Sonia Kashuk’s Art of Makeup spring collection is colorful, fun and eye-catching from the get-go. The range is a collaboration with someone very special to her, makeup and visual artist Linda Mason, who mentored Kashuk early in her career. Kashuk wanted to pay homage to the legend with this limited-edition range, which includes products like bright makeup brushes, abstract-printed cosmetic bags and a luxe vanity tray.
“Linda is one of the people I had the opportunity to work with and to assist for four-and-a-half years at the start of my career and she was always the makeup artist who really owned the word ‘artist,'” says Kashuk. Despite their different approaches to artistry, Kashuk recalls Mason’s impeccable eye for color and passion saying, “She inspired me so much — her sense of color, whimsy and the love that she had for creating incredible faces, and how she approached makeup, with the face as a canvas. I admired her artistic sense and her love and passion for color. When you look back at Linda’s work in the 70s and 80s and [then look at] what the makeup artists are doing today, it’s all a cycle. She was truly the creator, I think, [she was] the initial creator of that free-form makeup that we saw at Celine or that John Galliano has done with Pat McGrath over the years, Linda was there in the 70s and 80s doing it.”
When it was time to celebrate her mentor, Kashuk asked Mason to create illustrations for the collection that were filled with color and showcased her talent. “Linda literally drew it out and I took that and applied it to different forms and it became abstract on different products. It was a really fun collaboration and in the end, the most important part for me was that it gave me the ability to share somebody who had an impact on my life and who made me better and was a person that made me who I am today because I truly believe none of us get to where we are without the help of others,” added Kashuk.
Sonia Kashuk’s Art of Beauty Collection; Image: Courtesy of Sonia Kashuk
Something else that is very much a part of her life is Kashuk’s hairstyle, one she’s worn for 25 years and won’t be changing anytime soon. “I’ve had it blown out a few times and I feel like I look crazy—it just doesn’t work with my face, so I started wearing it in a top knot. I use all of the Oribe haircare products — I’m a huge fan. I use the Oribe Masque for Beautiful Color because I have super curly hair and the Supershine Moisturizing Cream because I need lots of moisture in my hair,” she explains.
Kashuk also just introduced Sahara Sunset, the color collection for spring that is filled with beautiful bronzers, bright nail colors, and high-shine lip colors. When it comes to makeup, Kashuk keeps her “queen of clean” aesthetic and believes that confidence is key. “Makeup should be a small cheat so that you look good, but no one really knows that. I feel that it’s important to feel comfortable in no makeup and in our own skin as well as feeling confident with makeup,” she says. Her personal favorites include the Eye On Neutral Palette, the Bare Illuminating Bronzer and full lashes when she’s going out. “It’s like putting on a pair of high heels. It makes the eye shape a little prettier, gives eyes a little drama and glam,” she says of the falsies.
Her eponymous line may not have skincare products beyond body products, but that may soon change. She’s a huge fan of skincare and admits to swearing by monthly facials and using a variety of products to keep her skin looking its best. “My friend Cindy Crawford’s line Meaningful Beauty has a great Glowing Serum, which I love. I use a lot of skincare products from Biologique Recherche and the Shiseido Future Solution LX line is also great. I just love variety because skincare makes a huge difference and in the end, great skin helps with makeup application. We’re working on some skincare products, so I’ve also been using a new exfoliating product that I’m very happy about and loving — it’s very exciting.”
