DORÉ

We introduced you to Linda and her style this morning, here, but couldn’t resist asking her a few more question about her well executed make-up habits and when her obsession with make-up started. Enjoy!

Where you always obsessed with make-up from a young age? Or was it something that developed later in life?

I think I’ve been secretly obsessed with make-up since day one. As a child, around 5 years old, I always painted the faces of my dolls, gave them eyeshadow, lipstick. I drew lashes on my teddy bear. I would give them hair cuts and make them new outfits, a vast improvement I thought!

I also loved to watch my mother “put her face on.” I remember being overwhelmed watching the process and with each step, how beautiful I thought she became. So I began to experiment on myself at 12 years old, early high school demanded eyeshadow! It was the 1973, I was given a palette of 3 matte, very bright shades of blue, green and purple.

Each morning before school I would think about which color I was in the mood for, then take my finger, run it across the chosen color and smear it across my eyelids. I noticed how blue the colors made my eyes look and how happy that made me feel. It took 5 minutes and changed the course of my whole day.

I took notice of other women and girls and was fascinated by their makeup choices and applications.

In ’82 I went to Paris to hone my French skills at Alliance Français and I was scouted on the street by a designer named Rafik. I ended up walking in his fashion show at The Palace. I was so thrilled until given my outfit, Rafik’s vision was a comment on the Indian class system and I was an “untouchable” …this translated to me walking virtually naked…my outfit was a rag, a string, barely covering anything…I mean, I was naked…the other girls received beautiful, opulent, bejeweled outfits, they walked on and off. The two Untouchables were the first on and the last off, meaning I stood at the end of the stage naked for roughly 15 minutes…but I didn’t care, I was in Paris!

I remember seeing the make-up artists who worked with the models and it was like being struck by lightning, I had no idea that was an actual job! I was a model/art school dropout but that day, my fate was set, I decided to be a makeup artist and that’s what I did!

What’s your go-to make-up look?
My go-to make-up look is super simple. Concealer around my eyes and around my nose. Fill and groom my brows. Curl and apply 2 or 3 layers of mascara. Special occasions call for a matte red lip. Sadly the days of blue, green and purple eyeshadow are gone…

What make-up trends are you excited by for summer?
I’m always excited for summer make-up trends…there’s so much color coming our way right now! So many bright bold eyeshadows and mascaras to either compliment or contrast your shadow! Green shadow with purple mascara. Orange shadow with green mascara…it’s not for the faint hearted but it’s SO much fun! Or just try a colored mascara alone….I’ll definitely be substituting black with blue this summer!

Where do you look for inspiration?
I look for inspiration everywhere….museums, books, gardens, food, ceramics…you just have to look out the window to be inspired…the color of the sky, the way the clouds move, the way rain hits the window…inspiration is everywhere.

Greatest make-up hack or trick?
There are SO many makeup tricks and short cuts, it’s tough to narrow it down, but here are a few:

– I always laugh when I hear that someone has actually blotted with a toilet seat cover in lieu of blotting papers, but nevertheless, it’s an option.

– If you lose your brow pencil they can be groomed with your cleaned mascara wand, preferably brown.

– Try using the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer Foundation to contour…I often use shade #14 because of the color, texture and portability. A little goes a long way, it should be used sparingly with a medium sized, short bristle brush, and always remove the excess before applying to your skin.