July 07, 2020
111ICONS: Mary Greenwell
Interviewed By: Nateisha Scott
111ICONS: MARY GREENWELL
Interviewed By: Nateisha Scott
From Princess Diana to Cate Blanchett, Mary Greenwell is the legendary makeup artist that has worked with the icons within the industry. Sought after for her skill and influence, Mary Greenwell creates trends as well as sets them.
111SKIN champions and celebrates game changers and innovators in leading industries. Each discussion uncovers the insight and knowledge into their individual approach and within the 111ICONS interview, we share their journey, business and approach to life.
Mary Greenwell is a masterful artist within the beauty industry, from England to Los Angeles before making her way to New York and then Paris, Mary has worked with the most famous faces and noted photographers of the time. Widely respected, her work has helped to re-define the beauty that is Princess Diana as well as clients such as Amanda Seyfried, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence and Lily James. Still defining the beauty industry today, Mary Greenwell is a celebrity makeup artist that inspires new generations with her style and signature flawless approach.
NS: How did makeup artistry start as a career for you?
MG: I had started with no plans to pursue a career as a makeup artist, as a teenager I was lost and dazed but equally outgoing. At 19 I moved out to L.A. and started waitressing in Hollywood and served the likes of Paul Newman every day. Still to this day I remember one afternoon when a good friend of mine came into the diner and said I should start selling makeup, he sent me to New York to work with Ilana Harkavi (founder of Il Makiage).
NS: How was that experience?
MG: Well with little to no experience you can only imagine. I trained with Ilana and her team for two weeks before covering my first photoshoot. It wasn’t at all planned, I was originally assisting Ilana on a Cosmopolitan shoot with Brooke Shields when she asked me to do the makeup. Remember, the only experience I had was the previous weeks training at her studio on 60th and park.
NS: So, it was a sink or swim moment?
MG: Absolutely, I took Brooke into the back and started on her look for the shoot, I distinctively remember that this was the moment I had to get it right. An hour later, we re-emerged and both Ilana and the photographer loved the makeup and jumped right on set. I remember running to the back of the room and bursting into tears, but I had completed my first look. I moved to Paris in the mid 80s and worked with so many incredible photographers and dear friends and my work built from there.
NS: Has anyone inspired you and supported you as you grew to where you are today?
MG: I have worked with so many amazing personalities but at the start of my career, it would have to be the supermodels of the 90s. Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Kate Moss, together they transformed the catwalk and made makeup artists and hair stylists what they are today. They owned both Couture and Runway with a personality that couldn’t be missed, all were beautiful, clever, kind and so sweet.
NS: The first thing you do when you wake up and last thing you do before heading to bed at night?
MG: I always start my mornings with a cup of tea before drawing a bath. At night, I will spray my pillows and above my bed with my Sensori ‘Toowoomba’ Carnival Spray - it relaxes me before I sleep.
NS: What is typical day in the life like?
MG: There is no day in the life as a makeup artist, I could be seeing clients one day and beauty launches and meetings the next.
NS: Your morning skincare routine?
MG: I always start my beauty routine in the bath, I start by applying my 111SKIN Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser, it not only removes the impurities, but the brightening properties help to enhance and illuminate my complexion. I follow this with my Y Theorem Bio Cellulose Facial Mask which I push and penetrate the ingredients into my skin with the Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar. Once removed, I pat the Antioxidant Energising Essence into my skin before applying Clé de Peau Beauté’s ‘The Serum’. I would finish this off with the Y Theorem Day Cream, this cream is truly a dream, my favourite 111SKIN product of all time, I use it on all of my clients.
NS: Does this change at night?
MG: Slightly, I prefer to use a cleansing oil over double cleansing and my current favourite is Sensai’s Ultimate Cleansing Oil. I would then apply my Medik8 Retinol Serum before finishing with my Celestial Black Diamond Cream that goes down my neck and the Celestial Black Diamond Eye Cream.
NS: A signature product that you can’t live without?
MG: Lipstick! My favourite shade is MAC’s Cream in your coffee.
NS: Do you have any fitness and wellness habits that you love adding into your routine?
MG: I love doing my Pilates 3 or 4 times a week as well as stretches and walking through Hyde Park.
NS: How do you wind down in the evening?
MG: I enjoy watching movies, talk to my friends and completing puzzles! I also love my aromatherapy oils to create a relaxing and sensorial atmosphere.
NS: Your favourite travel destination?
MG: The Himalayas, I adored the trip I took there with Patrick Demarchelier, Lucinda Chambers and Cindy Crawford.
NS: Where do you see the hair and beauty industry going?
MG: It is an interesting time currently and I think change beyond immediacy is fast upon us. It will continue to be coveted and accessible to many. You may not be able to afford a Chanel handbag, but you can afford a Chanel lipstick, it makes the industry so much attainable.
NS: Your IG LIVES are having a momentous beauty moment, with that in mind, how are you navigating beauty and makeup virtually?
MG: The videos have been so fun to create; I have used my time in isolation to experiment with products and masks and more importantly taken things as they have come.
NS: Any advice for any makeup artists starting out in their career?
MG: Don’t ever give up and keep on going. It is important to remember that you don’t make much money at the start and so it’s your passion that will drive you through. Be patient, work hard and assist great people.
NS: What things bring you joy every day?
MG: My friends, my rose garden, warmth and comfort.
NS: The best advice you have ever received?
MG: Be true and honest with yourself, honesty is the best policy.
Shop mask
From Princess Diana to Cate Blanchett, Mary Greenwell is the legendary makeup artist that has worked with the icons within the industry. Sought after for her skill and influence, Mary Greenwell creates trends as well as sets them.
111SKIN champions and celebrates game changers and innovators in leading industries. Each discussion uncovers the insight and knowledge into their individual approach and within the 111ICONS interview, we share their journey, business and approach to life.
Mary Greenwell is a masterful artist within the beauty industry, from England to Los Angeles before making her way to New York and then Paris, Mary has worked with the most famous faces and noted photographers of the time. Masterfully respected, her work has helped to re-define the beauty that is Princess Diana as well as clients such as Amanda Seyfried, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence and Lily James. Still defining the beauty industry today, Mary Greenwell is a celebrity makeup artist that inspires new generations with her style and signature flawless approach.
NS: How did makeup artistry start as a career for you?
MG: I had started with no plans to pursue a career as a makeup artist, as a teenager I was lost and dazed but equally outgoing. At 19 I moved out to L.A. and started waitressing in Hollywood and served the likes of Paul Newman every day. Still to this day I remember one afternoon when a good friend of mine came into the diner and said I should start selling makeup, he sent me to New York to work with Ilana Harkavi (founder of Il Makiage).
NS: How was that experience?
MG: Well with little to no experience you can only imagine. I trained with Ilana and her team for two weeks before covering my first photoshoot. It wasn’t at all planned, I was originally assisting Ilana on a Cosmopolitan shoot with Brooke Shields when she asked me to do the makeup. Remember, the only experience I had was the previous weeks training at her studio on 60th and park.
NS: So, it was a sink or swim moment?
MG: Absolutely, I took Brooke into the back and started on her look for the shoot, I distinctively remember that this was the moment I had to get it right. An hour later, we re-emerged and both Ilana and the photographer loved the makeup and jumped right on set. I remember running to the back of the room and bursting into tears, but I had completed my first look. I moved to Paris in the mid 80s and worked with so many incredible photographers and dear friends and my work built from there.
NS: Has anyone inspired you and supported you as you grew to where you are today?
MG: I have worked with so many amazing personalities but at the start of my career, it would have to be the supermodels of the 90s. Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Kate Moss, together they transformed the catwalk and made makeup artists and hair stylists what they are today. They owned both Couture and Runway with a personality that couldn’t be missed, all were beautiful, clever, kind and so sweet.
NS: The first thing you do when you wake up and last thing you do before heading to bed at night?
MG: I always start my mornings with a cup of tea before drawing a bath. At night, I will spray my pillows and above my bed with my Sensori ‘Toowoomba’ Carnival Spray - it relaxes me before I sleep.
NS: What is typical day in the life like?
MG: There is no day in the life as a makeup artist, I could be seeing clients one day and beauty launches and meetings the next.
NS: Your morning skincare routine?
MG: I always start my beauty routine in the bath, I start by applying my 111SKIN Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser, it not only removes the impurities, but the brightening properties help to enhance and illuminate my complexion. I follow this with my Y Theorem Bio Cellulose Facial Mask which I push and penetrate the ingredients into my skin with the Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar. Once removed, I pat the Antioxidant Energising Essence into my skin before applying Clé de Peau Beauté’s ‘The Serum’. I would finish this off with the Y Theorem Day Cream, this cream is truly a dream, my favourite 111SKIN product of all time, I use it on all of my clients.
NS: Does this change at night?
MG: Slightly, I prefer to use a cleansing oil over double cleansing and my current favourite is Sensai’s Ultimate Cleansing Oil. I would then apply my Medik8 Retinol Serum before finishing with my Celestial Black Diamond Cream that goes down my neck and the Celestial Black Diamond Eye Cream.
NS: A signature product that you can’t live without?
MG: Lipstick! My favourite shade is MAC’s Cream in your coffee.
NS: Do you have any fitness and wellness habits that you love adding into your routine?
MG: I love doing my Pilates 3 or 4 times a week as well as stretches and walking through Hyde Park.
NS: How do you wind down in the evening?
MG: I enjoy watching movies, talk to my friends and completing puzzles! I also love my aromatherapy oils to create a relaxing and sensorial atmosphere.
NS: Your favourite travel destination?
MG: The Himalayas, I adored the trip I took there with Patrick Demarchelier, Lucinda Chambers and Cindy Crawford.
NS: Where do you see the hair and beauty industry going?
MG: It is an interesting time currently and I think change beyond immediacy is fast upon us. It will continue to be coveted and accessible to many. You may not be able to afford a Chanel handbag, but you can afford a Chanel lipstick, it makes the industry so much attainable.
NS: Your IG LIVES are having a momentous beauty moment, with that in mind, how are you navigating beauty and makeup virtually?
MG: The videos have been so fun to create; I have used my time in isolation to experiment with products and masks and more importantly taken things as they have come.
NS: Any advice for any makeup artists starting out in their career?
MG: Don’t ever give up and keep on going. It is important to remember that you don’t make much money at the start and so it’s your passion that will drive you through. Be patient, work hard and assist great people.
NS: What things bring you joy every day?
MG: My friends, my rose garden, warmth and comfort.
NS: The best advice you have ever received?
MG: Be true and honest with yourself, honesty is the best policy.
SHOP MAsKs
If you were to advise a London guide, what would be on your list?
Well, As I grew up in Notting Hill, it will always have my heart and if I was recommending spots in London, a wander around Notting Hill would be high up on my list. From there it would be all the best shopping destinations, the iconic private members club, Annabels, Harrods and Liberty’s for any cute and unique gifts. I would always pop into 111CRYO at Harrods for the Cryo Facial and treatment for the ultimate recharge. Sometimes the city is great, but the beautiful secrets of the English countryside is something that should be experienced.
Your In-Flight Essentials?
I don’t have a routine per say and I am certainly not as thorough as Naomi Campbell but I would apply the Meso Infusion Lip Duo and I would always wipe my phone down with anti-bacterial wipes, in fact I do this every day, the bacteria build up is no good for the skin.
In terms of Industry, where do you see the hair industry going?
Well Instagram has changed so much and has impacted the way we consume and learn within the industry, especially with so many creatives, but I still find that a massive amount of people come to the professionals to share the knowledge on how to carry out or complete a desired look, more than ever there is power behind ‘how-to’ videos.
A very valid point and in terms of 2020?
In terms of what we are to see in 2020, things are going to be super creative and we will see a wider awareness for people doing their own thing and it will be expressive and artistic. People will move away from the overtly glamorous looks and will create looks they can tailor to their everyday. As it’s currently Award Season which is the busiest time of the year leading up to the Met Ball, hairstyles are certainly more elaborate, and everyone loves an up do. I would say the most timeless look has to be the blunt bob, it comes around year on year, but it is effortless and timeless.
Outside of hair, what other industries are you into?
I am hugely into Interiors and I would describe my style as 60s/70s glamour, think elaborate and dramatic but I often fantasise about 80s Dallas and Joan Collins and I have to reign myself in. I also love Baking; it is the ultimate way to relax and I find that it is my meditation and therapy. If I’m in the USA I would bake a lot of cookies as everyone is obsessed with then over here and in the UK, I would bake more traditional styles like a lemon tart or an apple tart – it allows for me to be creative outside of my job.
Finally, the best advice you have ever received?
It would have to be from my grandfather, he would often say to me “it’s not how well you’re doing but how well people think you’re doing”. I haven’t successfully implemented it however you can look to Instagram today and people see our work and are blown away by it, but we can be so hard on ourselves and not appreciate our own work ourselves.