Amy Gillespie | makeup artistry: Part I - Estee Lauder, where it all began

This is the first part in a series of articles I've been planning to write. Every job I do involves a certain element of small talk as I spend some very close and extended moments with my subject. Inevitably, the conversation turns to our careers and people always ask how I got my start in makeup. Through this series, I plan to go through my makeup career in chronological order highlighting the various companies I've worked for, what sets them apart from other brands, and my favorite products from each line.

Estee Lauder was my very first experience with a high end cosmetics line. I remember browsing a local department store in early 2003 while I was shopping for a fragrance to wear for my wedding. I saw a bottle of perfume at the Estee Lauder counter and felt compelled to test it out. I ended up falling in love! As the lovely lady at the counter wrapped up my purchase, she invited me back to an artistry event they were having. I felt so flattered and excited to have my makeup done by a "real" makeup artist and readily agreed. While I didn't love the way the artist did my makeup, I did make my first major cosmetics purchase. I nearly had a heart attack when my foundation and foundation brush cost me over $60! I never knew cosmetics could cost so much. However, I valued the products and treated them like gold. I still have and use my foundation brush too! (This goes to show that quality brushes, when handled properly, can last for years and years and years.)

Sometime later, I was laid off at my job. I ended up taking a position in men's apparel in the same department store. I hated my job to say the least and would look longingly at the cosmetics department, wishing I could be up with the rest of the girls selling beautiful things. I remember looking at some of the special products that Estee Lauder was offering and I told myself that one day I would work in cosmetics. About a month into my job there, I spoke with the lady who was in charge of the cosmetics division for my region and she told me I had to work for the store for at least a year before I could be promoted to cosmetics. My heart sank and I felt my dreams of makeup and beauty would never be realized. Amazingly enough, the Estee Lauder counter in my store had a sudden opening and a few weeks later, she called me and told me the position was mine if I wanted it. I couldn't believe my good fortune and I jumped at the chance!

As it turns out, I'm really not wired for the business of cosmetics. I didn't like the competition and sales pressure and fighting for commissions. However, I did realize that I loved doing people's makeup and this job was the perfect opportunity to hone in on that skill. I had an endless supply of women of all ages, backgrounds, skintypes, and personalities. It taught me how to properly match a foundation, do corrective makeup, enhance, and go for the drama. I ended up deciding to leave my position at the counter to do freelance work for Estee Lauder and get my esthetics training at the same time. Working as an artist was one of the funnest jobs I had ever had! Through this position, I was able to work with literally thousands of women (sometimes over a hundred in a week) as well as some really amazing national and celebrity artists. My ultimate goal was to be promoted to Estee Lauder's prestigious national artistry team so that was what I set my mind to every time I went to work and spoke with my bosses. I started to see that dream blossom into reality as they began sending me out on national assignments to exotic locales such as Salt Lake, Boise, Seattle, and Portland. Eventually, the economy slowed down and they began to scale back on the national artistry program and I never saw that dream become fully realized. However, it was an honor to have as many cherished national opportunities as I did.

Working with Estee Lauder gave me my first glimpse into a luxury brand. At each training I went to, they impressed upon us the deep history of the brand. Miss Estee Lauder was a trendsetting groundbreaker in every regard. She personally shaped so much of the cosmetics industry as we know it, being the first to offer a gift with purchase and the first to create a product that repaired the skin (serums - now offered by almost every brand under the sun). She even featured a nude model in one of her first ads when the fragrance Youth Dew was released in 1953, scandalous!! The woman never gave up and constantly pushed herself, her business, and her products to new heights. She is famous for having employed the concept of competition in order to capitalize on her success. She took the concept of competition to the extreme by creating Clinique for the sole purpose of competing with herself. Her crazy notion still works to this day as the Estee Lauder Corporation now owns and operates a huge number of top lines including MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, and Aveda to name a few.

The following are my favorite products within the three basic categories of cosmetics: makeup, skincare, and fragrance. All of these items are available at Estee Lauder online or in fine department stores.

Automatic Eyeliner Pencils: I love the soft, blendable consistency of these pencils! They are so easy to use for tightlining, defining, and can be used to create a beautiful smokey eye. The best part is the price and packaging! I recommend buying extra refills for half the price of the full pencil in different shades, removing the smudger tip on the end of the pencil and installing the extra refill in its place, thus having two eyeliners in one pencil. (Eyebrow and lip liner refills are the same size too so you can mix and match it up.) It saves money, space, and time!

Equalizer Foundation: This formula is an oldie but a goodie; I'm always afraid it will be discontinued one of these days. It's technically created for combination skintypes but has hydrating and oil absorbing properties that are activated as needed so anyone can use this product. I love the coverage and natural finish and the fact that it doesn't make my pores more obvious.

Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer: I like that this bronzer is pink based rather than orange; it is really flattering and doesn't look as muddy as some other bronzers do. It comes in a rather large compact and lasts a very long time.

Elizabeth Pink Pure Color Lipstick: Not only is this one of my favorite shades of baby pinky-peachy lipstick, a portion of the sale proceeds goes directly to Breast Cancer reasearch. The Estee Lauder company spearheaded the pink ribbon campaign back in 1992 and continues to donate millions of dollars each year to fund research and awareness. If lipstick isn't your thing but you still want to support this great cause, there is a collection of products available each year including lipgloss and limited edition powder compacts.

Idealist Duo-Action Refinishing Treatment: This product made the biggest difference in my skin when I first started using it. I have always battled large pores and even blackheads at times through my T-zone and this scrub completely eliminated all of that! It can be an intense product to use (it heats up when activated with water) so I don't recommend it for sensitive skintypes but I guarantee you will see results.

Daywear Sheer Tint Release: This is a really sheer tinted moisturizer that self adjusts its shade to your skintone. As you warm the product up on your skin, you'll start to see the color adjust. I like to use this for quick color and protection.

Re-Nutriv Revitalizing Comfort Creme: I love the texture of this anti-aging creme! It is so soft and moisturizing and your skin will feel like silk after using it. It is a deeply hydrating creme best suited for drier skintypes but combination or oilier types like myself can use it at night time.

Pleasures Intense Eau de Parfum: This fragrance was the first product I purchased from Estee Lauder and is what I wore for my wedding. I don't know that it's my signature fragrance (I'm too fickle to stick to only one fragrance!) but I still love how lush, intense, voluptuous, and romantic it is. The top notes are Green Lily, Le Charme Peony, and Cassis, middle notes are Moroccan Rose, Pink Tiger Lily, and Jasmine, and the base notes are Maple Wood, Benzoin Crystals, and Vanilla.

Bronze Goddess Soleil: While this is somewhat of a remake of a limited edition Tom Ford fragrance and the original was better, this fragrance still captures the amazing scents of summer and sunkissed skin. It literally smells like coconut suntan lotion in the best way possible. Top notes are Sicillian Bergamot and Mandarin, middle notes are Tiare Milk-Tahitian Gardenia Petals, Coconut Oil, Orange Flower Buds, Jasmine, Magnolia Petals, and Myrrh, and the base notes are Amber, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Caramel, and Coconut Cream, yummm!

Here are some of my favorite quotes from Miss Estee Lauder:

“Touch a face. Touch a hand. Say, 'This is for you, this is what I want you to wear.'"
“Look for a sweet person. Forget rich.”
“If there is a message at all, it's probably that we have to recognize in ourselves how we feel morally about certain things and make sure we follow that up with our actions"
"Beauty is an attitude. There's no secret. Why are all brides beautiful? Because on their wedding day they care about how they look. There are no ugly women – only women who don't care or who don't believe they're attractive."

And here are some of my favorite beauty campaigns from years past.