Romy Soleimani’s Instagram feed offers a glimpse into her impressive portfolio — and scrolling through it is like browsing the fashion-magazine section of your local bodega. Last month alone, she painted subtle winged liner and a coral lip on Angelina Jolie for a night out in New York City, then gave the Oscar-winning actress a sultry smoky eye for the cover of Vogue Mexico. She also glammed Julianne Moore for the December cover of L’Officiel and worked with Lisa, Sydney Sweeney, and Danielle Deadwyler for Vanity Fair’s annual Hollywood Issue.
The New York City native, 50, got her start in the late ’90s assisting legendary makeup artist Linda Cantello on set for Calvin Klein, alongside fashion-industry icons Joe McKenna, Guido Palau, and Steven Klein. “It was the first season that Calvin Klein shot all the actors and celebrities and musicians,” Soleimani tells the Cut. “It was Foxy Brown and Jimmy Fallon and all these young, up-and-coming cool kids of 1998.” The timing couldn’t have been better, either. Cantello was booking 30 fashion shows a season back then — from Comme des Garçons to Gucci and Tom Ford to Phoebe Philo’s Chloé and Yohji Yamamoto — and Soleimani was along for the ride.
Soleimani soon started booking shows, campaigns, and editorial spreads of her own. Now, two decades later, she’s a renowned fashion makeup artist who still has a soft spot for the industry. “I will never not do fashion; it’s my heart and soul,” she says, despite also establishing herself as a sought-after celebrity makeup artist. Soleimani’s high-profile clients over the years include Alicia Keys, Cara Delevingne, Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman, and Tracee Ellis Ross. They come to her for the skin-first approach she’s been perfecting since the beginning of her career. “I’ve been doing glowy, dewy, nourished skin since way before it was trending,” she says. Hint: She also has incredible skin herself.
Below, Soleimani tells us about her hydration-heavy beauty routine and the makeup products she always has on hand (for herself and her clients).
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A.M. beauty routine
I love a smoothie in the morning. I use standard-process protein powder, frozen blueberries, ice, and a mix of hemp, flax, and chia seeds. I used to put like 15,000 things in my smoothies, but I don’t have time for that anymore. I also take vitamin D drops, but I don’t take a ton of supplements.
I start with the Even Balance toning formula from Epi.Logic. (I only cleanse at night.) I love the feeling of an essence. It immediately provides light hydration and feels like it’s prepping the skin for moisture. I feel like I’m giving my skin a little cushion of love. Also, the packaging is so chic. I then apply the Auro vitamin C serum. It contains glutathione, which has a lot of healing quality and brings out a glow in the skin. I also use the Irene Forte Hibiscus Night Cream for daytime. I need extra hydration, especially this time of year. This one feels rich and not too glossy or clogging. I’ve been using Neova’s sunblock lately. It’s nice because it gives the skin a little bit of a blur.
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P.M. beauty routine
I switch up my cleansers, but lately I’ve been using True Calm from Epi.Logic. I also like the one from Vintner’s Daughter because it has an astringent quality to it, so you really feel like you’re getting a good cleanse even though it’s a cream. If I’m feeling clogged, I’ll then go in with the Eighth Day Resurfacing Tonic. But I really try not to go overboard; I don’t want to overstrip the skin because it just makes you more susceptible to sun damage.
I throw on a lot of hydration at night. I apply the Epi.Logic Even Balance again — I use it both morning and night — then the DNA Total Repair serum from Neova over the top. I also like the Valmont Hydra3 Regenerative Serum and the Auro G Antioxidant Revitalization Serum. If I really want to load it on, I’ll apply the Retrouvé Intensive Replenishing Facial Moisturizer, which is almost like putting molasses on your face, or the Valmont overnight face mask. It’s got honey in it, so I use it when I need a lot of hydration, either before bed or even as a facial moisturizer during a flight. And I put everything on my neck. I go in and out of using retinol. If I do use it, I use the Environ Youth EssentiA Sequence Serum 2.
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On her favorite skin-care tools and devices
I was recently reintroduced to the ZIIP Halo. It’s a microcurrent device, but there’s also a nanocurrent setting. I’ve found that it actually helps with pigmentation, which is fascinating and amazing. I also use the Déesse LED face mask. One thing I love that I recently installed is the Jolie filtered showerhead. It sat in a box for two months. I was too lazy to install it. But I finally did, and honestly, my hair is so much softer. My skin is softer. I’ve actually noticed a dramatic difference; I was surprised.
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On how she preps skin before applying make-up
I don’t really do Botox or anything like that. I do a lot of prep. A lot. I’ve been icing and sculpting the face as part of my prep for years. I’m all about loving and preserving the skin. I don’t just slap products onto my face. I try to think about giving myself a little bit of love when I apply skin care; I take time to massage everything in. I also do prep on celebrities and models so they can sort relax and feel good. They feel taken care of and loved, so when they step in front of the camera, they feel like the best version of themselves.
I use the Valmont Renewing Pack sometimes before an event if I just want an extra little cushiony hydration. It has the consistency of old-school Eastern European skin care. It feels like you’re putting a cold cream on your face. I then use my Sisley-Paris gua sha that’s been sitting in ice. I love it because it stays cold and there’s one side that’s ridged, which I like to use to massage the scalp a little bit (on clients, usually; I’m more lazy when it comes to my own routine). It’s shaped like a ginkgo biloba leaf. I use the dipped part on the jawline and the bottom ball-shaped part of it on the sides of the nose in between the brows.
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On her philosophy as a make-up artist
The way I do makeup is I go back and forth between makeup and skin care. I start with all the skin care, but it’s not like step one is all skin care and step two is all makeup. I love to highlight the skin with an eye cream or serum as opposed to a shiny highlighter stick. It’s almost like, if I were an artist, I would be more into oil paint as opposed to acrylic that just dries and becomes chalky. I’m into makeup that you can manipulate with your hands.
For day-to-day, I sometimes wear foundation but typically just concealer. I love the NARS Soft Matte concealer because it works well with my skin type. I apply the Westman Atelier concealer on my sun spots, since the pigmentation is very intense. I like to use lipstick on my cheeks and tap it into my lips so they feel hydrated but not too shiny. The product I use for that is the Sisley-Paris Phyto-Lip Balm in shade “Crush.” I love Victoria Beckham’s eyeliners. The Make Up For Ever Artist Couture pencils are also great. I also love to mist the skin with the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist, which has an orange-blossom neroli scent. I’m a big believer in all things sensory. If I use powder, it’s the Givenchy one because it doesn’t read as powder. It looks like you don’t have anything on your face, especially in photographs.
