Painting faces – astrid kearney

Brian James and I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the extraordinary Astrid Kearney, make up designer and creative director. The full article appears in Issue 50 of Solstice Magazine.

Astrid Kearney is the epitome of the beauty industry polymath. With a career that has spanned decades and has seen her work with style icons Lenny Kravitz and Grace Jones. Drawing inspiration from her mother, Ingrid’s innate style, it was inevitable that Astrid would embrace a  career in the creative industries. This has manifested itself in a multidisciplinary approach that has seen her in international demand for runway, fashion editorial, advertising and celebrity styling. It is a career that has seen Astrid at the forefront of beauty innovation and one which sees her continue to inspire both the present and future generations of beauty creatives.
Astrid’s flamboyant and fabulous approach to beauty is achingly apparent through her own personal and unique style. We were delighted to have the opportunity to sit down with Astrid and take a deep dive into what has been a varied and illustrious career so far.

​What was it that inspired you to become a makeup artist, and how did you get into the industry?
When I was little I remember I had a passion for all things beauty, skin and hair. My earliest memory when I was small was sitting watching my neighbour Mrs Dooley do her French plait totally transfixed by her hands with long pins, creating the perfect smooth roll. I made face masks in the blender and used my poor brother as my guinea pig.
By the age of 20 I had lived in Paris, London and Miami alone. I worked in the theatre arts department in a high school in Miami. I studied makeup in London, hair in Ireland and joined all the leading makeup and skincare brands such as Chanel, Givenchy, Shiseido, Lancôme in stores all over London. I settled with Clarins and trained as a skincare specialist and started creating their displays which was my outlet for creativity.
I joined ITV (one of England’s main TV stations) and ran the department for the team. This enabled me to get my portfolio together at weekends and I started working on shoots with the models at Model One modelling agency.
My first big gig was working with Lenny Kravitz and Catatonia as her artist. From there I landed an agent who I stayed with for 5 years. I missed being part of the dialogue, planning and production elements.  After this, I left to work on commercials and drama documentaries in Morocco and Tunisia. I LOVED this as it incorporated all the elements.  Time and life moves on and now I definitely love to layer my work loving London Fashion Week: planning, writing and developing courses and being the creative director of editorial and fashion shoots.

How has social media changed your profession and are there any special factors that you need to consider when creating a look that’s Instagram ready?
I see social media platforms such as Instagram, for example, as a viewing platform of a small snapshot of what I encompass. Time is precious and my life is incredibly busy, incorporating lots into it, not just work. What I love most about social media is that it is a window into our lives creatively. This of course can be a negative also as it sometimes draws people into a sense they are not enough: comparisons can be dangerous and there can be many illusions it creates. When developing looks for Instagram it all depends on if you are working micro shoots, film, advertising campaigns or sharing a little piece of you that you wish to express to the public in a very real way. Instagram can be very staged and plastic, we are so fortunate to be able to see so many incredible artists out there who are sharing their life differently and more authentically.
The very last words my dad ever said to me before he passed were “Don’t let the bastards get you down.” That’s all the advice I’ve ever needed in life.
Astrid kearneyDuring lockdown a lot of doors opened with advertising companies who needed assistance with contacting their public in a more creative way. This was a different way to what we had been used to. We are so lucky in the industry that we have an incredible array of artists and creatives who work in a variety of  ways and bring a vast array of incredible creativity and vision.

You teach and lecture the next generation of aspiring makeup artists. What advice would you give to them and what’s the best piece of advice that you’ve been given?
My biggest piece of advice to my students is to work on themselves emotionally as well as their craft. In the studio I tell them you are surrounded now by fellow ‘inmates’ but when this is all over you will need to push yourself and do the daily hard work. I teach them about layering their life within work and play and always keep up the training.
The best piece of advice that I’ve been given was from my mother Ingrid: “Be yourself and do your best.” The very last words my dad ever said to me before he passed were “Don’t let the bastards get you down.” That’s all the advice I’ve ever needed in life.

From convent school to catwalk, Astrid’s bold and experimental aesthetic is one which connects the Golden Age of Hollywood glamour with the realities of twenty-first century living. In this post-pandemic world which has highlighted the importance of self-care, Astrid shows us that beauty is not simply skin-deep, but encapsulates our very essence. Her commitment to a philosophy of self-care is one that she feels as passionately about as the beguiling looks which she creates for her myriad of admirers. It is this holistic approach which has secured Astrid a place at the forefront of a fast-paced and constantly evolving industry, meshing creativity with the health and happiness we all desire. Hers is an authentic advocacy which leaves us all awaiting her future innovations.
Credits: Astrid is wearing Dino hat by @sophiecochevelou and was photographed by @anthonylycettphotography

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