US makeup artist finds home in Woolies, SA women

Sir John Barnett, the man who has created makeup looks for megastar Beyoncé and Bollywood sensation Priyanka Chopra, has partnered with Woolworths for a limited edition range simply titled Volume 1.

The range consists of a highlighter stick, an eyeshadow palette, a hydrating lipstick, liquid eyeshadows and nail lacquers.

The makeup does not disappoint and is made from the "finest oils and extracts from natural botanical sources".

The range is a playful luminescent offering with deep, medium and light tones in the eyeshadow palette, allowing the consumer to create bright looks that'll warm up any room this Autumn/Winter season.

Sowetan sat down with the celebrated makeup artist.

"What intrigued me and what I found endearing about SA women is that they're not trend hooked... they use celebrities as a point of reference but they've got their own identity, their unique sense of self and secret sauce that, for me, was quite inspirational," he says.

According to Barnett, it's all about the eyes this season.

So, I asked how does a woman who wears glasses enhance the eye?

"Use a tinted eyeliner or a tinted mascara," he says.

Any help on how to handle doing your eyebrows?

"As you evolve, as you know where you want your brow to lie, which is hopefully a lateral brow, which they have in Japan, or a straighter brow which is flattering on everybody.

"The trick is getting a better handle of the pencil, the application process. So it's not about the product but how you're using it. For example, if you have oily skin and you use a pencil which is waxy, you need to set it with powder," he explains.

Barnett's relationship with W.Beauty began in 2016, and it's a first for the beauty side of the retailer. During a press launch, when asked why he chose SA for this first, Barnett replied: "I've been around the world, seen a lot of things and I know a lot of people, but when I came here it fed my soul in a way that it hadn't been [before]."