As any of my friends could tell you (even some of the guys), Doe is a big inspiration to me, along the lines of expressing ones-self and being creative. So you can imagine I was floored when she wrote back saying she would love to talk with me. And a Skype chat was organized as the venue.
Though there really was no tea involved, I'm giving you all an interview that will satisfy!
[little FYI: my questions are in bold!)
Definintely the Snow Queen shoot for Harlow magazine. It was a collaboration between me and my friends and I'm not a professional model, so it was easier being around people you know. Instead of everything being awkward, it was nice to have someone to throw glitter at you. And the dresses were gorgeous, some of the most elaborate I've worn to date!
What is your favorite makeup to wear?
In terms of eye shadows, I really love this new colour that we're coming out with. It's a light aquamarine colour, and I love it because it's fresh, new and exciting. I like blue eyeshadow, but it's associated with the elderly. This eye shadow is different- it's fresh and exciting! However, with lipsticks, I'm very inspired by "grandmother" colours, like when you see an older woman wearing a bright pink lipstick or a cute outfit.
I just heard this great story; it was posted on Facebook from a girl who was in a restaurant and went to the bathroom to touch-up. When she was in the bathroom, she saw an older woman putting on Centrifuschia. I thinks it's cool that she recognized the purple tube and knew it was Lime Crime. If the woman had been using a lipstick from Revlon or MAC, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference because of the black tube! I just wish that women didn't have to go to the bathroom to touch up; it's like we're all hiding the black tube. When I'm out somewhere, I just pull out the tube to touch up!
Anyway, I'm glad that we appeal to the younger crowd and be inspired by the eccentric granny!
Are you going to release anything new for LimeCrime, like mascara or eyeliner?
We are coming out with a line of eye-liners in 2012, about next spring. The formulas are really nice and the colours are going to be spectacular: blues, pinks, lavenders, even a yellow-green and a chartreuse. So, it's going to be very Lime Crime, pretty and new, but with a twist!
Are any of the discontinued eyeshadows going to make a comeback? - Sarah
I appreciate your friend Sarah asking this because it shows that she knows the company well and knows the products, but I don’t think we are going to bring back any of the discontinued colours. I believe in moving the company forward, not back, so when a colour is discontinued, it doesn’t mean that we don’t love the colour, it just means we want to make space for the newer colours, ones that appeal now. I’m sure that hot pink will come back around in another re-incarnation!
You've written alot about L.A's vintage and shopping scene; how does it differ from NYC?
L.A. is great, I really think that it’s the perfect place for me. In New York, the vintage shopping isn’t as great because to buy vintage, you need to go to a vintage store. In L.A. you can find the same or a better piece much easier and at much less cost.
What are some of your favorite finds?
I have a lot of pieces that people would call evening wear and I’ve identified it as a problem. I’m still learning about how to dress casually. Even the dress I’m wearing (a black dress covered with a butterfly pattern) now could be considered evening wear. Now, I’m just trying to figure out how to dress casually, but still [dress how I like to]. An inspiration now is the 1960s and 70s. The dress that I would wear all the time if I could is vintage, probably from the 1970s. It’s a bright dress with every animal you could think of on it. It has monkeys, elephants, giraffes, everything. But, it’s so old that the stitching is coming loose and sometimes holes start to appear in the stitching. So, even if I could wear it every day, I probably wouldn’t.
You've talked about your musical background; fronting in Sky Salt, playing for keyboard for The Oddz, and releasing a solo album Supernatural. How have your experiances in the music industry helped you in launching a company?
Well, my partner and husband, Mark, and I met when we were working with a band. We had been working them with sometime. Being in music, we learned to [advertise] and put ourselves out there. Also, you learn that not everyone is going to like what you have, so you grow thicker skin. I also learned that you have to appeal to what’s interesting now. I design makeup in a collection, like a musician would design their songs in an album. Designing a product, like a lipstick tube or an eye shadow palate, is like designing the cover of the album and the colours are like the songs.
What is the most rewarding experiance you've had in your career in makeup and style?
As cool as it is to see celebrities wearing my makeup, it’s the actual girls wearing the makeup that makes me happy. We got to go to London and meet with the fans and do makeovers. It was very humbling. Designing a makeup line [is difficult]; you can’t design for every face or skin tone, so getting to makeover the girls and try out the colours on them was very [insightful].
It’s like being at a sleep over and making over your friends, right?
Exactly, except you’ve never met them before! Being able to meet the followers has helped me develop better products and better colours.
Do you have any advice for people starting out in the realm of style?
Do what you love and go where you will be loved. It’s hard to explain…when you enter a field with people that this is their life, you have to be the same way. You need to know that your product is as good as or better than the others and know that this is what you love. You also need to know how to re-invent if it doesn’t work. Lime Crime started out as a fashion line. It was hand stitched and I would sell them from my website or on EBay. I had fans, but not enough to really make it. When I was in high school, I was a total tomboy and never wore makeup. Then it [hit me] that I could do that. I knew I loved [makeup] even though I totally sucked; I loved it enough [to turn it into my life].
You've talked about having fantasy hair(the blue hair). Do you have any ideas on what you want to do next?
I’ve been thinking of having a light lilac colour, but I’m really enjoying having the pale blonde hair. I now understand why everyone would want this; it’s very easy to just put something on [and not worry about it clashing]. When I had blue hair, I could wear hot pinks and yellows or it would look bad and I’m thinking that having lilac hair would have the same problem. I like wearing colour in my clothes and makeup, but not all on [my hair]. Maybe I’ll do something like having the ends lilac [for just a little colour], but not the all of it. Actually, that’s a great idea! I should do that!
It’s funny that you bring that up. My friend and I have started working on a graphic novel and one of our characters has long brown hair with bright blue ends.
That’s really cool! I wish you the best of luck with it and I’d like to see it when you’re done. The dark brown and blue sounds really cool! But, thanks for the idea!
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Thanks to you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!
Love,
Carie Lea
love this! Great interview!
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