Linda Mason

Early life

Linda Mason was born in Sunderland, in the northeast of England, on Friday, 13 September 1946. Linda's mother, who expertly imitated the hottest designer fashions of the day and whose eccentric home renovations transformed their neighborhood, inspired in her a fascination for artistic expression. She got her start in the beauty industry modeling for haute couture designers in Paris while studying makeup.

Career

Linda moved to Beirut to teach makeup and sell cosmetics for Lancôme. In the late 70s, she returned to Paris and became the premier makeup artist for Helena Rubenstein. While making rounds at fashion shows, Linda observed that makeup done by the models themselves was totally out of sync with the incredible fashions they were wearing. Linda then reinvented the role of makeup on the runway by personally applying the models’ makeup. She worked on early collections for Jean-Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Comme des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto, Giorgio Armani, and Issey Miyake. The diligence, skill, and ingenuity of these designers inspired her to further develop and refine her own work.

In the early 80s, Linda moved to New York, where her cutting-edge work continued to make headlines. In response to a look Linda created for photographer Steven Meisel, the Wall Street Journal stated that "Mason…took face painting out of punk and into high fashion." Linda also worked with many celebrities, including Cameron Diaz, Uma Thurman, Brooke Shields and Charlize Theron.

Present

Linda launched her own makeup company, Linda Mason Elements, Inc., in 1987. In 1988, she developed cosmetic kits which were carried at Henri Bendel, Barney's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. Her habit of painting pictures of her daughter, Daisy, who was born in 1986, led her to discover her love for portraiture. She also continued to explore other styles of visual art, including multi-media collage and glass art. Her pieces range in style from classical to abstract, reflecting her dynamic personality and variety of sources of inspiration. In 1998 Linda opened "The Art of Beauty by Linda Mason," a shop and gallery in Soho, New York City.

Publications

Linda has published several books: Linda Mason's Sun Sign Makeovers (1985) and later Tanaka-Mason-Kostabi (1992), a collaborative book. More recently, Makeup, The Art of Beauty, a complete handbook of techniques and approaches refined over her career, was published in September 2003 and re-released in paperback May 2007; in October 2004, Teen Makeup, Looks to Match Your Every Mood; and in April 2008 Eye Candy: 55 easy makeup looks for glam lids and luscious lashes.