By Ruta Fox
He’s attended to the faces of Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively, Victoria Beckham, Padma Lakshmi and Emma Watson – making them even more gorgeous. Plus, he’s worked with fashion’s top magazines and most influential beauty editors including Anna Wintour, Glenda Bailey, Carine Roitfeld and the late Franca Sozzani. Growing up in Los Angeles with a mother who would never (ever!) leave the house without makeup was the inspiration for his over 20-year career. Recognized by industry insiders as an authority on beauty and beauty education, BELLA sat down with L.A.-based celebrity makeup artist Geoffrey Rodriguez to get his take on where makeup is today and what’s on the horizon.
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How did you get interested in the beauty business?
As mentioned, my mother was a huge inspiration, but as a child I was constantly sketching and drawing. After high school I studied fashion design and eventually became a fashion stylist. As a stylist I got to work with amazing makeup artists, and I was truly inspired by the artistry involved. Ultimately, after moving to New York in the mid 1990s, I decided to make a career change and transitioned into makeup, taking an apprenticeship with renowned makeup artist Vincent Longo.
Do you have one piece of advice that might help every woman look her best?
Self-confidence is the key factor. I really believe that it’s so important to be comfortable with yourself and embrace your own beauty and individuality. Nothing is more beautiful than self-confidence.
What beauty tip can we implement right now to brighten our spirits?
We are in a time where it’s more important than ever to feel good and while that might be challenging under the current conditions, beginning and ending each day with a soothing, nurturing beauty ritual can make such a difference and greatly impact how you feel, as well as those around you.
How do you think beauty has changed and where do you think it’s headed?
I think we have seen more emphasis on beauty in the last decade than ever before. There is also a lot more emphasis on gender equality and that is also extremely relevant. But while beauty is about inspiration and creativity, there’s been tremendous attention and demand for new, trend-driven products. That has created insecurity, confusion and ultimately a lot of waste for the environment. As I am now in the development stages of my own brand, I have taken considerable time to thoroughly research the market, ingredients, and most significantly packaging. With over 120 billion pieces created annually, cosmetic packaging is a major contributor to all landfill space as well as a major polluter to our oceans and waterways. So, while I believe that we all need to feel beautiful (with or without makeup), we also need to make better choices as consumers, therefore the future is about sustainability. I sincerely hope that we will see existing and new brands, as well as beauty retailers take action in regard to developing and promoting sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging, ingredients, and effective recycling programs.
To learn more about Geoffrey Rodriguez, please visit
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