DESIGNER Focus ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS

Global PRO tarteist™ for Tarte Cosmetics FREDDY LOPEZ reveals to JAYNE GREEN why he loves his job and why you must invest in your skin..

Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m going into my 13th year of being in the makeup industry and I still have my original passion for the creative flexibility that makeup allows. I love working for a brand that is conscious about what we put on our skin. Maureen Kelly, Tarte Founder & CEO, says it best, “We wear our makeup longer than we sleep at night” so it’s incredibly important what we put on our skin.

When did you first know you wanted to become a makeup artist?

I first knew I wanted to be a makeup artist when I applied makeup to a client and their face lit up with joy. To this date I seek to find that joy in all my clients. I find that makeup can be utilised as a tool to strengthen your emotional wellbeing. Where do you manifest your inspiration from?

When I’m in “inspiration mode” I find that architecture inspires me quite a lot. Perhaps it’s the symmetry or asymmetry that can be found in design that allows me to get my creativity going. I also look to music, history of fashion and magazines. Tarte is a fun, fresh, effervescent brand that captures the joy of beauty in such a fun way - it’s quite refreshing. Let’s talk about your work with Tarte Cosmetics. What does a ‘typical’ day serving as a global PRO tarteist™ look like?

My days vary quite a lot. I can be ‘on set’ shooting our new Amazonian Clay Shoot with 4-5 curators in New York. Then the next day be off on a plane for a #TrippinWithTarte trip, for instance. This last month I was in San Francisco, New York, Middle East, and Costa Rica all in one month. At Tarte we’re always involved with the latest trends, last year we supported the Victoria’s Secret House Party during Coachella. It was amazing and so much fun! We believe in what we call “Tarteistry”. That’s merging Tarte + Artistry which provides you with some stellar products! Sometimes I’m quite shocked myself how much travel is happening... in a good way of course. It’s always been a dream job for me. What has been your biggest challenge to date? How did you overcome this?

Oh gosh! The biggest challenge to date must be making sure that I’m on my A-game...always! Travel can take-up a lot of energy, so, I make sure to eat healthy, drink lots of Vitamin C, and I always pack my comfort pillow for long plane rides.

I’m an official convert to Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer. What is your favourite Tarte product and why?

I’m so glad you love this concealer. It’s one of my favorites as it also cares for the delicate skin around the eyes. It’s made with pure maracuja oil and Vitamin E and it’s such a great full coverage creaseless concealer. Maracuja means miracle and it truly is a miracle oil. I will forever be obsessed with Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer. It blurs out fine lines whilst also filling in pores and fine lines. It’s a literal Instagram filter for your skin!

What is your favourite beauty trend that has manifested as of late?

Beauty trends come and go, however I hope that the trend that stays is the empowering movement of makeup. I see many articles of how makeup is giving confidence to people

“AT TARTE WE’RE ALWAYS INVOLVED WITH THE LATEST TRENDS, LAST YEAR WE SUPPORTED THE VICTORIA’S SECRET HOUSE PARTY DURING COACHELLA. IT WAS AMAZING AND SO MUCH FUN!” all over the world and I hope this continues. At Tarte we have a #KissAndMakup campaign to spread love and stop cyber-bullying

The Middle-East is renowned for its love of precision around the eyes. What is your top tip for the perfect application of liner?

My favorite tip is setting the eyes with our Smooth Operator Transparent Loose Powder to take away any excess oils. Oils tend to cost the longevity of the eyeliner so this is always a great way to prep your eyes for liner and you can set your liner as well to further prevent fading.

Tell us your #1 beauty hack and/or tip(s) to share with our lovely Ohlala readers.

My favorite beauty hack is perfecting skin. If your skin is jammin’, anything and everything else will look so much better! Maracuja Oil will change your skin. I use it everyday and carry it in my makeup kit everywhere I go. What piece of advice would you share with other MUA’s looking up to you?

I would say to be creative! Makeup has no boundaries and neither should your creativity.

Reveal an interesting fact that we wouldn’t ordinarily know of.

I love animals! I grew up on a farm with chickens, goats, bunnies and I love being able to work for a cruelty free brand like Tarte.