Meet Rebecca Restrepo

New York Makeup Artist Rebecca Restrepo is the un-celebrity makeup artist. She shuns the spotlight and social media cameras preferring to stay hidden in the background while her A-list celebrity and political clients take centre stage. In fact, she is so tight-lipped about her clients, it’s almost impossible to learn much about her work. She has admitted to working with President Obama and a handful of top fashion magazines. “The reason I’ve been working in this industry for 18 years is I say nothing, I know nothing and I see nothing,” she laughs from a penthouse suite in New York City. The native New Yorker isn’t one who is going to spill secrets to the National Enquirer or the Daily Mail.

She may be discreet about her celebrity clients, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t opinionated about makeup trends. “Everyone’s a celebrity today thanks to Instagram and social media. Everyone’s fabulous. Everyone’s famous. Everyone’s doing instructional beauty videos online now. Your neighbour is probably doing one.” This extreme attention to smart phone & iPad screens has meant a change of thought behind makeup creation. As Elizabeth Arden’s Global Makeup Artist, she is responsible for creating the seasonal colour collections and developing innovative products. She works closely with the Arden Research & Development Team and labs in New York City to create makeup that works for all skin tones and all cultures.

“The biggest mistake I see today in terms of makeup is not trying something new. So many women use makeup as a security blanket that they miss out on discovering great new colours and products. I see so many women who are stuck with colour. My best advice is to try a new colour for a full 24 hours before you decide whether or not you like it.” If changing colour is too big a step, start by swapping the texture. If you like shine, try matte. Or vice versa. “We’ll put on shoes that kill our feet, but we won’t try a new lipstick. I say give a new colour a full day to test it out. See what kind of compliments you get from coworkers and clients. You may be surprised with the response.”

Autumn’s ombré lip trend is a great place to shake up your beauty look. “You need to choose two colours that have a bit of contrast. “I love a peach lipstick with a pale pink gloss on top,” she says. “Gold gloss looks good over everything. I really like it layered over a vibrant red lip.” If you like something a little subtle try a nude lipstick and apply a layer of fuchsia gloss on top. “It creates this opaque effect that looks like a veil of pink. It’s beautiful.”

Contrary to what you may have read, blue eyeshadow looks good on almost everyone says Restrepo. But you want to avoid the shimmery blue that appears to be stuck in a time warp. “Choose a blue with some grey in it. That is the secret of pro makeup artists. The grey undertones make the blue shadow modern and wearable.”