Some of my favourite beauty people III: Smashbox's Neisha Henry

Neisha Henry is the Educator and Brand Manager for Smashbox Cosmetics NZ and oversees the day-to-day running of Smashbox Cosmetics in New Zealand. She also works internationally with the LA-based make up giant, travelling around the Asia-Pacific region as a Smashbox International Pro-Artist. On a local level, Neisha has provided creative direction for the looks seen on the runways at Air New Zealand Fashion Week, and this year her team will be working on the Nom*D show, which is always one of my absolute favourites.

Neisha travels to Los Angeles four times a year, usually to meet with Davis Factor, co-founder of Smashbox and the great-grandson of make up legend Max Factor. As the company's HQ - Smashbox Studios - is also the venue for LA Fashion Week and hundreds of shoots a year, the petite brunette gets to see trends in make up as they happen.
“Things happen there like an artist using a lip stain and then adding gloss over the top,” she told me, “and before you know it Smashbox will have developed a product (O-Gloss) that does the same to meet that need.
It's a make up range totally inspired by fashion, and that's why I love it.” She says that a trend which has grown very quickly at fashion weeks over the past few months has been the super matte, blood orange or fuschia pink lip, as well as a more creative take on the traditional “smoky eye” using colour instead of grey and blacks. “Purple is the new black at Smashbox,” she adds with a laugh, “and we're also loving deep navy and rich green.” She says that this is a trend that is very easy for women on the street to adapt to their own style, “as instead of a full eyelid of purple shadow they can use a fine brush to just create a vivid line along the lashes. It still looks modern and fresh, and is a little more wearable during the day.”
The company prides itself on a high developed, award winning range of make up primers to suit almost any skin type and meet just about any need, and Neisha uses these backstage to counteract the negative effect late nights and numerous make up changes have on models' skin. She likens avoiding using primer to painting your house without an undercoat, and says that a great canvas will also ensure that make up added on top will look fantastic, and last that much longer. She's also passionate about using the correct tools to get the right effect, adding “you might be able to use your fingertips to do a little blending but the right brush will allow you to go that much farther, and the results will be amazing”.