Iman Cosmetics

Alicia Keys has been instrumental in me joining Keep a Child Alive.  She invited me to present an award during one of the early concert benefits for this incredible organization and when Leigh Blake, the president and founder, asked me to join Alicia as a Global Ambassador, I jumped at the opportunity and I created the I AM AFRICAN campaign.  Alicia was one of the first celebrities who I photographed for this campaign….. 5 years later the world is acknowledging the singular commitment that she has shown towards helping children and families who are affected with AIDS in Africa.

I am very proud to call her a friend and this month she has several projects that I would like to pass on to you… one being her CD “The Element of Freedom” and the other being this jewelry collection “The Barber’s Daughter.”  The beautiful jewelry is engraved with poetry, prose and prayer and is gorgeous as well as inspiring.  It is designed by Gisele Theriault.

Alicia says, “I love Gisele’s work. I feel like I’m wearing art. I love how each piece is so individual, beautiful, handcrafted and one of a kind. But, by far my favorite part is the words that are written. They remind me of the things I want to hold onto every day. It feels, in a way, like a shield.”

And true to Alicia’s commitment, this year she has collaborated with her designer Gisele and created a special necklace for the Black Ball Charity event in New York; it was auctioned off raising $25,000 for Keep a Child Alive which helped the evening raise $2.4 million.

I sat down with Alicia and Gisele and asked them to enlighten us about this new venture.

1. How did you two meet?
Gisele:  “Alicia and I met through a friend, Dave Watson, Alicia’s sax player for her world tour 2008 when they came to Toronto.  Ashunta (Alicia’s make-up artist) asked Dave if I could bring my jewelry line to the hotel. She and I had a crazy, strong connection and she thought Alicia would appreciate the work and arranged for a meet at the next day’s concert.” 

2. Alicia, what made you decide this was to be your first non music venture?
I love these pieces on a very deep level. I love the way they are so individual and created with so much divine energy put into them. They are beautiful and speak to the song writer in me by having such meaningful words engraved on them. I believe the world is looking for meaning everywhere they can, and they absolutely can in these barbers daughters pieces!

3. Gisele…. I believe everything happens for a reason….the birth of your son and the death of your father share same day and now this wonderful project?
This line of inscribing words in jewelry to remind us where beauty really lives and how rich we are if we’d open our eyes is the result of persistent dreams.  A dream that was waking up with a voice in my head that was telling me that if I want to reach more people through the healing arts, I should go back to creating jewelry that I knew so well and start engraving poetry, prose and prayer and help people ground into their deeper self through the tough times.  I neglected this dream, sure that I was eating too late at night, until I started waking up in a sweat.  When I gave in and pursued the idea, of course answers came almost as fast as the questions were formulated.

After 1 1/2 years of it and a line gaining momentum, Alicia and I met. Within our communications I offered to create a piece for the Black Ball 2008.  While I was engraving late one night, exhausted, realizing that I’ve grown to hire 2 more people and went from working 12 hr days to 18 hour days, I did the simple math and threw the question up to the Universe/guardians/.. “If I am supposed to reach more people with this work, how? If I hire one more person, I think I’ll be dead.”  Two days later, the day after the Black Ball necklace we created together sold for 25K, we had lunch and Alicia said, “I sooo believe in this work and want to partner with you and help you take it to a global reach.”

Direct answer to my question! Coincidence?

4. Alicia, why Keep a Child Alive… share why this particular organization moved you to action?
Keep a Child Alive speaks to me because I directly saw the effect of the AIDS pandemic in Africa when I went and I believe so much in my co-founder Leigh Blake! I know the people we serve and that they get what they deserve. This movement gives me a more supreme purpose and it’s something I believe in. 

5. Alicia, what would you like to accomplish with the jewelry line?
I would like the WORLD to be effected by the pieces; for people to have an emotional connection with their pieces in such a way that it gives u something positive to hold on to (literally and figuratively!) 

6. The Barber’s shop seems to be an extension of what you both have been doing for a long time…. please explain?
Alicia “‘The Barber Shop’ is traditionally a place you can be yourself, find friends and emerge looking even better than when u came in… I feel the same about the barbers daughters pieces.”

Gisele “‘The Barber Shop’ is the greatest repository of stories. Stories define who we are. When we are willing to drop our story lines that hinder our growth, we can recreate the lives we want to live.”

7. Alicia, during this Christmas 2009… what would like to impart to the universe?
A sense of inspiration, hope, joy, faith and limitlessness.

8. Alicia, do you have a favorite piece?
My favorite piece is somewhere between the barbers daughters dog tags that say “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” that we created specifically for the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball fundraiser this year, and this large beautiful silver cuff that says “I am A superwoman!”

www.thebarbersdaughters.com
www.keepachildalive.org

Alicia Keys and designer Gisele Theriault

This has to be one of my fave events in New York, and the reason being – is first and foremost they celebrate women, and secondly they celebrate women of diverse backgrounds and walks of life. This year, at Carnegie Hall in New York, an extraordinary group of women from First Lady Michelle Obama, designer Stella McCartney, Maria Shriver, Amy Poehler, Serena Williams, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, Dr. Maya Angelou and Rihanna, among others, were being celebrated. I was deeply honored to have been awarded in 2006 for my humanitarian effort for Keep a Child Alive, an organization that provides ARV drugs for children and families affected with AIDS in Africa.

To my surprise this year I received an email from Glamour magazine Editor in Chief Cindi Leive asking me to present an award to Rihanna. I say surprised because I had never met Rihanna and was even more surprised that Rihanna requested me. Of course, I know and admire this young beautiful girl for her music and fearless fashion.

When she cut her hair she really turned into a real star… a Grammy winner who sold millions of albums and has become the fashion darling of the fashion world. But, I and the entire nation, were mesmerized how graceful, fearless, articulate and emotional she was talking about her abuse with Dianne Sawyer: “The thing that men don’t realize is that when they hit a woman, it is the face, the broken arm, the black eye…. That’s going to heal. That’s not the problem…. it’s the scar inside.”

She is an individual who is using her voice with her Believe Foundation, a fund that provides educational and medical supplies to needy children. She was as sweet as she can be and told me that for her it was a no brainer when she asked for me, and even told me “I hope I grow up to be just like you!” awwww…. I forget she is only 21 years old.

She looked fierce as always with the tightest longest dress… cute and sexy at the same time – and loved my dress…. so, Jason Wu, you will be hearing from Rihanna very soon.

She brought her entire family from Barbados which was lovely to see… I see where she gets her beauty… her mom!

The event was amazing and I think Maya Angelou almost stole the entire show with 2 standing ovations! She is smart, sassy and a phenomenal woman at the tender age of 80!

Serena Williams looked strong and sexy at the same time… Susan Rice powerful and feminine, Amy Poehler hysterically funny but graceful, and Stella McCartney wore the shortest of dresses I have ever seen but with the most amazing legs…. if I had those legs I would walk around with the skimpiest of dresses as well but … alas, I don’t!

I wore a Jason Wu cute light as a feather of a dress…. it was actually feathers! Beautiful soft color and the most amazing emerald ring by Lorraine Schwartz! My makeup was flawless and I was glowing all courtesy of Sam Fine – girls, get your DVDs, The Basics of Beauty by Sam Fine, to master this glow and buy yourself IMAN Afterglow, the yummiest of bronzers! … at www.drugstore.com.

Iman, in a Jason Wu dress and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, with Rihanna at Glamour's 2009 Women of the Year Awards.

When I want to look my best, I only trust my face to the genius that is Sam Fine and I wanted to share with you this Q&A – an insight into what makes this man a genius – and trust me when I say to you that his DVD, The Basics of Beautym is as close to having Sam Fine do your makeup as possible!

How did you start in the business?
I moved to New York at the tender age of 17 with hopes of becoming a fashion illustrator. During that time, I began working for a small cosmetic company, Naomi Sims Cosmetics. Within three months, I fell on my tail and returned to Chicago, until one day they called and asked if I was interested in returning to the Big Apple to work at their first cosmetic counter in Manhattan… and of course I jumped at the chance. It wasn’t long before I fell in love with the art of makeup and began assisting makeup pro, Fran Cooper. As fate would have it, Fran wasn’t available for a booking with Naomi Campbell for People’s 50 Most Beautiful People, so Naomi called personally and asked if I would work with her… the rest is history!

Your dvd, The Basics of Beauty, is beyond…. why did you decide to do one?
Having authored, Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African – American Women, I realized that writing about beauty was great, but nothing could compare to watching it being applied! So, I decided to create my first makeup instructional DVD, Fine: The Basics of Beauty.

You have a profound knowledge of makeup. Will women be able to learn how to apply makeup like a pro from your DVD?
Fine: The Basics of Beauty DVD is the ultimate tool in which to learn proper application and product selection! However, you don’t become a “pro” overnight… it takes practice!

In addition to performing three makeovers, I offer an insightful tool review, include pop – up information and provide bonus footage following each makeover… and then, there’s the Special Features with behind-the-scene footage of you and I working together on a photoshoot to further demonstrate how the basics of beauty work on, well, everyone.

What are your all time favorite products?
Wow! Here goes… 

- Iman Luxury Pressed Powders – Your pressed powders have the perfect level of coverage and include a variety of shades that work for all women of color! And I absolutely LOVE your bronzer/blush AFTERGLOW… it provides subtle, shimmering color and a lot of gorgeous glow!!!

- Maybelline Expert Eyes Twin Brow and Eye Pencil – These two-for- one pencils are affordable and come in a great shade range and aren’t too waxy.

- L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Volume Building Mascara – mascara should have two things – a great brush and formula – This mascara has both! The brush is full and dense so it catches the finest of hairs… and the formula is rich enough to build thick, “voluminous” eyelashes.

- Iman, Black Opal, and Bobbi Brown Stick Foundations – I love stick foundations because they offer a variety of coverage options, making it easy for any women to achieve her desired level of coverage.

You love nude lips …. what are the best nudes out there for women of color?
Finding the right nude lipstick is like searching for the perfect color of nude pantyhose – It changes depending on your shade! And it’s not just about color, it’s also about consistency, so I prefer lipstick from Iman, Dolce & Gabbana, MAC and Nars.

No one does eyebrows like you, Sam, will I be able to learn this from your dvd?
Aw, thanks… Each “real” woman featured in Fine: The Basics of Beauty possesses a different brow shape, which allows the viewer to see how to trim, tweeze and enhance her brow – no matter the shape or size. The editors tried to get me to condense some of the eyebrow demonstration, but realized that it was such a special part of the DVD that they couldn’t cut out one step!

In terms of makeup what would you splurge on and what would you save on?
I always splurge on products that I feel are important to have in my kit. Whether it’s a loose powder by YSL or a lipgloss by Christian Dior. However, I’m so lucky to “steal” products from Iman Cosmetics, Black Opal and Queen Latifah’s Covergirl Collection because I would pay “splurge” prices for any item from these brands!

You are the only makeup artist i know who likes to do makeup in the darkest of rooms….. Why?
LOL! It’s not the darkest room… I simply like to have a single source of light, which usually makes it a more “dimly lit” room. With a single light source, I’m able to see the natural contours of the face, which helps me to apply makeup that looks more like the clients natural features.

What advice would you give to aspiring make up artists?
Practice, Practice, Practice!!! In an era of retouching, I don’t think today’s artists realize the level of detail that goes into making up each face. The job of a makeup artist is to give the retoucher something to follow; they’re job is to add the finishing touches to our work, not do our job for us!

When we are at a shoot you have so much input in how the hair should look and also about the styling and lighting…. have you ever considered doing a beauty book where you do the makeup, styling it and take the photos like Francois Nars?
No! I love collaborating with a great team. I truly enjoy being surrounded by other talented professionals that bring something new and different to the table.

Iman and make-up artist Sam Fine attend the launch party for Sam Fine's "The Basics of Beauty" DVD.

 

The Basics of Beauty DVD by Sam Fine at amazon.com