Makeup artist Jillian Dempsey has the coolest eyeglass frames. They’re Celine (of course), and her blue eyes widen when she is demonstrating her new Gold Sculpting Bar, a device about the size of a razor, whose vibrating pulses are meant to de-puff and help tone skin. “I wouldn’t put my name on this if it didn’t work,” she says.
Perhaps she got her straight-shooting demeanor from her native Texas, though Dempsey grew up in Los Angeles, and by her teens, found herself gravitating toward the punk scene. By 14, she was working at a salon and selling private-label lash conditioning oil to classmates at school. After graduation, she tried college, but decided to follow her beauty instincts and attend the Charles Ross School of Hair Design in West Hollywood.
She earned her degree, did a stint at Shu Uemura, worked on videos for Duran Duran, and even opened Delux beauty parlor with her sister, but doing both hair and makeup was too much.
“At some point, I realized I had to choose,” she recalls. “I chose makeup because I liked painting faces.” She’s painted some notable faces, including Leslie Mann, Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst, and Kristen Stewart, all of whom she’s worked with for years (although her longest standing client is her husband, Patrick Dempsey also known as McDreamy).
Delux eventually became a makeup brand and caught Avon’s eye. In 2006, she became their first global creative color director. It was a nice run (six years), but she had her own ideas percolating. “I always wanted to do something in the organic arena for people on-the-go who didn’t have time to do step-by-step, A-to-Z makeup,” she says. “Mine is lazy girl makeup.”
The organic, “natural” Jillian Dempsey line debuted in 2015 with one item: Khol Eye Liners. Lid Tints followed a year later, then Cheek Tints came out earlier this year, and, this month, the Gold Sculpting Bar.
“Why do brands have to create an entire wasteful line of everything?” gripes Dempsey. “As an artist or creator, we have a sense of what’s needed to help people. Why not create hero products that make sense so you can explain to your customers why they would want to wear them? I like to get lean and mean in my beauty routine.”
Dempsey spoke with the Cut about her wrestling talents, the reason she doesn’t own fancy towels and her love/hate relationship with tortoise poo.
What, if anything, is usually on your lips? Nuxe Honey Lip Balm or [Japanese brand] MMO Lipstick in 01.
What beauty look do you just not get? Gold iridescent glittery highlight on upper cheekbones in broad daylight.
Who’s the funniest person you’ve ever applied makeup to? It’s a tie between Leslie Mann and Jennifer Lawrence.
Which client made you the most nervous? Perhaps a story from your early days? An actress once hit me with a hairbrush because it wasn’t a Mason Pearson. It was one of my first jobs doing hair and makeup. I tried to hide from her the rest of the day.
Bag of choice: Bottega Veneta large Roma bag in black. Also known as, my house on the road.
Work shoe of choice: Onitsuka Tiger sneakers.
Casual shoe of choice: Adidas solid black slip-ons.
Netflix and chill outfit: Bleusalt hoodie and lounge pants.
What do you have too many of? T-shirts.
Top item currently at the top of your fashion wish list: Celine gray cashmere coat.
Fashion item you can’t believe you once used to wear: I can think of a few bizarre caps and overalls.
What is your classic daily uniform? Gray or black jeans, T-shirts, belt, sneakers, and my Jillian Dempsey custom-designed rose-gold jewelry, stacked.
Bed linens of choice: Frette.
Towel brand of choice: I’ll answer this once our twin boys stop using our towels so I can buy nice, pristine ones.
Toilet paper over or under? Proper etiquette is over, but I like the under. Not going to lie.
Any random childhood claims to fame? I could beat anyone at arm wrestling, even any boy.
Who would star as you in the film adaptation? I guess Leslie Mann is a top choice. She is younger, so I’d need to do her makeup to age her, and add on prosthetic “man hands” to mirror mine.
What do you do or take when you can’t sleep? Meditation.
Jetlag cure: Sit for 20 minutes, eye closed, outside facing the sun. It resets the entire body.
Cold cure: Colloidal silver.
Headache cure: My manicurist, Crystal and her magic hands on my neck and temples. Also, coffee.
Hiccups cure: Hold your breath and count.
Favorite smell? My farm animals, oddly. I have 14 animals (and they were fortunately safely rescued from the Woolsey fires). Two donkeys (Mable and Styx), my pig (Hank), three goats (Larry, Moe, and Juliette), four roosters, a tortoise (Clover), three rabbits, along with three dogs at home and four lizards.
Least favorite smell? My farm animals’ poop! Especially my 150-pound tortoise!
What do you think Pantone’s color of 2019 should be? Basically what it is! Coral is an all-time fave shade of mine. It looks so different on everyone. There are coral shade beauty-radicals out there and I’m in the club. Orange hues are known to be associated with creativity, balance, freedom, and fun. I think this world could use that about now.
What item stresses you out if you’re running low on it? Paul Scerri Ultra Active Eye Contour Cream that I’ve used since I was 20 years old religiously. I get depressed thinking it may go away. I’m addicted to the scent and the weight of the formula. My eyes soak it up. I will buy every last container and put it in refrigeration if I get wind of this happening.
If you could hire anyone, who would it be? My daughter.
Favorite meal and where: Pomme frites, spring rolls, truffle risotti at Café Avenue, Paris.
Most impressive dish you make: Lettuce cups filled with mint, vegetable, and tofu scramble.
What food would you never eat? Anything with four legs.
Most recently binged TV show: The Sinner.
What product in your company’s domain is misunderstood and should be a best seller? I wish more people knew that my Lid Tints can also be used as great “mixers” with powder eye shadows. As an artist, I think about mixing the medium to help move and blend and get a perfect flow. It’s the best version of “worn-in.”
Yes,this is cruel, but what is your favorite product in your domain? Rich Brown Khol Eyeliner. It’s the only thing that gives my eyes the proper smudge. It adds definition but still looks like it’s naturally mine.
What do you foresee as the top beauty trends in 2019? Brighter lips and cheeks. I see less focus on contour and overstated brows. I have noticed some thinner brows lately, but I don’t want history to repeat itself completely! Once you over-tweeze, they rarely come back!
If you won the Power Ball tomorrow, what are the first five things you would do? (After, of course, donating the majority of it to your top charities…) Buy a farm sanctuary to rescue animals as well as a lab in Tokyo, and to be able to produce endless amounts of organic, natural beauty products.
They’re Celine (of course), and they make her wide blue eyes appear even wider when she is demonstrating her new Gold Sculpting Bar, a device about the size of a razor, whose vibrating pulses are meant to de-puff jowls and help tone skin.
“I wouldn’t put my name on this if it didn’t work.”
Perhaps she got her straight-shooting demeanor from her native Texas, though Dempsey grew up in Los Angeles, and by her teens, found herself gravitating toward the punk scene.
“I remember being obsessed with this bad-ass girl named Beth who had this hairstyle that was shaved on one side, and the other side always fell perfectly into place,” she remembers. “I can’t remember not being attracted to slightly dangerous things my mom didn’t know about, but I also got straight A’s, so I got by.”
By 14, she was working at a salon and selling private-label lash conditioning oil to classmates at school. After graduation, she tried college, but decided to follow her beauty instincts and attend the Charles Ross School of Hair Design in West Hollywood. Simultaneously, she was assisting at another salon and working on music videos with the likes of Butthold Surfers and Duran Duran.
She earned her degree, did a stint at Shu Uemura, and even opened Delux beauty parlor with her sister, but doing both hair and makeup was too much.
“At some point, I realized I had to choose,” she recalls. “I chose makeup because I liked painting faces.
And she’s painted some notable faces, including Leslie Mann, Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst and Kristen Stewart, all of whom she’s worked with for years.
Delux eventually became a makeup brand and caught Avon’s eye. In 2006, she became their first global creative color director. It was a nice run (six years), but she had her own ideas percolating.
“I always wanted to do something in the organic arena for people on the go who didn’t have time to do step by step, A to Z makeup,” she says. “Mine is lazy girl makeup.”
The organic Jillian Dempsey line debuted in 2015 with one item: Khol Eye Liners. Lid Tints followed a year later, then Cheek Tints came out earlier this year, and, this month, the Gold Sculpting Bar.
“Why do brands have to create an entire wasteful line of everything?” gripes Dempsey. “As an artist or creator, we have a sense of what’s needed to help people. Why not create hero products that make sense so you can explain to your customers why they would want to wear them? I like to get lean and mean in my beauty routine.”
Dempsey spoke with the Cut about her wrestling talents, the reason she doesn’t own fancy towels and her love/hate relationship with tortoise poo.
Bath or shower?
Shower, with Molton Brown Coco and Sandalwood shower gel.
Shampoo/Conditioner of choice:
Virtue Labs Recovery Shampoo and Conditioner.
Most relied on hairstyling product and/or tool:
Pin curl clips from Tokyo, and Oribe Creme for Style, and sometimes a Dyson hairdryer.
Body lotion of choice:
Dr. Sturm Anti-aging Body Lotion and Biotone Pure Touch Organics Lotion.
Facial cleanser of choice:
Three Clearing Foam, from Japan.
Scent of choice:
Abel Golden Neroli
Favorite CDB product:
Looking. Can you recommend one for sleeping?
Scented candle of choice:
Le Feu de L’eau in Ivoire.
What, if anything, is usually on your lips?
Nuxe Honey Lip Balm or [Japanese brand] MMO Lipstick in 01
What shade, if any, is usually on your toes and/or hands?
Buff polish, or no color on hands. Anything from dark mushroom to off-black on toes, and nude peach in Summer/Spring.
What beauty look do you just not get?
Gold iridescent glittery highlight on upper cheekbones in broad daylight.
If you could choose only one makeup product to have in your kit, what would it be?
My Ruby Cheek Tint for lip, cheek and eyes. It’s a triple header.
If you could pick only one makeup TOOL in your kit, what would it be? Rubis tweezers.
Who’s the funniest person you’ve ever applied makeup to?
It’s a tie between Leslie Mann and Jennifer Lawrence.
Which client made you the most nervous? Perhaps a story from your early days?
An actress once hit me with a hairbrush because it wasn’t a Mason Pearson. It was one of my first jobs doing hair and makeup. I tried to hide from her the rest of the day.
Bag of choice:
Bottega Veneta large Roma bag in black. Aka, my house on the road.
Work shoe of choice:
Onitsuka Tiger sneakers.
Casual shoe of choice:
Adidas solid black slip-ons.
Netflix and chill outfit:
Bleusalt hoodie and lounge pants.
What do you have too many of?
Tee shirts.
What fashion look do you not get?
I have an appreciation for winged fringe-sleeve shirts, but I can’t pull them off myself.
What fashion look do you struggle with?
Certain shades of camel-beige on my upper body wash me out.
Top item currently at the top of your fashion wish list:
Celine grey cashmere coat.
Fashion item you would never wear:
Teenager-style high-waisted ripped-edge, curved-upwards shorts with a midriff top.
Fashion item you can’t believe you once used to wear:
I can think of a few bizarre caps and overalls.
What is your classic daily uniform?
Grey or black jeans, t-shirts, belt, sneakers and my Jillian Dempsey custom designed rose gold jewelry, stacked.
Style icon:
Kate Moss.
What do you splurge on?
Shoes and makeup.
What do you scrimp on?
Dresses.
Bed linens of choice:
Frette.
Towel brand of choice:
I’ll answer this once our twin boys stop using our towels so I can buy nice, pristine ones.
Toilet paper over or under?
Proper etiquette is over, but I like the under. Not gonna lie.
Any random childhood claims to fame?
I could beat anyone at arm wrestling, even any boy.
Favorite podcasts?
I really like Hillary Kerr’s “Second Life” podcast.
What phrase or word are you known for saying?
“This is the thing.” And “The thing is…”
What tests your patience?
The disrespect of animals.
What word or phrase drives you crazy when others say it?
“Kiddo.
Last great book you read?
I’m currently reading “Life After Life” by Kate Atkinson. My sister and I are obsessed with her other novel, “Case Histories,” so she got this one for me.
What would the name of your autobiography be?
Macgyver JD: Make it Happen!
Who would star as you in the film adaptation?
I guess Leslie Mann is a top choice. She is younger, so I’d need to do her makeup to age her, and add on prosthetic “man hands” to mirror mine.
What hit movie did you think was ridiculous or just not love while everyone else did?
“The Nun” (My son made me go)
What do you do or take when you can’t sleep?
Meditation.
Jetlag cure:
Sit for 20 minutes, eye closed, outside facing the sun. It resets the entire body.
Cold cure:
Colloidal silver.
Headache cure:
Crystal, my manicurist and her magic hands on my neck and temples. Also, coffee.
Hiccups cure:
Hold breath and count.
Favorite smell?
My farm animals, oddly.
Least favorite smell?
My farm animals’ poop! Especially my 150 lb tortoise!
What do you think Pantone’s color of 2019 should be?
Basically what it is! Coral is an all-time fave shade of mine. Looks so different on everyone depending upon the level. There are coral shade beauty-radicals out there … (I’m in the club). Orange hues are known to be associated with creativity, balance, freedom and fun. I believe this world could use that about now.
What is always in your fridge?
Unsweetened black tropical passion iced tea.
Most used item in your kitchen, appliance or otherwise:
The sink.
Beach or woods?
Beach.
Favorite outdoor activity:
Swimming.
Go-to Karoake song:
Weezer is always fun.
Go-to happy or workout song:
“Hypnotize” by Biggie.
What item stresses you out if you’re running low on it? Paul Scerri Ultra Active Eye Contour Cream that I’ve used as a night cream for decades.
What do you wish you had invented?
Post-it notes, obviously.
What would you still like to invent?
Currently in the works! More on that later!
Where do you go when you need quiet?
Our lakehouse in the middle of nowhere.
What talent do you wish you had?
Winning at arm wrestling with my husband.
Most impressive measurement you take to minimize your carbon footprint?
Glass straws.
Who in your opinion is currently crushing it?
My boxing trainer, Leyon Azubuike.
If you could hire anyone, who would it be?
My daughter.
What is your achilles heel?
Proscrastinating [when I should be] packing my makeup bag for jobs.
Favorite Instagram:
@CURIOUSCRAVINGZ
Favorite meal and where:
Pomme frites, spring rolls, truffle risotti at Cafe Avenue, Paris.
Comfort food:
Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups.
Most impressive dish you make:
Lettuce cups filled with mint, vegetable and tofu scramble.
What food would you never eat?
Anything with four legs.
Most recently binged TV show:
The Sinner.
Whose artwork would you love to have in your home?
More Banksy.
What product in your company’s domain is misunderstood and should be a best seller? I wish more people knew that my Lid Tints can also be used as great “mixers” with powder eyeshadows. As an artist, I think about mixing the medium to help move and blend and get a perfect flow. It’s the best version of “worn-in.”
Yes,this is cruel, but what is your favorite product in your domain?
Rich Brown Khol Eyeliner. Can’t be without it, ever.
What do you foresee as the top beauty trends in 2019?
Brighter lips and cheeks. Less focus on contour and overstated brows. I have noticed some thinner brows lately, but I don’t want history to repeat itself completely! Once you over-tweeze, they rarely come back!
If you won the Power Ball tomorrow, what are the first five things you would do? (after, of course, donating the majority of it to your top charities…) Buy a farm sanctuary to rescue animals as well as a lab in Tokyo, and to be able to produce endless amounts of organic, natural beauty products.
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