INTERVIEW WITH // GODDESS HUNTRESS
I recently did an interview for the beautiful natural beauty blog of the magazine Goddess Huntress. I am a new fan of Monique Reavis and her "100% no bullshit attitude". Thank you so much Monique for allowing me to be a part of your interview series, I am beyond honored and excited to speak about natural products and be part of the information pool to others to learn from!
To see the full Goddess Huntress site go here : <3
You may already be familiar with makeup artist Gloria Noto’s work and not even know it. Her talent has graced the faces of Shailene Woodley, Lykke Li, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Grey, and Christina Hendricks, to name a few. Gloria has also worked on advertising campaigns with BCBG, Herve Leger, Stussy, and Nasty Gal.
Gloria (who is quite the stunner if you ask me) leads a very holistic life and exercises that holistic muscle in her work. She is an avid lover of balance utilizing clean cosmetics and skincare on set and on the red carpet…and she makes a mean lip tint from beets..a must see video. So, yes, I fell in love.
I interviewed Gloria during the holidays and fell even more in love with her work. Without further ado…
GH/ You come from a creative family, very tactile creative parents, an interior designer and ironsmith. How did you develop your love for makeup artistry?
GN/ I am not completely sure how it all started, but I do remember my mother and my older sister who I basically Idolized always getting ready to the tops. My sister is 16 years older than I am so in the 90′s she was the epitome of cool. I would go shopping with her, and watch her put her makeup on and she would always play dress up on me. I was always interested in beauty, weather it be fashion, art, nature. I was always observant of features on people and the structure of things, ever since I can remember.
GH/ Do you have a poignant beauty memory from your childhood?
GN/ I remember when I was beginning elementary school, the discovery of punk and alternative music. That shifted everything for me. I grew up listening to a lot of classical and jazz, which I loved..but when I discovered harder music and the lifestyle that came along with my world changed. I got a guitar and started to make my own clothing and think about what I could use with random objects, or how to see an object differently. The fashion part all started with my first job at a Thrift Store called Rescued Treasures in Detroit when I was 15. Plaid pants and vintage tee’s, records, bowling shoes, and very old books were my life.
GH/ High performance, rich pigments, luxurious textures/finishes, and long wear are required of the products you use on the job, be it a photo shoot, magazine editorial, ad campaign, or celebrity. What clean beauty products have you incorporated in your work that meet or excel those high demands?
GN/ To be honest high pigments aren’t as big of a concern in my work. For me it’s more about texture, opacity, and the ability to be flexible and manipulate. I like products that can be layered to mimic skin but enhance or create incredible depth. I love RMS living Illuminizer, which is a raw organic coconut base glow that I use almost every time. I love creams of all sorts and I love the Makeup Forever great palette with 12 or so colors in them…this way I can create almost any color needed or change a color I already have.
GH/ Tell us more about the beet-stained lips you created for actress Shailene Woodley. How did you control the color? (btw, those were some damn, sexy beets in the video)
GN/ Beets have been used for color purposes for centuries and centuries. The depth that can be achieved and the longevity of the stain is pretty amazing. If you are using the juice straight from the beet, you can control the depth by adding layer after layer, each obviously getting more intense. Beets also come in a few different colors, heirloom beets can be baby pink and even yellow!
GH/ Aside from being a makeup artist, you are also the Editor In Chief of The Work Magazine, a fashion and art publication, and you recently launched Set Daze, showcasing exclusive makeup editorials…both of which are gorgeously curated. With such a wonderfully full schedule, what is your healthy daily go-to that provides you with beauty sustenance and focus?
GN/ This area of my life may be of most importance. I am very active. I try to go on some sort of adventure, be it locally or not as often as possible. I also get to the gym 4-7 days a week, depending on how I am feeling and how or where work is. I try to eat as clean as possible, meaning whole foods. Now, this doesn’t mean I don’t over eat, haha because I do eat quite a bit. But It’s foods that are good for me, so I have less guilt and I feel good. I take adrenal supplements to aid in stress and all around good vibes and I eat a lot of protein and chocolate to keep me going. I often try to take a small cooler with food to keep me on track, but it can be difficult with catering on jobs. That is my downfall. I also try to drink a green veggie juice as often as possible, and LOTS of green tea. Phew..I could keep going.
GH/ And finally, you manage to capture so much sensuality from the women your Touch Up videos on Set Daze. The video series you are building is truly one of a kind. So I must ask in return of your video muses and in total Gloria Noto fashion…what is your idea of beauty?
GN/ Beauty is such a subjective concept. I have so many views on what beauty is to me. It can’t be one thing. I often find so much beauty in decay, the end of something, in pain, and in darkness..I am a hopeless romantic, truly. BUT I also find beauty in the obvious, in nature, and in the universe. It’s all one in the same to me.
Now what make me feel beautiful? Self confidence, self love, taking care of myself and nurturing myself from the gifts that the earth has provided, dancing with myself and my eyes closed, though that has brought on a few black eyes and a busted nose, and being around people who I am inspired by and love, people who understand me and I them…after all…we all want to be understood.
