With her skunk-streaked hair and taste for outlandish fashion, London-based makeup artist Alex Box has been called the Daphne Guinness of the beauty industry. Three years ago she was named creative director of Illamasqua, a cosmetics line full of shades that are as bold and expressive as she is. Here, the polymath color queen—who also paints and stages makeup “performances” set to music—shares a few of her favorite things.
COLOR
I collect color like a magpie feathers her nest: I’ve got
well-thumbed
Pantone books, swatches of fabric, ribbons, anything that
catches my eye. It feeds my creativity and has an incredibly positive
energy. When people see me in acid pink on a rainy London
afternoon,
they say, “Ooh, you’ve cheered me up!”
POWER PERFUME
Exotic, heady, decadent fragrances made of resins and spices
always attract me.
Alahine by Téo Cabanel is an alluring amber that slowly reveals its
sensual layers over time. I also love Arabie by
Serge Lutens, an
intoxicating blend of Moroccan mysteries
that I layer over the original
Fendi by Fendi, which is a gorgeous power scent with depth and
haughtiness.
SO HIGH SOHO BOUTIQUE, LONDON
A psychedelic costume
store/old-fashioned head shop in
the heart of Soho, it’s a tiny trove
of the bizarre, selling everything from spiked motorbike helmets to
fright wigs, showgirl outfits to
tea towels. I love its messy fantasy,
and I’m always rummaging through the boxes looking for an inspirational
piece.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK SOUNDTRACK
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s
album is a beautiful mixture of stark industrial electronica and
stirring solo piano flanked by sorrowful strings.
MATCHA GREEN TEA
Green tea imbues delight through every pore. When I’m in Paris, I stock up at
Mariage Frères, which offers exquisite tea, packaging, and service.
ILLAMASQUA LIPSTICK IN BOX
Like every other woman out there, I’ve long
searched for the
ultimate “that’s me” red. Box is killer because it
leans toward
blue without becoming too cold. It has the perfect balance
of hue and texture, depth and opacity.
