Lori Taylor couldn’t agree with me better. As international beauty authority of Smashbox Cosmetics, the chic and innovative makeup line created by Dean and David Factor (great grandsons of maquillage legend Max Factor), Lori knows all about the fun and frivolity of wearing makeup. She can tell you how to make your eyes prettier and your lips poutier and in the same breath say that you shouldn’t be a slave to mascara. Lori can share tips on how to properly fill in your brows or how to have beautiful skin but at the same time she’ll you that it’s ok not to spend too much time putting on makeup.
Lori has been in the cosmetics industry for eight years, starting out her career when Smashbox opened shop in 1996 in Hollywood. She’s trained makeup artists all over the world and comes up with cutting-edge trends. She’s made up the faces of celebrities such as Amy Smart, Alek Wek, and Shannon Elizabeth, and has done Mercedes Fashion Week and the VH1 Music Awards. She can tell you all about their products without faltering (their bestselling Photofinish primer, the practicality of their three-in-one tint, the versatility of their new Zoom eyeshadow, the consistency of their foundations) and can tell in an instant what colors would look good on your face. Lori is a credited makeup expert, the real deal, and she’ll tell you, with a big smile on her face, that makeup is like a toy, an accessory that you should enjoy.
I gathered all these when Lori came to Manila for a short visit to promote the glamorous brand. I spent a fun 20 minutes with her going through their newest collection. She answered all the questions I’ve had since I first discovered makeup, gave me unexpected tips, and reinforced what I already knew.
And in between questions, I had more fun and got myself a makeover.
YSTYLE: How different is Smashbox from Max Factor?
LORI TAYLOR: They’re totally different – like apples and oranges. Max Factor is owned by Procter and Gamble and we’re not associated with that company. When Smashbox was being created, Dean and Davis looked to Max Factor’s original formulation and the idea of how makeup should look when being photographed. It had to be long-wearing and long-lasting but more importantly, it had to cover the skin such that when you’re photographing, it has to be traceless to the camera. It has to look natural.
So Smashbox is not only for beautiful people with beautiful skin?
No, it’s for everyone. If you have a problem, we have the product to solve the problem.
What are your best-selling products?
Definitely the Smashbox Photofinish. It’s a silicone-based primer that acts as a makeup base. You put it on after you moisturize. It fills out lines and pores – doesn’t clog the pores – and smoothens and evens out the skin tone, plus it will make your foundation last longer. It also keeps your skin matte, which is hard to do with the weather you have here in the Philippines. Our cream eyeliners are our number two best-selling product, and our brow fillers also sell well.
Tell me about doing makeup for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
It was so much fun. You do it all week and sometimes you’re call time is at seven in the morning. Sometimes in one fashion show they have 15 models and four makeup artists. On the average I would do four shows a day. You just go from one show to the next to the next. And then you realize it’s midnight, you gotta go home because you have to be back there at seven the next day. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It’s like the most fun thing.
Who were some of the models you did?
There was this show that did all leather and Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra’s husband, was one of the models. He went out in tight-skin pants, no shirt, and nipple rings. I did Alek Wek for Custo Barcelona. She wears very little makeup, usually just powder and shadow depending on the look. She has really beautiful skin so she doesn’t really need much. She’s the nicest, nicest person.
Who are the other celebrities you’ve put makeup on?
I’ve done Kate Bosworth of Blue Crush, Amy Smart, Shannon Elizabeth, Melissa Rivers.
Have any of these celebrities given you attitude?
No. I think people just have an idea of how they want to see themselves and you just have to work with that. You may know that you can improve their look but you just have to work with what they’re comfortable with. What I do is I suggest and lead them into options, try to gradually pull them into change.
What’s the biggest lie you’ve heard about wearing makeup?
That it makes your skin break out. That’s not true at all. We wouldn’t be able to sell it if it was true. A lot of women wear makeup all over; they put foundation all over. You don’t have to do that. Just put makeup where you need it and blend it out.
So makeup is all about playing up, not covering up?
Exactly. Makeup is a toy, it’s an accessory. You don’t have to have brain surgery. You have to have fun. If you want to take a long time with it, take a long time with it but you don’t have to. You can actually put makeup on quickly. Sometimes the makeup I put on when I’m getting dressed in the car comes out more flawless than the makeup I’ve worked on for hours and hours.
What’s best to use when putting on makeup?
A foundation brush or any makeup brush. A sponge soaks up your product. You’ll put too much product on if you use your fingers.
How should you take care of your makeup brushes?
In between major cleanings, use a brush cleaner – Smashbox has a great one. Once or twice a month, wash them with hair shampoo. Baby shampoo is the best since it has a low amount of fragrance and only a little bit of alcohol, which can dry out your brushes. You can even condition them. They’ll get really supple. Lay them out flat to dry, not in a cup.
What’s the best way to put on eyeshadow?
Don’t swipe it on. Just pat on the color using really short, short strokes.
What’s the best way to fill in your brows?
The brow is the frame for the eye. Some women start filling in where they already have hair and then fill in where they don’t have any hair. What you wanna do is fill in where you don’t have hair first and go from there.
What’s the current trend in makeup right now?
Right now, it’s really all about – before you even consider putting on color – having beautiful skin. Not perfect skin but the most perfect your skin can be. We’re real women, we’re not paintings. It’s more about getting that perfect base to put makeup on so it’ll wear nicely. There’s nothing worse than having on really thick foundation. I like for natural skin to breathe through – if you have freckles, have freckles. In the same way, if you have larger lips, play up on the face that you have larger lips. Big eyes: play them up. Take the thing you’re not really comfortable with and actually learn to love it.