Described by The Independent as "one of the brightest new make-up artist talents to emerge since Pat McGrath", Alex Box is an unconventional make-up artist whose amazing creations have adorned the faces of models for Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney, and celebrities as varied as Sienna Miller, Eva Herzigová and Courtney Love. She is the creative director of the make-up brand Illamasqua, a heady mix of high-octane glamour and dark drama. Having studied fine arts at the Chelsea College of Art & Design, Box is known for the theatrical, pushing the boundaries of make-up and taking it to a new level. In Dubai recently to promote the launch of her new collection, she talked to Jemma Nicholls about her creativity and passions.
ALEX'S WORLD
MY LIFE MOTTO IS ... seize the day - carpe diem. THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE EVER GOTTEN WAS ... it's a stayer's race - life is tough but you have to be in it to win it. FIVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME ARE ... genuine, passionate, soulful, daydreamer, innovative. MY INSPIRATION IS ... music, the people I meet and the countries I visit. BEFORE MY PASSION FOR MAKE-UP I WAS ... an artist. I did fine art, installations, film, sculpture, moulding and crafting images. This has influenced what I do now - it's come full circle. MY STYLE IS ... theatrical and conceptual. I'm a Hollywood reclusive in the Forties era. I adore clothes that make an effect plus accessories and make-up from different times. THE UAE IS ... wonderful for the graciousness and compassion that women have for each other here. They are really celebratory of each other. It's infectious and people are very polite.
