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11.11.14

Want to learn a few tricks of the trade from a woman who preps A List gals on both coasts for award shows and light night fashion – I mean, talk – shows? Perfect. We’re talking to celeb makeup artist Katey Denno about all things natural beauty, and this one knows it all.

Katey is one of our go-to beauty consultants here at TCM and with good reason. She paints the faces of gorgeous gals like Christy Turlington (get the look), Isla Fisher (get the look,) Mindy Kaling, and Amanda Seyfried with her “mostly” natural beauty kit and creates looks so luminous she’s got half of Hollywood calling.

Recently we joined Katey for an evening inside West Hollywood’s The Detox Market for a green beauty workshop extraordinaire. Along with a dozen wellness-minded ladies ready to take thorough notes on paper and face, we sipped on Pressed Juicery mimosas and watched as Katey created look after look with some of our favorite natural brands.

Katey means business when it comes to beauty. Below we talk honestly about what’s going on in natural beauty and a few of her favorite things. Our thanks to the Detox Market for hosting the kind of event that pushes green beauty one step further – and teaches us to properly curl our lashes. Here’s Katey…

The Chalkboard Mag: In the workshop you talked about ingredients to avoid. What are the 3 that top your list?
Katey Denno: Fragrance/parfum; sodium lauryl sulfate/sodium laureth sulfate (SLS/SLES); and oxybenzone.

TCM: We’ve talked about this many times: performance and non-toxicity are just about equal in our minds! If a lipstick is non-toxic but awful, why even put it on? Talk to us a little about the brands that are making the cut for you right now…
KD: I absolutely agree. We’re fortunate to be alive in a time in which a number of (mostly women) decided to forge ahead and find ways to make beauty products safely – and the options from which to pick are growing daily. My current go-tos include: Lina Hanson body oil – this blend is deliciously fragrant and has transformed my skin. I use it on my clients before they walk the red carpet all the time; YULI face oil – another oil blend that’s transformed my sensitive, outbreak-prone skin beautifully; Tammy Fender eye cream – I’ve been an eye cream user since age 17, and this one is one of the best I’ve ever tried. Tammy’s line is magical; Burt’s Bees lip crayons are super pigmented and rich in colors that are both classic, and right on-trend; and Kjaer Weis eye shadows – they’re the most blendable and incredibly beautiful of all shadows I’ve tried, with just the right amount of shimmer.

TCM: You’ve got a ton of celebrity clients. Are there any products your girls are really loving right now?
KD: I’m grateful to be aligned with a brand that my clients love, and I have to say, between the Burt’s lip crayons and the tinted lip balms, my clients are always really happy with what I slip into their handbags before they walk the red carpet.

TCM: What’s a great go-to look for fall?
KD: I love fall makeup looks! How about either a rich blue or green smokey eye with a lot of lash and a berry stained lip and slightly flushed cheek?

TCM: Let’s talk about eyelash curling! In the workshop, you spent a lot of time on this. Tips? Fave brands?
KD: Not all lash curlers are made equal. I’ve favored the soft curve and perfect pad of the Shu Umeura curler since I started doing makeup, and am equally into the curler from Kevyn Aucoin – and one plus about Kevyn’s is that the red pad makes seeing black lash hairs much easier!

TCM: There’s an eyeshadow you use on everyone. Let’s talk about this shell-like shimmery shade…
KD: For all skin tones lighter than dark, I love using, as Spirit Demerson of SBL calls it, a universally flattering light beam: Cloud Nine by Kjaer Weis.

TCM: If someone reading this wants to start from square one, detoxing their makeup bag, where should they start?
KD: Skin care! Followed by lip color…

TCM: Can you let us in on a couple of tricks you rely on for late-night-show appearances and red carpets? Give us something we can use everyday…
KD: Oooh – good one. One, fill in your eyebrows. Find a shadow or a brow gel that’s a perfect match, if not a bit lighter. Start at the arch and fill in to the outer edge, then take a step back and evaluate in the mirror just how completely filled in (or not) you want the inner half to be. Two, if you wear foundation on your entire face, make sure you dab a bit of a slightly darker foundation under your cheekbones. Otherwise your face just reads one dimensional. This can also be accomplished by brushing powder bronzer under your cheekbones. Thirdly, curl your lashes, focusing on getting the outer edges up, apply 1-5 coats of mascara. Bat your lashes.

TCM: Top 3 products you’re obsessing over right now:
KD:Burt’s Bees Lip Crayon in Napa Vineyard, Yuli Modern Alchemist serum and Gressa Foundation.

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Comments


  1. Very inspiring! I’m doing the exact thing —-> fully “greening” my nail kit for my private clientele.

    AngelNailsIt | 11.24.2014 | Reply

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