"Co-owner of Black Dove: Gym Spa Clinic, Style Editor for Black Dove Magazine, make-up artist and stylist, Claire Louise Leonard is a certainly a jack of many trades within the fashion industry. She says her inspiration comes "a little from music, a little more from amazing photography and a whole lot from talking stuff out with people every day." But sometimes all it takes is "a nice cuppa tea and getting lost in blog-land" on an afternoon. A featured artist at this week's RAW: Radiate, we caught up with her for some Top Fives, which she says makes her "feel a little like John Cusack in High Fidelity."
Top five worst makeup trends?
1. Bronzer overload: Orange fake tans then bronzer over your cheeks. Just a shade lighter on the tan and a little bit of blush would suffice…
2. Not blending foundation onto the neck leaving the line of foundation around the jawline.
3. Extreme eyebrows (!) : Super thin or crazy Bert from Seasame Street thick… Natural is the way to go.
4. That thing where girls use foundation as lipstick and then put lip gloss over the top is not okay. For a photoshoot maybe, but to go to the shops? A big no-no – you look dead. Stop it!
5. Really fake, heavy eyelashes: Unless you are going to a fancy dress party or walking down a runway these make you look a little like Snooki.
You’re the director of Black Dove wellness clinic, spa and gym. What are five wellness items or practices that you think are bogus?
1. Fifteen minutes of the Ab Swing per day will not make you drop seven dress sizes in a week.
2. Living solely on weight loss shakes is not living at all.
3. Going to the gym and judging everyone else for what they are doing will not help you lose weight. Even if it’s fun.
4. Celebrity single week diets that you find in gossip magazines do not work. Unless you have a chef, a personal trainer and a million dollars.
5. Focusing on fitting into the jeans that you wore when you were 15-years-old is not really how to be happy with your life.
Top Five makeup styles that you wish you had created:
1. The Smokey Eye
2. The Red Lip
3. The Winged Liquid Liner Eye
4. Contouring… in general.
5. Individual fake lashes – I would be worth a fortune!
You offer a wardrobe overhaul service, where you help people cull items from their wardrobe. What are the Top Five biggest wardrobe mis-steps?
1. Keeping items that you haven’t worn for over a year.
2. Keeping items that loved ones bought for you years ago that they wouldn’t even remember buying you, but you feel guilty giving away.
3. Keeping items that are wrecked. Get them altered and wear them again!
4. Buying more clothes when your wardrobe is already full.
5. Not throwing out old underwear. If you would be embarrassed to be seen in it…best to bin it.
RAW is all about promoting independent creatives across a variety of fields. What are five creative projects that you’d like to work on outside of makeup?
1. Learn more about photography.
2. Play more guitar…or any guitar if I’m honest.
3. Style a massive runway show.
4. Maybe make a mural?
5. Build a giant diorama.
Claire is a featured artist at RAW: radiate, happening this Wednesday 29 August at Oh Hello. You can check out the other artists to be showcased on the night here.
WORDS: Lauren Bertacchini"