Jennifer Cooper/E!When you are part of a family that runs a makeup line together, beauty is basically in your blood.
That's exactly the case for Olivia Chantecaille, the creative director of her family's namesake brand. She first discovered her affinity for color when she began her career as a child model, but it wasn't until she later studied art abroad and then started working in the beauty industry full time that her passion really started to take shape.
To learn about Olivia's family business, her thoughts on face masks, and to find out what exactly mermaid eye shadow is, read on!
What was your first job?
My first job was modeling for Laura Ashley when I was seven. My sister and I would model in their runway shows, wearing the most fun ruffled, princess-like dresses. It was like a little girl's dream come true.
How did you get started in your career?
I grew up in the cosmetics world surrounded by makeup and spent many holidays on creative trips to the lab with my mother. I studied Art History in Paris at the Sorbonne where I developed a deeper understanding of color. I was also modeling and spent many hours in a makeup chair, which gave me a great understanding of the world of beauty brands and products.
What is a typical day like for you?
No day is ever the same! I can go from working on new colors or testing new skincare formulas to a meeting where I'm presenting new products to the press. Our philanthropic relationships are also hugely important to me. For our Fall 2016 collection we realized the urgency of the situation for lions in Kenya and began to learn about their incredible conservation efforts.
Tell us about your office décor.
Our office is set in a naturally lit loft in a historic building with huge windows in the heart of SoHo. Our open office is filled with tall potted trees and plants, flowers and our very own lemon tree. Our family dog, Ella, loves to keep us company at the office.
What three beauty products should a girl have with her at all times?
I always have our brightening Le Camouflage Stylo concealer in my purse. It looks and feels very natural but offers really effective coverage. Our HD powder, which is a weightless and colorless skin-perfecting powder, is ideal for midday touch-ups, especially on humid days. Lastly our Lip Chic in Cosmos is a happy pop of pink. It's the perfect hybrid between a gloss and a lipstick.
What is your favorite signature product from your line and why?
Our Pure Rosewater. I am never without it. It saves my skin, especially on the plane while traveling. Our signature ingredient, Rose de Mai is packed with many benefits, and loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin C. It's also soothing, calming, anti-aging and anti-bacterial. I use it first thing in the morning to wake myself up and I spritz it on throughout the day to immediately refresh my skin and my makeup. It's also the last thing I do before I go to sleep at night.
What are a few of your best makeup tips?
For a healthy glow when my skin is looking tired, I mix a drop of Liquid Lumiere into my Future Skin foundation. If my skin is dry after a day in the sun, adding a few drops of our Rose de Mai Face Oil into my moisturizer works wonders. For a mega skin boost, I multi-mask overnight. I like to layer our Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask, our Bio Lifting Mask and our Gold Energizing Eye Recovery Masks.
What beauty looks do you expect to catch on this season?
Metallics have emerged as a really strong trend for summer. I'm very excited about our super-innovative Mermaid Eye Shades because they give an immediate sweep of shine. They look and feel like cream but are actually a crease-proof powder, which is so perfect for summer. You can use them in many different ways—as a liner, or for a full-on liquid metal effect over the whole lid.
Who are a few of your celebrities you've worked with?
Molly R. Stern used this spring's Lip Chic in Red Juniper on Reese Witherspoon for the Oscars and her beautiful red lip launched a frenzy for that shade. One of my favorite moments was when Angelina Jolie applied our Brilliant Lip Gloss on camera at the Golden Globes. We were sold out overnight!
What's the best part about your job?
The best part about my job is that I get to see my family every day. We are very close and I can't imagine not seeing them every week. The reason we work so well together is that we all have different roles so we don't step on each other's toes. My mother Sylvie is the visionary, I love leading the creative projects, my sister Alex drives the sales, our brother Philippe has a great photographer's eye and our father is on the financial side of the business.
Today for lunch I had…zucchini Carpaccio with pine nuts and a feta and a quinoa salad.
The first website I log onto every day is…I read through my emails instead.
My usual Starbucks order is…a chai tea.
If I wasn't doing this job, I would…be a jewelry designer.
My favorite place to visit is…St. Barth's.
List five things that are on your desk right now…Pure Rosewater, a photo of my daughter, samples to approve for upcoming collections, my iPhone and Hu Kitchen's simple chocolate bar.