May Pro-File: Lottie’s Big Break and Her Favorite Eyelash Curler
L.A. makeup artist, Lottie, has had her work grace the covers of magazines, on the runways and the red carpet. From moving to London, N.Y.C. and back to L.A. again, Lottie breaks down how she got started and what beauty products she can’t live without.
How did you become a makeup artist?
The shortest answer is that I went to school for graphic design and realized it wasn’t for me. I had friends who encouraged me to go into makeup. Later on, I realized maybe I could this for a living- I’d do makeup on every person I knew. I would try to connect with photographers. I was living in London, I had an office job and I’d do everyone’s makeup for work parties, going out etc. people would come to my house and I’d take pix of them. Then I moved to LA and a friend connected me with a photographer. I started building up a book and I did a lot of editorials. Eventually, I landed an agent. I was hustling on my own for years before even getting an agent. One of my first paid jobs was a model, Mia Tyler, daughter of Steven Tyler. She found me on MySpace! She hired me to be her MUA for celebrity fit club. She was one of my first paid jobs.
I like to have a balance of fashion, beauty, runway and celebrity jobs. Having different types of work keeps things interesting. Editorial - you can be really creative. If you have a strong relationship with a photographer, you can just create art for yourself. With celebrities, it’s not necessarily a chance to be creative but for the most part, you’re there to make them look their best and how they like to look.
What are 4 things you have in a kit always?
First, a great foundation. I love Beautyblender Bounce and I also like Tom Ford stick foundation. Bounce has great coverage and it’s very easy to work with and has a great color range. It’s a natural matte look. Tom Ford gives a super dewy look. Second, I also obviously have the Beautyblender sponge. I’ve gotten other ones but I have used Beautyblender since it first came out. I used to use a foundation brush, but I prefer the Beautyblender finish. I use it for everything from blending edges to buffing out blush. It gives such a natural finish and it looks like skin. It never leaves streaks or patches. Third, I love the Dior highlight palette- it’s just such an amazing highlighter. It gives this non-gliittery healthy glow to the skin- it’s a powder. Lastly, I also love the Troy Surratt eyelash curler. I love the shape of it- it’s wider and flatter than other curlers I’ve tried. It really gives a good solid curl to any eye shape - some others are a little too short and curved and you end up missing lashes.
What do you think is the biggest beauty mistake?
Don’t worry about looking like anyone else, find a look that is comfortable for you and you probably don’t need a ton of products. I think people see others doing makeup and they think they need to do all those steps and in that order, it’s really based on every individual.
How do you ensure a natural base?
I think the most important thing is having the right shade of foundation- if you’re too light or dark, it’s so obvious you’re wearing the wrong makeup. Then I see so many girls who cake on foundation and powder even when they have beautiful. Just use a concealer and sheer it out with moisturizer and just spot cover- you’ll still look flawless but it won’t be heavy. I think a lot of people don’t mix enough. Everyone thinks they need full coverage everywhere- but you don’t need to do that. I have rosacea, so I focus on my cheeks which get red but I keep other areas sheer. Don’t apply like a mask all over, just spot treat.
How do you seek out inspiration?
I think you’re always absorbing without knowing- my most creative work is done on the fly. I’m inspired by whoever is in my chair - their personality, their face, and their features.
