I find Jemma hugely inspiring, so in advance of Jemma Kidd Makeup School going on sale at The Fairest tomorrow, we chatted about her business, beauty tips, and the difference between English and American women.

Q: You have three extremely successful cosmetics lines, run a makeup school in London, and have just published a beauty guide, so you’re obviously a cosmetics expert. Did you always dream of becoming an entrepreneur, or is it something that you fell into?

A: I have always loved make-up and, starting my career as a model, I was always more interested in what the make-up artists were applying backstage than what was happening on the catwalk. As I developed in my career as a make-up artist I had so many friends come to me for advice on their make up and it made me realize that so many women wear make-up but few know how to apply it properly. This is why I decided to open my school, to teach real women how to get real results. We also do several professional courses for budding make-up artists. Then came my product lines…

Q: Tell us a bit more about your different lines and the story behind the brands. What kind of woman/lifestyle is each designed for?

A: My Jemma Kidd Make Up School line contains very wearable, multi-use products which suit all ages. Our new Skin-telligent products contain active ingredients which are traditionally found in skincare, such as peptides and anti-oxidants.

Our Jemma Kidd Pro range features backstage essentials developed by artists for artists. Not only are they pro-performance but they drive the trend for skin-telligent color.

Jemma Kidd Make Up is about translating professional make-up and techniques, distilling them down into a range of core essentials which are easy to use and give a high performance.

All my products come with a step-by-step guide on how to use them, which I think is very important to the consumer. As a make-up artist, I know how hard it can be to keep your make-up bag to a minimum, so my products have been designed for multi-use. For example, my Skin Rescue Bio Complex Veil is a tinted moisturizer, primer and illuminator combined in one.

JK is very much about me and my personal expression of fashion, style and design. It’s a designer range which has been inspired by the catwalk, high fashion and statement color. It is really accessible and simple to use and is a way for women to incorporate the season’s trends into their make-up.

Q: You’re English, but your lines have recently become very popular in America. Do you see a difference in the way English women and American women approach makeup and beauty?

A: With makeup applications, the US–and New York women in particular–are definitely more conservative, and opt for stealth, under-the-radar make-up: flawless skin, lots of taupes, nude and peach shades, perfect brows and lips.

In the UK, women tend to be quite minimal with their make-up: a touch of concealer, bronzer, blush and lip gloss. They tend to often wear what their own mothers wore. English women also like the typical English Rose look: soft dewy skin with flushed cheeks and lips.

Q: Where (or from whom) do you find beauty inspiration?

A: From lots of things; nature, places I have traveled to, catwalk trends, women who come to my make-up school….

Q: What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever been given?

A: Less is more, and always look after your skin.

Q: What are your personal must-have makeup items (from your line, or others)?

A: – My Jemma Kidd Pro Skin Rescue Bio-Complex Veil SPF15, which is an all-in-one moisturizer, prep, primer, illuminator and tint. It evens out skin tone and provides a perfect base for flawless make-up.
- I have long, very fair lashes and find that Diorshow Blackout mascara frames them perfectly.
- Sarah Chapman skincare: It’s important to look after your skin and choose the products that are right for you. If you look after your skin well, you will find it easier to apply your make-up as there is a good base on which to apply it, and you will not need to use as much.

Q: Any tips, advice, or parting words of beauty inspiration to share?

A: Have fun with your make-up, experimenting with styles and colors. If you don’t like something, you can simply remove it!

Jemma Kidd Makeup School goes on sale tomorrow at The Fairest.

I had the pleasure of traveling to France with Julia last year, where we bonded over wine, la vie Francaise, and she introduced me to Chanel Sublimage.  Mosey on over to All About the Pretty, and fall in love with Julia yourself…

How did you get the inspiration for AATP?
I was in inspired to start my blog by Tia Williams of Shake Your Beauty. I met her at a Writer’s Conference and she told me per my conversation that I had a great voice and I should start blogging. Two months later I did and I love it.

Who’s your personal beauty/style icon?
My personal style icon is my grandmother who I’m also named after. She was a midwife in Louisiana and she was fabulous. She didn’t deliver about with her makeup being done, every hair in place, and a beautiful outfit. She was a diva before it was a household name. I still miss her every day.

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?
Exfoliate and moisturize. My grandmother was big on skincare and so am I. Just like she always said “pretty makeup looks good on pretty skin.” It’s my motto.

You. Desert island. Only one product. Allez!
Are you kidding me, that is insane. I will say an unlimited supply of Vitamin E oil. Why? I could mix the oil with sand and have an exfoliant, then take a dip in the water and use it as an all over moisturizer even my lips.

You’re known for your love of Bobbi Brown. Tell us more about that.
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics was one of the first makeup lines that had ranges for African American women that wasn’t heavy. It’s always soft and pretty. It’s simple. The philosophy of “you, only better” is something I totally believe it. I love to play with color, but really most women look better with less.

Have you ever made friends with a reader through your site?
Yes, I have new friends who are readers of my site. We’ve gone to museums, dinners, and movies all because of the site. I love the connections. I would never have met you without my site.

Take us through your daily blogging/writing/product review routine.
I actually have an editorial calendar due to my day job. I review products based on story ideas I come up with and the seasons. I try to have two weeks worth of posts on draft to edit at all times. Some weeks are better than others. A lot of my ideas come to me organically. I could be having dinner and an idea comes and I pull out my notebook or use my iPhone voice memo and capture it. I love technology for this. I later go home and draft and rework the idea.

What’s on the horizon for you?
The biggest thing for me is in fall 2010 I’m taking a one year sabbatical from working. I plan to grow the site, travel, and live life to the fullest.

How did you get the inspiration for your blog?
I really wanted to have a place to keep all of the different makeup looks I was doing. In a sense, it became an archive of looks I had done, but it also was somewhere I could post the latest look I did, too. It also helped that I had just recently become makeup OBSESSED so I needed an outlet for all my beauty chatter!

Who’s your personal beauty/style icon?
I can’t say that I have one. I find beauty is so much more than the outside, and it really has to do with how you feel inside, so it’s just such a personal view that I couldn’t see myself looking up to someone for their beauty/makeup. There are plenty of gorgeous ladies who have phenomenal faces and styles, though. If I had to choose someone who amazes me, it would be Kevyn Aucoin. He just showed me what it was like to experiment, have fun with makeup, and do what you want to do without thinking about rules and boundaries.

What’s the best beauty advice you ever received?
Wear sunscreen—every day, without fail! Now, if only someone told me this when I was old enough to walk!

You. Desert island. Only one product. Go.
Moisturizer! I hate having dry, scaly skin. No matter what, I have to moisturize every morning and evening. I’d rather walk around without foundation or mascara as long as my skin is happily hydrated! Oh, preferably with SPF, because then when I was rescued, I wouldn’t look like I aged twenty years in two!

You’re known for your love of MAC Cosmetics. Tell us more about that.
MAC is such a great entry brand into cosmetics. It’s also a very exciting, fun, and trendy brand. When I first got into makeup, I was a college student, so my budget wasn’t big, and MAC made high-end makeup affordable. I loved being able to go to the counter/store and talk with artists, swatch products, and just play with everything. I’ve since discovered how many other amazing brands and products are out there thanks to beauty blogging, but MAC will always have a special place in my heart.

Have you ever made friends with a reader through your site?
Definitely! There are readers who I would consider regulars—ones that comment often, ask questions, and I know are always checking out the site. I’ve talked to some via email, others just through comments, but they’re all such amazing, insightful people. Some of my readers have even become beauty bloggers themselves now!

Take us through your daily blogging/writing/product review routine.
I wake up around 6 AM, and the first thing I do is roll over, check my e-mail via my phone. There’s always something exciting to see, so it motivates me start my day. I spend an hour or so reading and responding to email, and then I start to work on posts for the day. Usually, I’ll spend a few minutes editing the photos for the post, and then I’ll spend the remaining time writing up a review/commentary. I imagine I spend 2-3 hours in the morning writing up posts for the day. Throughout the rest of the day, I take photos and test out new makeup products like eyeshadows or lipgloss. At the beginning of each week, I pull out certain skincare or longer-term testing products out to use.

What’s on the horizon for you?
More content, more reviews. We’d really like to produce and publish more video content as well, so that’s one of our goals for the short-term!

Together with Lauren Bush, CEO and Creative Director of FEED Projects, Ellen co-founded the now-wildly popular eco-friendly bag company dedicated to eradicating child hunger in developing nations.  (For more on FEED’s mission, I urge you to visit here!)

I chatted with Ellen and Lauren about their work, their travels and how their notions of beauty have been influenced by what they’ve seen.  (Plus, they spill about an upcoming collaboration with Bobbi Brown!)

Q:  The two of you have traveled extensively working with FEED. Have you picked up any unique beauty tips or tricks from your travels that you might otherwise never have learned?

A:  Through our work with FEED, we have travelled together in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In each region of the world there are traditional beauty remedies and regiments that women have used for centuries, but, unfortunately, many of the women we are meeting are struggling to keep themselves and their families alive. Still the traditional, colorful fabrics of every culture make even the most dim situation a little brighter. And women’s inner spirit also helps to enliven their faces!

Q:  What’s a typical day in the life for you when traveling for FEED?

A:  We always start our field-based travel days EARLY! We have to get ready and eat breakfast at the crack of dawn, because to get to the remote villages and schools we are working in, the roads are long, unpaved and often hilly. We want to make sure we are at each school in time to help with their daily meal and we DON’T want to make the children have to wait for that! We bring water bottles, sunscreen and lipbalm in our FEED bags and we often eat a packed lunch in the UN truck. We are out visiting schools all day and get to really do the best part of our work: playing with kids!!! As night falls, we return to a hotel in the closest main city and try to find some dinner before getting some needed sleep.

Q:  Do you exclusively use organic or eco-friendly beauty products? What are the favorite items in your beauty cabinet?

A:  We both try to use eco-friendly products. Lauren found Jurlique products when she was studying abroad in Australia and now we both love them! Also, Aveda, Dr. Hauschka and Whole Foods’ 365 line are great. We love mineral sunscreens and shea butter-based lip-balms. There are so many luxurious, eco-friendly products these days, it’s easy to find something for all beauty needs.

Q:  When you’re traveling, are you soap and water girls, or do you bring little luxuries with you?

A:  Although it feels weird to have your luxurious face wash waiting back at the hotel after a day traveling in an impoverished village, it is nice to try and keep a healthy skincare routine, even when we’re on the road! I have been using a JASON citrus face wash and Jurlique rosewater face spray which feel so good after a day of traveling.

Q:  Beauty can often have a narrow, media-driven definition in the US. Have your charity work and travels for FEED given you a different appreciation of what it means to be beautiful?

A:  Absolutely! We are constantly barraged with a very narrow definition of beauty here at home and there is so much out there in the world that teaches us otherwise. Women all around the world do creative and unique things to make themselves look and feel beautiful. Most of the women we see are not using make-up or other external “enhancements”. They are doing natural and traditional things to bring out their beauty.

FEED Read 3 Bag

We both love the jewelry and fabrics we find in African markets and to see how the local women use the fabrics to create beautiful silhouettes is so inspiring! Many African women use the small of their back as a safe place to carry a baby…what a great way to use our strong, curvy womens’ bodies. I have become so obsessed with wearing scarves from my travels that I can’t leave home without one, even in the summer!

Q: How do you balance what you see in your travels with the day-to-day realities of your home lives?

A:  It’s sometimes just shocking how differently we live from some of the people we are visiting in villages around the world. But, the biggest lesson you learn from traveling is actually how similar all humans really are. That is the coolest thing about the world, we may live differently, but we really all have the same basic needs: food, water, shelter, family, friends, and some fun!

That said, coming home to New York City after a week in Uganda, you realize just how lucky we are to have been born where we were born and to have the opportunities that we have! We also try to check ourselves when we say how “starving” we are–knowing that people are actually starving makes you feel a bit spoiled to suggest that a few hours after lunch!

Q: What’s next for FEED?

Kenneth Cole FEED Backpack

A:  We are continuing to create eco-friendly products that can include donations to supporting causes around the world! Our FEED Health Backpack is available at Kenneth Cole Stores nationwide and every bag sold will provide an additional bag for a Community Health Worker in sub-saharan Africa.
Launching Sept. 10 and Barnes & Noble stores nationwide, our FEED/READ 3 bag will provide 3 school meals (through the World Food Program) and 3 local-language children’s books, through Room-to-Read, an awesome non-profit that builds libraries and produces children’s literature for kids in the developing world.

This holiday season we are launching a few other new products, including a FEED 10 pouch to be sold with Bobbi Brown lipgloss!!

Check out our website store Feedprojects.org for more great FEED products!