“In The Chair” spotlights the incredible hairstylists and makeup artists in our community who are giving us major inspiration. Each week, they discuss their personal beauty and career journeys, what they’ve learned from their clients, and their top glam tips.
As a Fenty Beauty Global Artistry Ambassador, Naïma Bremer is the makeup artist to watch. From Imaan Hammam’s bombshell glam at the Met Gala to Naomi Sharon’s cool-muted tones calling back the ’90s, Bremer’s artistic vision, which has earned global acclaim, is actually rooted in her Curaçan upbringing.
Growing up in the Caribbean, Bremer’s first introduction to beauty was from her mom. “I watched my mom always take care of her skin and put on her red lipstick in the morning,” she says. “It’s how my mom and I bonded.” Spending time at the cosmetics store, even if they weren’t buying anything, looking at all the latest beauty products is a memory embedded into the foundation of her artistry.
But, it wasn’t until she moved to Europe for school did she see makeup as a career. At first, “I thought it was just a hobby because I’d always been doing it,” she says. “I stopped studying (obviously my mom freaked out) and I just went for it.” Now, living in London, Bremer’s work has been on the cover of magazines, like Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, Dior fashion campaigns, and on our favorite celebrities, like Jasmine Tookes, Sabrina Elba, and more.
Here, Bremer shares her favorite makeup looks, top makeup tips, and the products she can’t live without. Below for the full video interview.
Her Current Favorite Products:
“This is one of my favorite things to do for red carpets. The Fenty Beauty Pre-Show Glow Instant Retexturizing 10% AHA Treatment is a retexturing treatment so it’s really going to smooth texture, which is so important because you can’t hide texture when you’re doing makeup. It’s almost like a gentle peel. The Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer in ‘Caramel Cutie’ is so good. I love to use it on the eyes it’s just so gorgeous.”
Her Favorite Makeup Look:
“My favorite, for sure is glowy skin. I just love a beautiful buttery skin. I do love a cat eye moment and a good lip combo. Whenever I can do a nice lip combo I’m like ‘yes’. It really comes from me being from the Carribean, we love the lip combos, we love the lip liner.”
Her Top Spring Makeup Tip:
“I grew up in the Caribbean so I noticed that [Black] women don’t hydrate their skin because they think their skin is glowy or it’s a hot day out so they need to keep their skin dry. When it comes to a serum type of hydration, you really just can never do too much. If you have oily skin, you can pick a lightweight moisturizer but in terms of the serums that you use you actually just want to drench your skin in hydration. It’s going to sink into the skin.”
A Makeup Myth She’d Like To Debunk:
“Blurring doesn’t mean it’s only for oily skin. A lot of people don’t understand that part. Otherwise, I just want people to feel good. If a person is feeling themselves, you can wear a crazy, whatever you want, like a blush, glitter, or whatever, if someone exudes confidence just wear whatever you want.”
A Makeup Look She Wants To Bring Back:
“The only thing I would wish would make a comeback is that ‘90s when we step away from a lot of blush. We had a big blush moment and I would love to see cool tones, or like blonzing, I’m really hoping that’s going to be the ‘new’ thing.”
How She Keeps Her Clients’s Skin Healthy:
“It’s really important to find a routine for your skin. Be gentle on your skin, too. It’s great to incorporate exfoliants and actives, because that’s going to treat your skin, but also you never want to overdo it and you really want to make sure you hydrate your skin.”
Her Makeup Removal Routine:
“You really have to double-cleanse. We have the Melt Awf Jelly Oil Makeup-Melting Cleanser; I like to use that on dry skin to really rub it off. It’s an oil cleanser so it’s really gentle to dissolve your makeup and SPF. Then we also have our Total Cleans’r to really make sure your skin is super clean.”
How She Uplifts Her Clients:
“To be honest, I feel like when I finish the makeup it’s almost like my clients transform and they really feel themselves. I always say do whatever makes you feel good and wear the makeup and the look that makes you feel like your authentic self.”