Known for her natural and flawless looks, make-up artist Tania Grier boasts a wealth of experience within the beauty industry, having worked with titles such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and famous faces including Laura Bailey, Charlotte Dellal, and Suki Waterhouse,
After recently been announced as the UK Make Up Artist Ambassador for Sisley-Paris StyleNest thought it was the perfect it time to catch five minutes with her to find out all her insider beauty secrets.
What is your first memory of make-up?
Chopping up my Grandmothers lipsticks (on her nice white dressing table) and making new colours with them. I was about five years old. My Mum was furious when she found me but my Grandmother was surprisingly cool considering they were the fanciest of lipsticks. Some things never change.
You’ve had an illustrious career working with some of the biggest names in the business, and now of course Sisley Paris. Any particular career highlights that you can tell us about or any moments that have stood out for you?
I’d like to think the best parts haven’t happened yet! However, having Vanessa Redgrave and also Julie Christie in the make-up chair was memorable. Both have such elegance and are perfect examples of how to grow old gracefully. Emma Thompson is always fun to work with. There was a cover shoot in Scotland when Emma was wearing a one off gold lame Alice Temperley dress, standing in a foot of water. At one point she said to Nick Haddow, the photographer, shall I jump in? Before we knew it, she was submerged in water, with this stunning gold dress floating around her, hair wet, and we got the most incredible image. She is very impulsive. She also has better skin than most people half her age.
Any advice for any budding make-up artists out there, or those who want to break into the beauty industry?
You don’t have to attend college for make-up. Find a good, short course, one that not only teaches you practical make up but also warns you about the business – the good and bad aspects. Assist someone talented, then move on and assist another artist with a different style, and only stop assisting when you know you are ready to do your own work. Work hard, turn up early, keep a clean kit, stay focused and don’t get a big head even if you get to work with the biggest celebrities. Do your research: you should know all the legends in terms of make-up artists, hair, fashion stylists, creative directors, and photographers who have paved the way and you should also follow the current crop of make-up artists who are setting trends today. It’s also crucial to know your decades and their leading ladies, so as well as reading magazines you should be watching old movies. When you get briefed on set, this means you will understand the reference. I keep a scrapbook at home filled with tear sheets of images I like. I then create mood boards on my iPad to show clients on jobs. You wouldn’t believe how helpful this is.
What are your must-have make-up products that every woman should have in their make-up bag? Any product recommendations for us or any brands that you love?
I never leave the house without my Sisley Nutritive Lip Balm. Its waxy texture means you only need to apply once or twice a day. Also, I keep an SPF in my bag on days when I’m doing appointments and will be in and out of the sun. Sisley’s SPF 30 is the perfect size to take everywhere, for face and decollete and I carry their Sisleÿa Anti-Age Hand Care too as it has SPF 10. I can’t live without my sponges from Konjac Sponge Company. I have them in the bath, I take the travel pads on trips, and at home I use the heart sponge daily for a deep clean. An eyeliner or eye crayon is a great product to have at hand for touch ups, or to go from office to opera in a nano second. I carry Sisley’s Phyto Eye Twist in Havana, to pop on top of Topaze (which I wear during the day) for a stronger smoky eye in the evening. They are easy to smudge with your fingers and take up minimal space in your bag. Everyone should also carry a red lipstick in their bag, it’s the fastest route to glamour and can change your mood and look in an instant – great if you get a last minute invite to dinner and there’s no time to go home and change. The new Sisley Phyto Lip Twist in Tango (out in September) follows me everywhere now!
You also say that for you, make-up is 70% about the skin. What are your can’t-live-without skin care products?
I’m obsessed with the Sisleÿa Eye Cream. It’s so hydrating, it feels like there’s nothing on your skin, and it doesn’t interfere with your concealer. The new Sisleÿa L’Integral is always in my kit as it makes the models glow from within and it feels like silk. On set, I use it to strobe the skin as it really highlights the features. The Eye Contour Mask is great for puffy eyes. I use daily while I get dressed to save time. Another favourite is the Black Rose Oil which plumps the skin and helps erase any signs of fatigue. I usually use this product at night but I also sometimes add a drop to my day cream when I want to look extra dewy.
When working, do you have a favourite look you like to create?
Yes, my signature look is very natural. Dewy skin, a soft creamy golden / bronze eye, healthy cheeks and a fresh peachy nude lip. It’s about creating a flawless, slightly sexier version of yourself. I work with a lot of actresses and the studios always request that ‘cover’ look…the one where she spent two hours in hair and make-up but it looks like it took twenty minutes. It’s about radiant skin and adding just enough on the eyes to define them but not to overpower them. Once you have nailed this look, you can adapt it to any situation using any colour palette.
How would you describe your own style, in terms of both fashion and beauty? Any favourite designers or brands?
Beauty for me is simple. For work, I like to look fresh and healthy with soft eye make-up and for night, I will simply exaggerate the eyes. In the summer I often wear a bright, orangey red lip with mascara and bronzer. I have a passion for prints, teaming a plain blazer with a colourful print trouser and a bright patterned top…and my Loquet London heart which I rarely take off. Comfort is key on set, but you still have to look groomed. My current crush is Georgia Hardinge for her clever hologram pleated skirts, so elegant but still edgy and very unique. Alice Temperley dresses for when I want to feel flirty and feminine. Charlotte Olympia shoes for a serious height boost and her clever bags for a mood lifter – her gold perspex ‘lip’ clutch is my favourite item to take to a dinner party as it always gets people talking. She has brought the fun back into accessories!
What do you decide on first, your make-up look, or your outfit? How much should one complement the other?
Usually outfit first, and I adapt the make-up accordingly. Get dressed first, then pick out a colour from your outfit (or your shoes / bag) and use the make-up to finish the look. If you’re wearing a black dress and it has a thin gold thread throughout for example, then a creamy golden bronze based eye could look great.
Who are your beauty and make-up inspirations?
My Mum, for teaching me that less is more when it comes to make up, and for ageing so well without any ‘help.’ Sophia Loren for being an absolute goddess, and for doing her own make up in most of her films. Even today, make-up artists reference her look, and young girls try to copy her iconic feline flick. When you look at her make up back then, you realise she was way ahead of her time, reshaping her brows, contouring her lips and doing an early ‘graphic eye’ – all the tricks we use today as if we invented them.
Whose look do you particularly admire?
Madame Isabelle D’Ornano of Sisley Paris for her eclectic elegance. The clever way she mixes colourful prints and jewellery is so chic, so French! Laura Bailey has a great sense of style, blending vintage with designer effortlessly and always with a fun twist. And Charlotte Dellal for being the most feminine woman I know, 24/7.
What is your own beauty and make-up routine?
Poppy Delevingne got me hooked on double cleansing at night and it’s made such a difference, with hardly any breakouts. I remove my eye make-up with Sisley’s Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, then the Lyslait cleansing milk on the rest of my face and lastly, Sisley’s Floral Toner to get rid of any excess. My skin feels squeaky clean but still hydrated. I alternate my night routine. One night I’ll use the Black Rose Oil, another night the Supremÿa Baume. I feel products are more effective this way rather than using the exact same thing every day and night.
Most women today are very short on time. Do you have any make-up tips for how we can look fabulous in just 5 minutes?
Multitasking and short cuts! While you are getting dressed, pop your eye cream and lip balm on so they sink in. If you only have five minutes, choose one thing to focus on, either eyes or lips. A red lip is the quickest route to polished glamour, a good time saver as you can keep the eyes minimal. The Sisley Phyto Eye Twists are super quick to apply and you can achieve a smoky eye in less than a minute.
And finally, if you could give us one secret piece of make-up advice, what would it be?
Pick one day per week to go make up free (usually Sunday is most convenient, and also a good day to use all your masks) and one night a week to go to bed without any rich creams, just a serum if you need it. Your skin is a living organ and needs to breathe. Just like us, it also needs a day off.