Isamaya Ffrench Talks Us Through Her Anti-Beauty Beauty Brand
The work of makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench is instantly recognizable — watercolor-like washes of color, otherworldly special effects, and impeccably executed line work are all hallmarks of the Brit beauty star. Now, she's giving fans and fellow artists alike the tools to create their own transformative looks with ISAMAYA, her eponymous makeup line releasing for pre-order on June 27.
The imprint will launch with "INDUSTRIAL," a five-piece collection spanning makeup and skincare. In a market saturated with new product, Ffrench's dark, surrealist aesthetic — an almost anti-beauty approach to beauty — is what sets ISAMAYA apart from the pack.
"My personal passions span the map from performance to cinema, from extreme hikes in remote places to vintage furniture hunting," Ffrench tells me. "I knew there was the potential for me to create my own world for a new generation of makeup aficionados."
To establish the world of ISAMAYA, she recruited legendary photographer Steven Klein to create a latex and rubber-filled campaign, visuals that strike as a teaser to some sort of slick horror film.
Next came packaging — BDSM-inspired accents transform each product into a kinky collectible. Tubes of plumping lip tint, eyelash-stretching "Rubberlash" mascara, clear brow laminator, and hyaluronic acid serum are studded with silver "piercings." A 14-pan eyeshadow palette — boasting rich browns, pearlescent khakis, and metallic lilacs — is housed in a hefty, lacquered box.
The products aren't just pretty to look at — Ffrench ensured that they're high-performance, too. The hyaluronic serum is formulated with a peptide that "helps the product seep deeper into the skin," she explains, adding that the mascara contains conditioning ingredients for supple, easy-to-curl lashes.
Over the course of her impressive career, Ffrench has worked as a creative director and consultant for a host of big-name brands including Byredo, Burberry, and Tom Ford. With ISAMAYA, she has a chance to helm her very own vision, a natural next step in her evolution.
"I learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience different voices and visions for [Byredo, Burberry, and Tom Ford]," she says. "As I absorbed from these iconic brands and saw the various directions they were taking, it showed me that every brand can have a different and distinct voice."
Her end goal with ISAMAYA? "To show people that beauty can be unconventional and that everyone should decide what it means to them."
