Meet Robin Black
Passionate about art of every kind, makeup artist and photographer Robin Black, our new Sisley Artist in Residence, sees every face as a blank canvas conducive to the expression of her overflowing creativity. We meet this lover of color who never holds back with her brush.
For over 20 years, Robin Black has been working as a make-up artist with a host of celebrities, publications and fashion designers. However, despite a keen interest in fine arts, she initially embarked on a completely different career, far from the spotlight:
“I studied Biochemistry at university and I worked for almost six years in the high-tech industry. In my heart of hearts, I think that I would have preferred to go to art school, especially as I was taking painting lessons, but it was too late to change direction.”
Bored and weary, she ended up quitting her job in Silicon Valley and setting off to travel around the world looking for lost inspiration.
The art of make-up
On her return a few months later, Robin Black met the French make-up artist Laura Mercier who, after a successful test, offered her the opportunity to become National Make-up Artist for her eponymous cosmetics brand.
Although she had never been interested in make-up and barely wore it, Robin discovered the profession in department stores, where she made up some twenty people a day.
“I imagined that the products were tubes of paint and I used techniques that I had learnt in visual arts lessons to choose and position the colours, shadow and light.”
From behind the scenes to the spotlight
After this first experience, she worked backstage at prestigious fashion shows (Diane Von Furstenberg, Mugler, Gucci, etc.), which led to her being spotted by influential magazines, such as Allure and Elle USA, that emphasised her unusual career path and creative approach to beauty.
“I quickly understood that make-up allowed me to combine my passions for painting, fashion, photography and chemistry.”
Alongside her work with designers and celebrities (Selena Gomez, Cindy Crawford, Eva Mendez, Jessica Chastain, etc.), Robin Black enjoys creating conceptual, colourful looks on multiple faces, which she immortalised with a Polaroid then, a few years later, a digital camera.
From 2012 to 2018, she shared her photos on Beauty is Boring, a blog extremely popular with make-up and photography enthusiasts, before deciding to display her work exclusively on the Instagram account of the same name, which today counts almost 150,000 followers: “When I began posting my photos on the app, more and more beauty professionals began to take an interest in my work. This has allowed me to connect with incredible brands, particularly Sisley.”
Robin Black x Sisley, a lasting partnership
“Being invited to become Artist in Residence by Sisley makes me feel like things are coming full circle, like a nod to how I started out.”
Robin Black's sincere affection for Sisley came about very naturally, when the make-up artist was looking for the most high-performance make-up products for her professional kit as well as for her personal use:
“I discovered Sisley over ten years ago, when I was looking for the perfect neutral red and I found it! It is Phyto-Lip Twist no.18 by the name of “Tango”, and its colour and texture are perfect,” recalls Robin, who – after this first firm favourite – began to test other products from the brand, particularly the foundations and face care routines, and has never stopped since.
“Sisley make-up combines performance, expert formulas and intense pigmentation, while being easy and beautiful to wear on a daily basis.”
Rule-free beauty
The make-up artist stands out with a spontaneous approach to beauty, where the golden rule is that there are none: “Applying make-up does not come down to carrying out a dozen steps in a precise order and there is no right or wrong way to do it. It's a fun moment that should allow you to express yourself and bring you pleasure. You’re 80 years old and want to wear purple eyeliner? Go for it!”
“Having fun with make-up is risk-free because it all disappears at the sweep of a wipe.”
Discover Robin's advice and tips to play with the so-called rules of beauty:
Robin Black's inspirations
A seasoned globetrotter, Robin Black finds much of her inspiration from travel. “The first time that I went to Mumbai changed the way I see colours forever. Reds, pinks and yellows combined but never clashed, with an extreme elegance,” the make-up artist recalls. A beauty lover, she is also inspired by art of every kind, appreciating classic works just as much as street art, photography, fashion, cinema, architecture and design.
“I think that when you live life to the full and take it all, the good and the bad alike, and you rise to the challenge of opening your eyes and your mind, inspiration comes constantly and naturally.”