Friday Night Ladies!!! Let's get these faces together for the weekend!!!
Last week, Napoleon Perdis, international makeup artist who has been more than well known for transforming the faces, makeup bags, and even the lives of women for 20+ years, makes a personal appearance at Neiman Marcus to demonstrate his latest launches and providing tips on how to become your very own master of makeup.
Something we wouldn't dare to miss!
Goldan had the luxury of attending and watching Napoleon, the man himself, in action! And, we got a chance to interview him briefly between his appointments. But first, how about a little scoop!?!
The Scoop:
Napoleon Perdis, a self-taught, Australian-born, Hollywood-based, Make-up Artist. From the Runways to your everyday Woman. Mastering the beauty of women for over 20 years and continues to carry on as one of the best in the industry. Even with a makeup Academy - 'The Harvard of Makeup' with U.S. and Australian campuses. Not only an international makeup artist but he's also the CEO and Founder of his brand. And it doesn't stop there…
Napoleon's work has been featured in some of our favorite magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and many more. With an artist like Napoleon, you know his looks have hit the Mercedes Benz Fashion Weeks in New York, and of course, Australia and many more. From the runways to reality, for what women really want.
Let's chat with the renowned, Extraordinaire Master of Makeup, Napoleon Perdis about his glamour 'glosspel'.
GB: I've read all about you, the Australian-born, Hollywood-based, makeup Artist. What inspired you to go into the Beauty Industry?
NP: My mother. My mother was a huge user of makeup and skin care. I could see the actual routine and transformation everyday.
GB: As a self-taught makeup artist, how did you transform and teach yourself the art? Practicing on women in the family, friends? I'm curious to know because I've tried to teach myself and as you can see, I'm at a D+ in that class…
NP: No it's not you look fabulous. The thing is that when you're a self-taught Makeup Artist and a male, you don't have to do it on yourself, you actually have to do other faces. So, my mother was the 1st. My wife was the 2nd and then, all my counsins and family were after that. Basically you hone your skill and as you hone your skill, you just develop how to work different faces. And when you have an appreciation of beauty, for the face, for female, you bring it out everytime you see a female, you immediately know what you find attractive or don't and you work it.
GB: NYFW (New York Fashion Week) just ended, now London and so forth. You've worked plenty of Fashion Shows to date. What are some Runway Beauty tips for your everyday woman?
NP: First, there are far too many trends at the moment. What I say is I have a few rules. Mascara, first. Because it's like a little runway for the face. The lip liner, last. Because it kind of photoshops the lip. Very little foundation on the forehead area and I use prime. Because not to prime is a crime. When you're blending your foundation area, blend it in the middle area of the face. If it's even, it should blend to nothing and blend in to your neckline. Another tip is, at the moment I'm loving a bit of a metallic smokey eye with nude shade metallics or I'm loving a naked eye with a very opaque strong lip. Kind of like you have today.
GB: I love how you say, when you do a makeover, you're not concerned with how she wants to look, you want to know how she wants to feel that day. What's the difference to you? No look good, feel good?
NP: Well, here's the thing, a feeling and a mood are much more easily expressed than what she wants to look like. Because, sometimes what she wants to look like is different to the feeling she's actually totally wanting. So, I want to achieve that and I think the two marry. Whereas, if I just achieve the look which may be out of inspiration out of a magazine or something she has seen, I may not totally get her emotional state of mind.
Napoleon Perdis products are available at Neiman Marcus.
GB: For someone like myself, who likes to think she's completely clueless - what start-up tips do you have? (I chuckle as NP says I'm not cluesless and I look great, well put together)
NP: Basic tips - start with whatever she feels like. If she just wants to wear moisturizer, wear moisturizer. The Mark Jacob show had no makeup, they only used moisturizer. As she builds her confidence, she can actually start to go with it. But I try not to dictate. What I believe - she may not believe. So, if all she wants to do is moisturizer and mascara, that's actually good enough.
Napoleon Perdis is an Embassy. We translate according to whatever a woman wants. We don't look at age, color, texture or trends. We just do translation. - NP
GB: Again, you've done, NYFW, MBFW of Australia, featured in some of the top magazines around the world. I mean it never gets old for you. Are you constantly reinventing yourself or does Napoleon stick to whats made him successful in the industry?
NP: I just stick to what I do. After working with some of the top models and actresses around the world like Miranda Kerr and Jessica Hart, it's just about creating that look, for that moment, to make them look good.
GB: I know your work speaks for itself but are you ever surprised when you win those awesome awards?
NP: I never expect them. It's a great honor and pleasure. We just won PopSugar, which goes to 3 million people. Great honor. Great pleasure. But I don't expect them. I just like being with people and thats it.
Saddened by an incident that took place earlier that day, while making his way to Houston Galleria, NP says, "If people really love each other that shouldn't happen. For me, makeup is a way of connecting and loving".
GB: What can women look forward to when using your products and application techniques?
NP: Someone who lives and breathe passion of pure ingredients. Our serum is made in Switzerland. Our masque is made in Italy and it's phenomenal, you can sleep with it and still get the same results as having it on for 20 minutes. We have a huge indigenous population in Australia thats never talked about which is our black population and people don't celebrate that they have their own culture. Yarrow extract - they use it and tighten skin and I've put that in my Auto Pilot. So, thats actually amazing. When I bring Australia to beauty, its on a global scale with every culture, every age and every race. I try not to look at what's in front of me. When I go to the lab, I just want the best and I'll keep putting it in until I get the best. And then we test it and if the results work, it works. Like our foundation, I don't want it to be a sample of ingredients. When you put it on, I want it to perform.
GB: I'm definitely going to use all that I learned here today. So, can I send you selfies of my progress? LOL!!!
NP: Sure. I travel a lot, so it could be a few days before I can personally go through all the approvals and reviews but I'll always respond.
"Education is at the heart of my brand and I'm eager to share my tips and techniques from over 20 years as a makeup artist" - NP
What can we say!?!! We are truly new fans and customers of Napoleon Perdis!!!
"When I do a makeover, I'm not only concerned with how a woman wants to look, I want to know how she wants to feel that day" - NP
"Not to prime is a crime" - NP
Since I met Napoleon, I have been using his Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation, Auto Pilot tinted lip balm, matte eye ink liner ~ black, Auto Pilot Radiance Boosting Primer, and his Peep Show Madame Fantasia black volumizing mascara, along with his 'how to' booklet with tons of application tips and techniques. I'll definitely be back for more! No pictures yet, as I need to master this beauty thing (chuckles). But I'll be sure to keep you up to date with pics of my progress…
Watch as I go from "nearly-nude to full-strength glamour"… When I grow up! HA!
Style!?! He does!!!
Inspired by trends of Fashion, Art, Music and popular culture - clearly shows in his Style not Swag. Check out his Colbalt Blue suit with those white/gold Buscemi Sneaks with padlock!!!
Love! Love! LOVE!!! I ADORE!
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