Natalya Vlasova - Makeup artist with a capital letter

The article was first published in the magazine “Makeup&YOU Professional” and is intended for professional makeup artists. How did your passion for the world of beauty begin? I started learning the art of makeup at a time when only a few people in our country knew this profession - in the mid-90s. And, of course, I could never dream about it. Interestingly, while studying art at university, my least favorite task was drawing portraits of people. And now I forget about everything when I draw on my face, I’m simply in a state comparable to a meditative one. It was interesting for me to create some kind of conceptual things, with an idea and a story. And now it helps me a lot in my work. In the mid-90s I worked as a model for makeup artists. And at some point I felt an interest in this profession. I started studying at the Persona school, which at that time was the most progressive makeup school. There was another Wella Dolores direction, but competitive makeup was not interesting for me, which is why I did not choose it. You have worked in many advertising campaigns. What exactly attracts you to such projects? The most interesting work in advertising for me is when the idea of the commercial involves beauty - the model’s face is shown in close-up, it must be done perfectly, you need to choose the right products and textures so that they work as best as possible. The best compliment for me from the director is that after my work there is no need for Photoshop. Beauty advertising is, of course, primarily an advertisement for cosmetics, hair products, jewelry and watches. You have worked with many public figures - Sharon Stone, Monica Bellucci, Milla Jovovich, Zhanna Friske, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Chulpan Khamatova and others. Collaboration with whom was most memorable and why? It is incredibly interesting to work with such bright actresses and beauties. Communication with them is very inspiring. I have been collaborating with Zhanna Friske since the beginning of her career. We did a lot of creative experiments together. Almost all of her videos and commercials are our joint work. I work with Milla Jovovich almost always when she comes to Russia. We met 6 years ago, now we have children of about the same age. I have also collaborated with Sharon Stone several times and am incredibly inspired by this woman. Unfortunately, we only worked with Monica once - she usually comes with her team of stylists. And with Chulpan I had experience working in the theater. She invited me to create an image for her character in the play “Frequin Julie”. Since then we have done many more projects. Ingeborga's latest work in the Nescafe advertisement turned out to be very beautiful.

Natalia Vodianova and Natalia Vlasova

What is the main difficulty of working with a celebrity? Public people are always in the spotlight. And when working with them you have to put up with it. Sometimes whims can be confused with colossal stress or acclimatization. When working with a celebrity, you must first of all be a professional, since these people travel a lot and have extensive experience collaborating with different stylists. I always have SOS masks in my suitcase, which I try to apply to famous personalities before makeup (time permitting, of course). I always test masks on myself and am confident in their effect. My advice: be calm and do your job efficiently, then everyone will be happy with the result. I often meet stylists who say “it’s impossible” or “it can’t be done because...” Never say that. No one is interested in why you can’t do it, it’s better to do what is expected of you. You are such a multifaceted personality: a makeup artist, a teacher, and a presenter of original TV programs. What type of activity do you currently devote more time to and why? In general, I enjoy everything I do. Everything came gradually. And now all areas of activity comfortably coexist and complement each other. You opened your own school, and what were the main difficulties at the initial stage of this process? How is your school growing and developing now? In 2005, at an exhibition in London, I met London S of Beauty and Make-up. This is how our cooperation began. I adapted their methodology and began to train teachers only from my team. At first I taught myself, now I take exams or give master classes. What achievements of your students are you most proud of? Some graduates remain and continue to develop and advance in my team. It so happened that only former students work at our school, and I am very happy about this. Another part of the graduates, of whom I am no less proud, independently realize themselves in other campaigns and projects. They work with famous brands, in films and on TV. After fifteen years of working as a makeup artist, you have definitely developed your own style. What techniques do you consider to be your signature? What elements of the face do you like to work with the most (eyes, lips, eyebrows)? It is impossible to talk about facial features and even make-up separately from the image. The most important thing is that the makeup looks comprehensive and in harmony with the image. With experience, you understand that in order to make a perfect face, you don’t need to use a million products, you need to choose the right textures. Makeup rules must be absolutely clearly adapted to the face. What cosmetic brands do you work with and why? I am happy to collaborate with the amazing brand Giorgio Armani. I am the national makeup artist of this brand in Russia. This brand differs from others in the highest quality of products and the search for new perfect formulas. What are the most extreme conditions you have ever worked in? Perhaps the most unusual was the shooting for Russian Vogue at an altitude of 4 thousand meters above the ground in the mountains of Kazakhstan. Working at height is a specific sensation, vacuum silence, slow smooth movements as in rapid shooting. But if you are surrounded by professionals and a team with whom you work in unison, it doesn’t matter where you are! You get such creative pleasure! This is one of the most powerful and irreplaceable feelings that my work gives me.

A La Russe show

Does your Mosmake agency provide its craftsmen for collaboration with projects or events? Or do you have a base and work with other top makeup artists and hairdressers? The agency is my team, which, like a living organism, changes all the time. There are people who have been working with me for many years, some graduated from my school and have grown up before my eyes. People come to us for a certain quality of work, which we have already proven, and I am very pleased with this. I myself choose a team for each project individually, because our work is very personal, and human compatibility is important first of all. What are your hobbies outside of the beauty industry? As for hobbies, I love to travel. During your vacation, you can truly relax, forget the noise and chaos of the city.