Name: Carisa Janes
Location: Venice, CA
Day job/current gig: CEO and Founder of Hourglass Cosmetics
Hangouts online: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and hourglasscosmetics.com
Current favorite Product: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
Beauty inspirations: Creativity in any form, art, architecture, photography, technology, film & design. I’m also inspired by different locations — Venice (CA), Tokyo, Stockholm.
One word that best describes your outlook on beauty: Insatiable
What makeup/beauty products can’t you live without?
Veil Mineral Primer — I forget how important it is until I neglect to use it. Veil Fluid Makeup has been my go-to foundation for many years, and Ambient Lighting Powder is hard to resist. Over the course of a day, I use Dim Light, Radiant Light and Luminous Light, in that order. It’s my personal lighting technician.
When did you start getting into makeup?
All the women in my family, including my grandmother, my mother and my step-mother, were beauty enthusiasts. As a teenager I’ll never forget my mother taking me to the Chanel counter of a department store in California. The fact you could express yourself with makeup has long inspired me. It still does.
What’s your best beauty time-saving trick?
I always wear a primer, so that my makeup has longevity. I use multitasking products, such as a foundation with anti-aging ingredients and SPF. And, like most women, I can apply mascara in my car while stopped at a red light.
What’s your favorite beauty tool?
I have three essential tools: a curling iron by Hot Tools, tweezers and my Double-Ended Complexion Brush. I use it to apply foundation, blush and concealer. The fact it’s retractable means it’s travel-friendly.
What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?
Let’s see. There’s drink water, sleep well, work out, exfoliate, and use sunscreen every day. Wear makeup — that’s also a good one.
What’s your skincare routine?
Two things I feel strongly about are exfoliating regularly and using an SPF product every day. I use RéVive Cleanser Exfoliante, and wear Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 42. I cleanse with Tatcha’s One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, and currently use Prevage MD as my anti-aging serum.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty?
It’s not especially wacky but there was a period when I was partial to wearing colored contact lenses. They were a hazel green shade.
Do you have a trademark look (hair/styling/makeup)?
I like natural-looking makeup on myself, and natural beach hair. When it comes to fashion, I’m drawn to architectural pieces, bold jewelry and statement shoes. I like to mix in vintage pieces and accessories.
Are there any beauty decisions you’ve made that you look back on and ask yourself “why?!”
In my early 20s I went through a stage of dying my hair, naturally a chestnut shade, black and then bright red. I wonder about that decision sometimes.
Where are your favorite places to shop?
The most amazing shopping destination I’ve come across lately would be Stockholm. Scandinavian designers are remarkably talented. The department store NK Stockholm is a repository of cool brands and a great place to explore.
Anything else you want to share?
If you can only invest in one thing, make it a top-notch foundation.
How nice!!! It’s always great to be able to read about others 🙂 I have actually just posted about Hourglass Cosmetics few days ago on my blog 🙂
That’s so awesome that you got to interview her. She is sooo beautiful and her her is gorgeous!
‘Wear makeup’, now that’s a good trick! haha 😉
These interviews are so fun. I’ve actually had the chance to visit NK Stockholm and now I’m feeling kind of fancy! 🙂
This is the most amazing post, she’s is so beautiful and interesting and has such amazing tips!! Incredible x
http://www.healthyyetbeautiful.blogspot.co.uk
Oh wow, it’s so nice to read an interview about the founder of one of my favorite brands here! Thanks, Karen! Carisa does have an amazing insight of beauty 🙂
Great to hear who is behind the brand.
She sounds so down to earth. Ack, the double ended brush she uses is out of stock!
I really enjoyed reading this. Unfortunately, Hourglass is not a brand I have tried. It’s prices lean towards what I call luxury brands (like Chanel). So it’s not a brand that I consider in my price range.
I love when you do these posts! They’re so fun and inspirational. Carisa is a mastermind for coming up with Hourglass and all these amazing products! She has an awesome eye for beauty!
Fantastic!
It’s always so interesting when you get to ‘meet’ the people behind makeup brands, and they’re so genuine! Love these posts, Karen 🙂
Love it when my hometown of Stockholm gets a shout out on an international blog <3
If we now just could get an hourglass counter here….
I love these posts! She’s such a gem and a natural beauty! I love she uses her own products (which are fab of course) but I also likes that she uses a mix of other products, from the more natural to the heavy hitting scientific. I wish their foundations came in lighter shades!
I don’t own any Hourglass, but this is a great interview! Those blushes look so amazing. I wish the nude lip pencils worked for me, but nude lips just are not meant for me.
Yay for Hourglass!
I adore Hourglass cosmetics although I don’t personally own any items. I planned on picking up the Ambient Lighting Palette but it sold out quickly on Sephora’s website. I really regret not grabbing it when I had the chance!