Early access to our Beauty Sales Lisa Armstrong – Brand Ambassador + Artist In Residence
“I do normal people from normal places.”
Who better to launch our Beauty Hygiene Plus Artists In Residence programme than Lisa Armstrong, one of the UK’s most talented, high profile and award winning makeup artists. You may not know her name, but you will definitely know her work, as, since 2007, she has been Chief Makeup and Hair Designer on the BBC’s flagship Strictly Come Dancing show, where she is responsible for creating the amazing celebrity hair and makeup looks that help define the show’s mass appeal.
Whilst admitting to being interested in makeup since the age of six, Lisa didn’t initially envisage a career as a professional makeup artist. That’s because she was too busy dancing! With her head set on a career as a professional disco dancer, she enjoyed success winning several international dancing competitions. This then led into a different type of success, when she was recruited to help form the 90’s pop group Deuce, which despite releasing four UK top 30 singles, eventually split in 1997, when Lisa was just 19.
A career re-think led Lisa to decide that there had to be a reason why her teenage years had been spent experimenting with rainbow colours, putting pink mascara on her eyebrows, wearing blond wigs or playing around with lipstick shades. She quickly realised the life of a professional makeup artist beckoned, and she signed up for formal training at London’s prestigious Glauca Rossi School of Makeup.
Lisa creating one of her makeup looks for our #FilthyLooks campaign
After graduating, she immediately found herself in demand, initially working on teen makeover tours and model searches and on editorial for magazines such as Sugar and Cosmopolitan. Later, she landed the plum beauty presenter’s job on ITV’s This Morning, and this led into more and more TV work on shows such as the X-Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and The Voice. Ultimately this work led her to ‘Strictly’. Awards-wise, in 2014, her and her team were awarded the prestigious CRAFT BAFTA award for their work. Lisa has also been nominated for a CRAFT BAFTA in her own right and has received a prestigious RTS award, recognising her as one of the highest achievers across the television industry.
But it’s not all about the celebrity glitz and glam for Lisa. Her practical, down to earth approach and warm personality make her ideal, as she says herself, for, “Normal people from normal places” and her great versatility is one of the reasons we are delighted that she has agreed to work with us on our Artists in Residence programme. Not only does she bring a wealth of practical experience and knowhow, but as a very busy makeup artist working within the time constraints of television, dealing with a constant throughput of celebrities, she also fully appreciates the vital importance of makeup hygiene.
For our Artists in Residence contribution, Lisa showcases three very different looks for us, encompassing different scenarios from high glam to everyday wear. As well as demonstrating her creations, she will also provides top hints, techniques and tips for you to achieve your own stunning makeup effects, not just for everyday use but also for special occasions and troubleshooting.
Lisa is hot on beauty hygiene (as a busy makeup pro, she has to be), and is fully aware of the importance of properly cleaning and sanitising all makeup, beauty tools and makeup sponges and brushes, and preventing the possible spread of a whole host of potential ‘nasties’ including herpes and conjunctivitis. She also demonstes how she uses all the products in the Beauty Hygiene Plus cleaning and sanitising product range to keep her own makeup kits bacteria and virus free. This includes our Quick Dry Makeup Sanitising Mist, Quick Dry Brush Cleaning Spray, Quick Dry Antibacterial Beauty Tools Sanitiser Spray and Deep Cleanse Sponge and Brush Wash. She also shows you how you should use them too, in conjunction with your own makeup, brushes and beauty tools. After all, the importance of makeup hygiene in stopping the spread of bacteria and viruses is something that effects everyone, not just the makeup pros.
Quick Dry Makeup Sanitising Mist showcased by Lisa Armstrong
Read Lisa’s recent exclusive interview with the Mail OnLine about her career as a makeup artist and why believes new Beauty Hygiene Plus is not just for pro artists
“…. Lisa admitted she’s often ‘shocked’ by the filthiness of makeup bags and brushes that go years without being cleaned, but Beauty Hygiene Plus offers a simple solution of four key products, including the Quick Dry Makeup Sanitising Mist and Quick Dry Brush Cleaning Spray to keep your beauty collection safe to use.”
