Pixiwoo’;s Nic Haste and Sam Chapman. If you happen to be even remotely interested in makeup, then possibilities are, you’;ve heard of Pixiwoo. The YouTube channel founded by Uk-based sisters and makeup artists Sam Chapman and Nic Haste boasts far more than one.8 million subscribers (yes, million), 200 million views and counting, and a library of a lot more than 700 tutorial videos.
Pixiwoo are also the professionals behind Actual Strategies, the reasonably priced, professional-top quality line of makeup brushes that I will bet you have also heard of. When I located out Sam and Nic have been coming to Canada as portion of a True Strategies road display tour, OF Course I HAD TO meet them.
With Pixiwoo in Toronto, Canada. (Yep, this was significantly far more thrilling to me than speaking to any previous Hollywood celebrity.)
The massive information for Canada is that Actual Tactics is now obtainable at Rexall, Pharma Plus, London Medication, Uniprix and pick Familiprix, Lawtons Medication and Pharmasave merchants. So fundamentally everywhere. Amazon.ca, as well.
Now on to the interview. I sat down for tea with the Pixiwoo sisters (how English, correct?) and acquired chatting about goods, guidelines and attractiveness in the digital age. Here we go!
How did you get started out as makeup artists?
Nic: We have each completed two years of media makeup straight from school. The purpose we went down that route is simply because our auntie is a makeup artist. She was genuinely, truly effective. She utilized to do Lady Diana, David Bowie and loads of celebrities, and it appeared genuinely, really glamorous. She employed to let us help on shoots. So we the two left college, went to college and then went on to working counters and performing freelance as effectively.
Why did you choose to produce a YouTube channel?
Sam: I was heavily pregnant at the time. A buddy asked me how to do a smoky eye and I did not come to feel like answering the e-mail. So I just figured I would movie it and break it down, because it was so much quicker for me to in fact just do a quick smoky eye and film it than it was for me to e mail it. You cannot really even email that. So I uploaded it to YouTube.
Nic: I think then we didn’;t even know what parts of the eyes have been known as, really.
Sam: Never you ever keep in mind when you had been a child and you utilized to get Look magazine or what ever, and they’;d have the breakdowns of the seems. And you’;d be like, “How did they get from that to that?” I don’;t really get it. You did not show me. So I filmed it, place it on YouTube, contemplating that was it. That was not it since loads of other men and women watched it and commenced requesting much more movies. So I uploaded one more one, and then Nic acquired concerned and that is how it kind of began. That was October 2008.
A late-night Skype session with Real Strategies. You must have been the only makeup artists on YouTube at the time.
Sam: Totally. We had been the first actual makeup artists to do it.
How did the partnership with Real Techniques come about?
Sam: We started the YouTube channel in late 2008. And then in 2010, True Strategies received in make contact with. So we would been on there just in excess of a year. They received in make contact with and said that they were seeking to develop this brand, all primarily based in the social media and YouTube room. Were we interested?
What appealed to you about the brand?
Sam: When we began speaking to Real Techniques, I thought, “This could be truly excellent.” Simply because first of all, they needed to make the brushes synthetic, which at the time—and now—I’;m like, “That’;s brilliant.” It truly is truly unique there’;s a gap in the market and synthetic, if you can do it properly, is a considerably a lot more resilient and versatile materials than true hair. Also, they were really keen on it becoming worldwide and very keen on it getting inexpensive for all ladies. That really sat very nicely with what we have been performing in the YouTube area.
Do you have a favourite brush?
Sam: It’;s hard [to choose], but the Face Brush is most likely my all-time favourite. I use it for basis, blusher, bronzer—basically every little thing.
Genuine Methods Skilled Face Brush. I love them all, but this entire set [the Core Collection Set] is a actually useful, brilliant set.
Genuine Tactics Core Assortment Set. Nic: I like the Blush Brush.
Real Tactics Blush Brush. I also like the Deluxe Crease Brush [from the Starter Set]. It is an eyeshadow blending brush, but really, we use it a good deal to put concealer all around the eyes. It truly is great for eyeshadow as nicely.
True Techniques Starter Set. What other products are you loving lately?
Nic: At the moment, I’;m truly liking a Bobbi Brown foundation. It really is in a small pot. I do not know what it really is called. It is a moisturizing 1 in a tiny glass pot. I am going to have to Google it even though Sam’;s talking.
Sam: I will do mine whilst you Google it.
I really like your makeup bag.
Sam: Thank you! Liberty sent me that. Do you know Liberty London? It’;s like a big division shop. We have to have featured something of theirs and the subsequent day, this came by way of the post for me. I was like, “Oh my God!”
Marc by Marc Jacobs Striped Cosmetics Bag. Appropriate, favourite basis at present is this [Estée Lauder Enlighten EE Even Effect Skintone Corrector].
Estée Lauder Enlighten EE Even Impact Skintone Corrector. It truly is new. It really is extremely very good if you have dry skin. The complete issue is it is an even effect—it evens out the skin tone, but it looks very significantly like a tinted moisturizer. It is got a minor bit of sheen in it. So if you have dry skin, it truly provides the illusion of healthier skin, which I enjoy. And I have that in two colours always. I mix them with each other generally, but at the second I’;m variety of far more the Light.
This is brilliant, the Clarins Quick Concealer. It’;s a genuinely liquidy concealer, which I adore.
Clarins Instantaneous Concealer. Nic: Under eyes, it’;s really good. It’;s also wonderful since it’;s not as well significantly coverage, but it really is not too little coverage. It really is in in between. When you’;re employing something that is light—because we’;re both making use of a basis that’;s not too significantly coverage—you can use it on the cheeks or wherever to give you a little bit far more coverage if you want it.
Sam: Brows. Two issues. I am making use of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade with our tiny brow brush from the Nic’;s Picks Set.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. And then over the prime, I use Maybelline Brow Drama. It truly is so excellent, the colors are so brilliant and it really is so low-cost. I think it’;s brilliant. I have observed people on YouTube say they dislike the applicator, but I just believe it really is remarkable. I can’;t say adequate good factors about that.
Maybelline Brow Drama. And then these I love, the Clarins lip balms [Clarins Quick Light Lip Balm Perfectors]. They’;re really, really great at this time of yr. These are lip balms with a minor bit of colour in them.
Clarins Quick Light Lip Balm Perfector. This is a bit a lot more of a luxury product. The By Terry Ombre Blackstar. These are super-expensive but they are lovely they’;re lovely. It truly is an eyeshadow. I don’;t know why it truly is named Ombre. They come in a bunch of different colours and they are amazing. They’;re so fast and easy to use, and they mix wonderful.
By Terry Ombre Blackstar. So I use that and I just blend it in with the Deluxe Crease Brush [from the Starter Set]. The one particular that we stated for concealer, I use that for the socket.
That is fairly much it. They are my leading, prime products. There are far more issues in there that I do really like, but they are not vital. These issues are vital. Nicola?
Nic: [My favourite foundation] is the Bobbi Brown Extra SPF 25 Tinted Moisturizing Balm, since my skin would seem to be drying out. I adore it for when I will not want to have also much coverage.
Bobbi Brown Further SPF 25 Tinted Moisturizing Balm. If I want a bit more coverage, I actually like the Hourglass Veil Foundation.
Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup. At the moment I am loving this Becca sculpting bronzer [Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector]. It really is great since it’;s not as well orange, and I like the fact that it is cream. It truly is like a cream bronzer. It provides the skin just a actually great glow without it getting also flat. I like to use issues that are really glowing.
Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector. MAC Hush Cream Colour Base is my highlighter of decision to give my skin a wonderful glow.
MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush. On my brows, I use the Anastasia Brow Powder Duo.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo. This [MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara] is amazing, especially for your bottom lashes.
MAC Extended Perform Gigablack Lash Mascara. On my eyes, it depends on the time of the yr and what the day is, truly, but this is my go-to. Bobbi Brown Prolonged-Wear Cream Shadow in Seaside Bronze. It really is been nicely-loved.
Bobbi Brown Prolonged-Put on Cream Shadow in Seaside Bronze. With a minor bit of MAC Coffee eyeliner.
MAC Eye Pencil in Coffee. I constantly have to have with me a black gel eyeliner. The Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner in Noir.
Laura Mercier Crème Eye Liner in Noir. On my lips, I tend to use my Bobbi Brown lip liner in the colour Ballet Pink.
Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil. And then I genuinely like this Estée Lauder lipstick that I have been wearing a great deal [Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Shine Lipstick]. The shade is 310 [Delicate] and it’;s genuinely great. I genuinely like that colour, and I actually truly like the packaging. It feels really nice and luxurious. It’;s a truly nice texture as nicely. So which is me.
Estée Lauder Pure Shade Envy Sculpting Shine Lipstick in Delicate. Sam: I don’;t know how Estée Lauder even now manages to nonetheless search outdated-fashioned. Sorry.
Maybe Kendall Jenner’;s going to change items.
Sam: You know what I suggest? I was just considering, how did they handle to re-style their packaging and it even now appears old-fashioned?
Nic: They needed to be authentic for their older audience, but their older audience possibly are not going to be about so considerably any longer.
What do you want girls would start off or quit undertaking with their makeup?
Sam: I wish girls would begin accepting what they actually look like and end trying to seem like what they see in magazines.
Which is fascinating, simply because a good deal of your tutorials are celebrity-based.
Sam: They are celebrity-based mostly, but you know, we always start with no makeup on.
Nic: It really is a lot more of an artwork, isn’;t it?
Sam: It is not crucial to seem like JLo, it’;s just due to the fact we like the makeup. We’;re never ever going to appear like them.
Pixiwoo’;s JLo makeup tutorial. Nic: It’;s be pleased with who you are, but you can do this on a particular event as well. I feel like every little thing is Photoshopped and airbrushed now, even brows. It truly is just everywhere and it is nearly not genuine. What is so attractive about females is that we’;re actual and we’;re curvy. I believe that is all getting airbrushed out, on Instagram and items like that. It is quite soul-destroying. It truly is like, come on… if there’;s 1 location you can be real, it is in a photo.
Sam: I constantly think of makeup as improving what you’;ve received, not blanking it all out and commencing all above yet again. You can appear at any female and every person has an amazing feature on their encounter, be it their amazing skin or their beautiful eyes or their wonderful lips or their fantastic smile. Everybody has anything. At times we forget that, and we seem at images of Jessica Alba or whoever and want what they have. We need to pull back on that a tiny bit.
Nic: We all do it. At times you just have to quit and be like, “In fact, I’;m alright with who I am.” But to answer your question, moisturize your skin truly nicely. It’;s probably my number 1 point individuals ought to do, due to the fact almost everything sits greater on a nicely-moisturized skin. It just appears healthier, it seems younger, it looks better. So that would be my principal factor. Make positive you get a good moisturizer that operates for you and seem after your skin.
Sam: Yeah, appear following your skin. Clearly use good makeup brushes. Your makeup’;s going to keep on longer and it is going to appear far better if you do layer it, so that is a no-brainer. And will not smoke since that is a killer for the skin.
Striking a pose in Prada. Nic: Put on sunglasses all the time so you happen to be not squinting.
Sam: But actually from a female point of see, it would be value your personal elegance and enjoy the elegance of other folks. Becoming online, you see a whole lot of female-on-lady detest crime. There is tons of it.
Why do you feel YouTube attracts so significantly negativity?
Sam: It’;s not even YouTube. It’;s any social media, due to the fact it offers everyone a voice. Sadly, a good deal of what they see, they do not understand isn’;t actual both. It isn’;t going to suggest that they are horrible folks, it is just that they neglect that real people are studying it.
Nic: They’;ve also possibly been brought up in this. So they are youthful and they never know any different. They will not know it is extremely rude. We had been taught not to be like that, but now, [folks are] studying that it is acceptable. We’;re goods of our environment and their setting is social media. If everybody is undertaking it, then you are going to think, “Nicely, it really is fine for me to do it.” So it is variety of re-educating folks that in fact, that is rude.
Sam: The interesting thing is that you really, very seldom see guys doing it on other guys. It does not come about.
Do you read and respond to the remarks?
Sam: We don’;t actually react. We do go through everything. And in fact, we do not get half as significantly negativity as a good deal of other folks. Often when you see it on other people’;s pages, it is upsetting—when you see what people say to other men and women. Not really so considerably us.
Nic’;s ahead of and following. Is there a pressure to preserve a specified image?
Nic: I don’;t place any filters on. I do not retouch anything simply because I am who I am, and if an individual meets me, I want to appear the very same as I did when they filmed the image. I put this picture up the other day of us just before and soon after a shoot, and the feedback had been so wonderful. They had been saying, “Oh my God, this is why I like you, simply because you happen to be genuine and you showed us what you looked like with out the makeup and how makeup can boost you, but you do not have to be like that all the time.” It got this kind of wonderful comments and that’;s why we will not place issues up that are unattainable. Men and women feel that that’;s what you genuinely seem like, and I never.
Do you believe your transparency is the secret to your success?
Sam: We do try out to be as genuine and sincere as we potentially can, and I do entirely think in what I am saying. We both do. It’;s genuinely how we truly feel and that almost certainly does have quite an result with our audience. When we meet folks, they often say, “Thank you for performing that simply because it helps make me truly feel a lot greater.” We get a ton of emails from people who feel truly positively about that.
Nic: We’;re older as effectively. We’;re a bit far more grown-up, we have acquired children, individuals can comprehend what it is like. We do not share too a lot of our private lives, but we share enough. Like, “Do you know what, I had this kind of a nightmare with my children nowadays,” and they see you happen to be true folks. You happen to be not striving to be anything that you happen to be not. And we would not. We wouldn’;t do it. It truly is really difficult to place on an act and we’;re not actresses.
Pixiwoo’;s Gisele makeup tutorial. Sam: There’;s undoubtedly a benefit [on YouTube of] being makeup artists. It truly is also great if you feel yes, makeup can enhance the way that you seem, there’;s no doubt about it. But at times folks go in with this colour-by-numbers technique to makeup and it really is a bit like, “You place this a single right here, you place this one particular here, blah blah blah.” Which is not going to work for everybody. I’;m considerably far more of a believer that I’;d rather stroll into a space and somebody says, “You appear beautiful these days” rather than, “Wow, your makeup’;s incredible.” Or, “Wow, how did you get 6 colours blended across your eyelids?” Do you know what I mean?
How would you describe your makeup philosophy?
Nic: What ever tends to make you come to feel great.
Sam: I do feel in whatever makes you come to feel good. I never consider that there’;s a set a guidelines that fit everybody’;s encounter, simply because everybody is various.
Nic: I believe we ought to genuinely embrace individuals variations and not be ashamed of them. If you’;ve acquired a mole on your encounter, embrace it. Make a function out of it. Appreciate what you have and do not attempt to be somebody that you’;re not or try to make yourself totally various, simply because when you take that makeup off, that’;s when you are back to that person. If makeup does make you come to feel in a diverse way when you place it on, then I feel you need to really feel that way the total time.
Sam: Makeup is entertaining and it truly is frivolous and that’;s what it is. You should not take it also considerably a lot more seriously than that, you know? If it can make you come to feel great, and if you want to wear it every single day, then wear it every single day. You know at times when an individual comes into the area and everybody’;s like, “She appears ridiculous, look at her makeup.” I constantly feel, “Yeah but appear at her. She feels wonderful. You cannot knock that.”
Pixiwoo’;s superhero doll makeup tutorial. Nic: We should seem at ourselves ahead of we judge other folks. We get deep, don’;t we?
Sam: I was considering about this duchess. I do not know if you know this Spanish duchess who just passed away [Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart]. She was variety of a funny-searching lady, I don’;t know regardless of whether she had quite a bit of perform completed or no matter what, but she was extraordinary. She was the life and soul of the get together. She just passed away at, like, 90 years outdated. She just received married two years in the past to a guy who was half her age. When she acquired married, all her children were furious, so in buy to get away with it, she just gave them their inheritance early and he signed a thing to say he didn’;t want any of her money. She had this remarkable wedding ceremony, and she’;s a 90-year-old female and she’;s on the dance floor carrying out Flamenco. I looked at her and I am like, you know what? You cannot place a price tag on it. That’;s remarkable. She’;s stunning.
If somebody isn’;t going to know a lot about makeup, the place ought to they begin?
Sam: We do have a essentials area. I think a great spot to begin is standard brows or basic foundation for your skin sort.
Nic: We talk via a lot of distinct foundations on there as effectively, so find what works for you. If you are somebody who does not want a lot of makeup, go to one particular of the normal makeup tutorials. We have anything for everyone—there are, like, 750 videos on there. There is anything for every single single individual. Guys as effectively!
The Pixiwoo sisters at a Lancôme occasion. What are your biggest attractiveness pet peeves?
Nic: Basis that’;s the wrong colour. It isn’;t going to genuinely bug me, but I just believe… match it. Simply because there are other ways you can place the colour back in. It isn’;t going to bug me I just would say, “Can I show you how you can actually get the correct colour and place some attributes in afterwards?” Include the colour after, rather than the colour in the basis.
Sam: I don’;t actually like eyelash extensions due to the fact I think they are damaging to eyelashes. Things like that I’;m not keen on. But it really is not really a attractiveness pet peeve….
Nic: My beauty pet peeve is individuals truly fake eyebrows, when they are just so drawn-on. You happen to be not born with brows like that. No 1 is. It’;s not even like it is straight from a magazine. It truly is a Sharpie brow. It truly is like it’;s straight from some type of drag present. It’;s just not feminine at all. Everyone would seem to want it at the second, and I cannot stand it.
Sam: I just did a brow tutorial about how to fill your brows in nicely. And then I had a bunch of comments from people going, “You are not filling them in properly!”
Pixiwoo’;s brow tutorial. Nic: It is the identical as what we have been saying earlier—that’;s how people are acquiring skilled. Just like individuals do not understand that they are getting offensive, because that is all they know. What are these poor younger people going to do when they see a person with out makeup, if they’;ve only ever observed that? They’;re going to freak.
There’;s a whole other idea on YouTube of what seems to be excellent, separate from trends or magazines.
Sam: It truly is funny, isn’;t it? It is truly amazing. It takes all kinds of individuals to make the globe go round. And correct now, Anastasia Beverly Hills should be cleaning up. Like, her days have never been so very good.
Nic: If you search at her feed, it truly is all brows like that. She’;s really wonderful although.
Sam: This is not a pet peeve either, but I consider there is a whole lot of miseducation about what basis is very good for you. At times, you have a bunch of individuals online saying a basis is good, but that does not suggest it’;s going to be good for you. You have to choose what sort of basis is suitable for your skin kind. When you discover a blogger that has comparable colouring and a similar skin type, that is when you happen to be going to get the ideal suggestions.
Pixiwoo on Cityline in Canada. What differences have you observed among elegance in the United kingdom versus North America?
Sam: I think undoubtedly in America there’;s a hugely various search to it.
Nic: It is diverse in different locations in America, also. LA is entirely completed, like each single element of you. New York is like London, not genuinely completed at all—where you could not even be bothered. It truly is genuinely fascinating.
Sam: The United kingdom I would say is possibly a minor bit much more like you guys [Canadians]. A minor bit a lot more understated.
Nic: It truly is the exact same with characters as properly. You guys are genuinely mell0w. I think the English are really the very same. Americans in New York, you have to flip it up to eleven every time. If we do Television in the States, they are like, “Can you flip it to 11?” We’;re like, “You are lucky if you get 3 from us.” 3 is the max we can do. I think that is extremely similar to Canadians.
Locate far more from Sam and Nic on their YouTube channel and web site. Thanks guys!
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Have Your Say
Are you a Pixiwoo fan? How do you feel about their technique to makeup (and social media in general)? Have you experimented with any of their favourite items?
