Molly R Stern - Celebrity Makeup Artist
We are so excited to be launching a campaign around “Aging Beautifully” – We see this as a movement to encourage people of all ages, shapes, and sizes to discuss what they do that makes them feel beautiful. We are a skincare company that feels strongly about health, effective ingredients and a good dose of positivity. Please follow us on this journey to find beauty in all aspects of life! What are you doing around Aging Beautifully?
Hi. Molly R. Stern here, makeup artist. I am thrilled, honored, and over the moon that Epicuren has asked me to be their first face for their new campaign Aging Beautifully.
How Did You Get Started In The Beauty Industry?
I got my start in the beauty industry at the ripe age of 16 years old, 31 years ago. My first dive into it was walking by the most beautiful ... it looked like a candy store, beauty boutique. It's no longer there, but I got my start with [Shoeamora 00:00:35]. And there I met lots of people who were on the same path as me and gave me great advice. I went to cosmetology school. I continued to broaden my product knowledge horizon by working at the beauty counters and just kept climbing the ladder, assisting people that were further ahead in their career than me. Over time, my clientele expanded, and now I'm so proud to say that I have the privilege of working with some of the most talented and inspiring women in Hollywood.
Do You Have a Favorite Quote?
I do have a favorite quote to live by. I love Brene Brown's quote, "Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love." I have found that in my 31 years experience of getting to know women ... and truly all people, but my expertise is with women, is every woman I've ever met says horrible things to herself. Every woman I've met insults herself, speaks to herself in a way that she wouldn't even speak to a stranger or her worst enemy. We are mean to ourselves. We abuse ourselves. And it seems to be universal. So I'm really into the idea of nurturing yourself, loving yourself, speaking to yourself like you would somebody that you love, and you know, empowering yourself, and being your own cheerleader and all of those things. So that quote sort of sits right in sync with that whole ideology for me.
Why Did You Want To Get Involved In The Aging Beautifully Campaign?
I wanted to get involved in The Aging Beautifully Campaign with Epicuren because I'm raising three children, two girls, and a boy, and I really wanted to be an example of a confident, strong woman that actually embraces and recognizes the privilege of aging. Society loves to shame women across the board, but particularly women who are aging, and that whole thing has just got to go. The bottom line is aging is a gift, and it's also inevitable, so we might as well get on board and do it in the best, most healthy way that we possibly can. And that's what this campaign is about, and I speak on that regularly in my house. And the fact that I was asked to participate in it is just like mind-blowing. My heart is exploding.
What's The Difference Between Anti-Aging and Aging Beautifully?
The difference between aging beautifully and anti-aging to me is I'm not anti-aging, I'm actually PRO-aging. As I age, I feel like I get smarter, I'm more confident, and I'm more experienced. I want to be the sage in the village that everybody comes to for their life stories and for advice. That's empowering to me, that feels inspiring to me to collect information and collect experience, and be able to inform on other people, either my peers or people that are younger than me. Aging beautifully, to me, is a practice of accepting the laws of nature while showing up and feeding your body, your mind, your spirit, and your soul with healthy and empowering activities, and healthy and good for you ingredients.
What Are Your First & Last Steps When Working On Your Clients?
I do work with some incredible people. I pinch myself regularly. Let's see. My first and last steps in my skin care regimen when I'm working. My first step is always a refreshing spritz of a toner or moisturizing spray. I think it's great to start off with a veil of moisture. And then the end zone is always locking in that moisture by doing a pretty intensive massage with a rich moisturizing cream.
If you had 3 hours to yourself, with no distractions or obligations, what would you choose to do?
Wow, three hours to myself, no responsibilities. Hmm, that's a concept. Okay, let's see. How would I spend that time? I would probably take a bike ride. I'm obsessed with my bike. I would probably take a bike ride to some wonderful bakery, and order something with cinnamon in it, and enjoy it, and eat the whole thing and not have to share it with anyone.
I could see myself pulling up a comfy chair in my backyard, putting on some music, reading a book, closing my eyes, letting the sun warm my face. Just sort of like downtime me time, which is sort of rare for a mother of three who works full-time.
For young girls out there, what is the one thing you recommend they start doing now with skin care?
Let's see. If I had to recommend one product, I would have to beg you to let me recommend two. I definitely think sunscreen is a must, every single day, need to protect your skin from this disappearing ozone layer that is just making the sun really too intense for our sweet skin. And secondly would be the neck. Taking care of your neck with a serum or cream, and starting young preventative measures for the neck. Because for some reason, in my experience of aging beautifully, it's the first thing to go. So you need to get that neck moisturized.
What Are Your Favorite Epicuren Products?
My favorite Epicuren products. That's hard because there's a lot, but I'll try to narrow it down for you. I love the Bulgarian Rose Otto face oil. It is an amazing moisture boost. It's great as a spot treatment, like if you have a dry patch, or you can put a pump into your moisturizer, and it just kind of makes your moisturizer a little bit more rich and elegant, and it feeds the skin. It's great. I love it. It's on my home vanity, and I use it in the makeup trailer as well.
I've recently fallen in love with the Soothe Dermal Repair Balm. This is for the ladies out there 40 and up. This is an incredible balm that protects the skin. I wear it at night, and I wake up, my skin is so glowy... like the glow will not quit. It is amazing. It feels amazing. It's rich, so it's definitely for somebody who likes the feeling of cream on their face or the feeling of something on their face. But I'm obsessed. I want to slather my entire body in it.
I'm also crazy in love with the Crystal Clear Eye Makeup Remover. I work with waterproof mascara a lot because I want long wear. And I have found that it can be really challenging to remove waterproof mascara. So the Crystal Clear not only removes the waterproof mascara, but its ingredients promote your lash growth, and it is super sensitive for that delicate skin around the eyes. Amazing product.
How do you recommend people get that “Glam” look at home?
To get that glam look at home, I'm really into stimulating the skin, whether it's rubbing a serum in with your fingers, or using a tool like a face roller or a jade roller, anything like that with a rich moisturizer. But getting the blood flowing, connecting with your skin by touch, I think, really promotes a gorgeous, gorgeous glow. I love a lip. I don't think anything beats a glamorous lip. A bold lip just makes you feel fabulous. I also love to cheat like a cat eye. I just take a little bit of any color, it could be black or electric blue, and just kick it out right in the corner of the eye, one little ... then load up a little mascara on the end, and you get that sort of little like, "Hey," kind of like classic glamour.
How do you choose the right skin care products for yourself?
Get informed. Know what you're putting onto your skin. Just like you got to know what you're putting into your body in this day and age, same applies to the skin, which is the, you know ... Your skin is the biggest organ on your body. So knowing what you're putting into your skin, read reviews, do the research. Just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's great, and just because it's affordable doesn't mean you should use it. Feed your skin like you would want to feed your child that you want to grow and blossom, that's how you should treat your skin.
Do You Have Any Self-Care Tips?
Sleep. I think it's so important. I know for myself, I do not get enough of it.
Exercise, huge. When I exercise I feel so much better about myself. And that's new, so that also goes with the whole aging beautifully thing because I didn't like to exercise basically until I turned 40. And now I really see how exercise really nurtures my spirit and obviously my body, so it's a two for. Yes please.
Also checking in with your friends, I think, is so important. We get so busy as we mature, and our lives get busy with our work, our careers, or our family, and sometimes I think our friendships get a little pushed to the wayside. And I know when I do check in with my friends, I feel nurtured inside.
Oh and lastly, self-care would be smiling at yourself in the mirror because we often go “oh ...” and scour at ourselves instead of just common courtesy of like, "Oh hey. What's up?" And you will be surprised, shocked actually how quickly it will turn your entire vibe around. So just a little, "Heyyy," in the mirror to yourself.
How Do You Empower Your Children?
My personal mantra is like big in my house, the love yourself thing. I try to encourage them to love themselves. I try to encourage them to feel all the feelings, obviously, that is going to include good and bad. But I really do believe that an attitude of gratitude brings in more joy in your life, and that's what I try to empower them with. So if ever they are feeling bad about themselves or insulting themselves, I'm like, "Okay. I hear that now balance it out. What's something you like about yourself? What's something you are proud of about yourself?" And I think we could do the same thing for ourselves. Every time we're like, "Ohh, I wish I had done that differently. But what did I do right that makes me feel good?" So kind of, I'm just being a mommy to myself also really.
Do You Approach Your Skin Differently Than a Clients?
I do approach it differently because I don't wear foundation in my real life. So for me, it's all about moisture and glow, and just it's skincare heavy. I guess it's not that different from how I treat my clients because I also do a lot of skin prep for them. I think beautiful, stimulated, moisturized skin is going to give you a better effect with how your makeup looks. It also allows me to use less makeup on my clients, which is my preference.
I want to see you. You know what I mean? I want to see myself. I want to see what makes each of us authentically beautiful. Too much makeup counters that goal. So it really is about skin for me and getting the skin to a really beautiful place so that I can just enhance what we like about the face instead of focusing on, "Oh let's cover this. Or let's change that." It's really about focusing on what we like and building off of that, building off of our strengths there.