty world. Not yet…"
"When I first started using green beauty products on my celebrity clients, I would pick and choose who I’d let in on it. I’d often fill palettes with lipsticks and re-pot foundations so that my choice in products wouldn’t cause fear. That was over eight years ago, at a time when green beauty wasn’t yet cool, or trusted, and with good reason. The products that came before weren’t up to snuff; textures were crumbly, colors boring, and long-lasting was a pipe dream. As time passed and I began to know my clients, and I began to be known for my affinity for the green beauty scene, clients became interested in what I was using, and I found myself leaving behind more than just scrapings of products for them to keep in their evening purse… I was being asked to leave behind the deliciously scented face oils, foundations that made their skin glow, cheek and lip colors that felt weightless but had intense pigments… and that’s how it all began."
Have any stars been converted?
"Sure! Most of them have cosmetics contracts that prevent them from being associated with other brands, so it’s been a struggle for me to share which products I use to create red carpet looks, but I can tell you that countless of your favorite actresses use the products I turned them on to on a daily basis."
[post_ads_2]
Did any stars seek you out specifically because of your use of green makeup?
"Absolutely. But, and I completely understand where they’re coming from on this, when it comes to nights on the red carpet, function is generally far more important to most than ingredients, or a backstory about the women on the wind powered factory lot who made the lipsticks. It’s more about the photo, and not having to think at all about the makeup on your face over a long night of smiling, smooching hello’s, and bright flashes going off over and over."
1. Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Illuminating Primer: "I love mixing this with foundation for an overall luminous finish. I also use it to spot prime the high planes of the face (cheekbones, bridge of nose, cupids bow) when I’m not using foundation, to leave those areas looking extra radiant."
2. Vapour Organic Beauty Atmosphere Soft Focus Foundation: "This is a gorgeous liquid foundation that leaves all but the most oily of skin looking perfectly glowy and fresh."
3. Ilia Beauty Silken Shadow Stick: "I love to smash this into the lash lines for definition and dazzle. My current favorite shade is You Spin Me Round, a gorgeous gunmetal hue."
4. Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks: "It's way too tough to pick just one of these! The colors and density of pigment can’t be beat when you want full color — no matter the color!"
5. Kjaer Weis Eye Shadow: "These are the best eyeshadows, EVER. They’re Italian made, which means they’re going to blend better, have longer staying power, and be solidly true to color from first use, to the last. I can’t say enough good things."
6. Ecobrow: "These are fantastic gel brow pigments."
7. R.L. Linden & Co. La Balmba Rosa: "I’ve been a huge fan of RL Linden's sheer lip balm for years. It’s phenomenal in stick or pot form!"
8. Gressa Skin Minimalist Contouring Serum Bronzer: A little of this stuff goes a long way. I love to define cheekbones with this, mix it with body lotion to give legs a bit of a boost, or mix it with foundation, ever so slightly, to give an all over bronzy glow."
9. True Botanicals Vitamin C Booster: "I’d been researching the effect of vitamin C on the skin for years. Finding the right topical product was definitely not easy, and I’ve tried nearly every one on the market. One thing I’d read over and over is that it’s nearly impossible to stabilize C within a liquid, and keeping its efficacy at full strength when it’s pre-mixed is highly unlikely. When I came across the delivery method that True Botanicals uses, I was pretty excited; they supply the powdered, high-potency C powder, which you can either mix with water (genius! and super cost-effective), or with their Cellular Repair Serum. It stimulates collagen production (which keeps skin bouncy and plump), fights wrinkles, makes skin tone more even (less need for foundation!), and overall brightens skin."
For more on the green beauty scene, keep clicking:
