Celebrity makeup artist Naoko Scintu got her start in makeup from studying special effects and prosthetics makeup in university, thinking she would join the film industry. “I quickly realised I didn’t really love that part of makeup, so I decided to go more into beauty, because I love faces, and beauty is the thing that I absolutely adore,” she says.
Working her way through all the big fashion shows in Milan and Paris gave her a taste of working in fashion, and she quickly progressed to work on advertising shoots “more with models back in the day because it was less about celebrity,” she tells us. But as the industry evolved, she slowly homed in on working more with celebrities, amassing a clientele that now includes Jodie Comer, Greta Lee, Gemma Arterton, Kaia Gerber and more.
Now, she’s just been appointed the Global Makeup Expert for Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, jetting around the globe with the brand to show off how best to use the brand’s new makeup line. We caught up with Scintu when the brand threw a launch party in Seoul attended by top stars such as Dolce & Gabbana’s global brand ambassador Mun Ka-young, Han Ji-hyun, Kim Young-dae, and Ahn Bo-hyun, along with K-pop stars like Gaeul from IVE, The Boyz’s Young Hoon and Hyun Jae, and Lia from ITZY.
How has your personal relationship with beauty evolved over the years?
I think that maybe when I was younger, I would do more makeup. But as I’ve gotten older, I realise that people want to look like themselves, but a better version of themselves. That’s why I think that actors, for example, they like to work with me, because I don’t change what they look like, I just enhance them. And I think that’s really important, especially with female actors, that’s what they want. They want to look like themselves. So I think that I’ve come to a place where I really understand what I like and what they like, and it’s all about that enhancement, but not changing them too much.
What advice would you give to aspiring makeup artists?
Say yes to everything! Never, ever turn anything down. I think it’s so important to have that really strong work ethic and to be able to learn from other people as well. Nowadays, it’s a bit different because there’s social media, but when I started, it was all about assisting the best artists on the planet and really learning from everybody. I think that’s really important to do.
What is a piece of makeup advice that you always give your clients?
Oh, gosh, so many. SPF, absolutely always, every day, even in London, where it’s not that sunny. SPF 50 every single day. You want to protect your skin, because your makeup is always going to look better for years and years if your skin is good.
Makeup-wise, less is more. You don’t want to cover yourself in makeup; you want to enhance your natural beauty. So I think, with [the Dolce & Gabbana Beauty] makeup collection, you can really do that. The technology that goes into the products is of such a high standard that you don’t need a lot of makeup. You just use a little bit, and it goes a long way. I think that’s really important as a makeup artist.
Are there any upcoming makeup trends that we should be looking out for?
For me, a trend that’s always there—and every season, this trend is always there—it’s about skin that looks incredible. If you start off with really well-hydrated skin, skin that looks healthy—whatever you put on top of it is going to look amazing. So it’s all about having that healthy, radiant skin, and then, now we’re going into autumn and then winter, so it’s about a bit of a berry stain on the lip, but pared-back skin with only mascara and a pop of colour on the face.
Which one product from Dolce & Gabbana Beauty is your all-time favourite?
Okay, so for me, I love the Blueberry Nutri-Tint, because it’s very light and hydrating and glowing, but also the Rose Glow Cushion is very similar with that glowy kind of finish, because I work as a celebrity makeup artist, and my clients come to me because I make their skin look more natural and glowy. So they’re my favourite products.
What is one item that has changed your life for the better?
Oh, my God. Okay, so I have to say, the mascara. I’m wearing it now. The formula is so amazing because it’s ultra black and glossy. It’s slightly difficult to understand [how to apply it] when you first use it, but when you start using it, you realise, “Wow, it’s amazing.” Like, it does not rub off. You can go to the gym, you can sweat everything. It doesn’t come off. But then at the end of the day, it’s really easy to remove, so it doesn’t pull your lashes out or anything. The performance of it is incredible and I absolutely love it.
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