Beauty Secrets: Nicole Darmanin
This week’s muse is Nicole Darmanin. Nicole’s career in beauty started early when a high school internship parlayed itself into a job in natural beauty sales and education. Since then, her love of beauty has led to work in multiple facets of the industry, from makeup artistry and education to small business consulting – including interning and working for me and my partners at Three Custom Color Specialists for several wonderful years. For the last decade, Nicole has worked in-house for Mario Badescu Skin Care, where her role as Director of Marketing/Public Relations gives her the opportunity to be involved with many aspects of the brand including public relations, sales, social media, education, and artist relations.
I think stress reduction is so important for many aspects of life, including beauty.
Here are Nicole’s beauty secrets:
- “I love a bold lip. In high school a friend gave me a tube of Revlon Blackberry lipstick and I’ve never looked back. I think that a bold lip makes some people feel vulnerable so they shy away from it, but I’ve always felt the opposite. A strong lip makes me feel powerful. Current favorites are Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lipstick in Bloodroses Noir and Armour Beauty Lip Gloss in Nina.
2. A good skin care regimen is key. Working at Mario Badescu with our beautiful staff of aestheticians (many of whom are in their 60’s and 70’s) has completely changed the way I feel about my skin aging. I care much less about my skin being perfectly taught and more about it looking healthy, clean, and hydrated. I feel best when my bare skin is reflecting light. I’m always stocked up with Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum, Rose Hips Mask, and Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30.
3. I love fragrance. I have a large collection and take a moment each morning to choose which one feels right for the day. A friend recently introduced me to OLO —I’ve been wearing a fragrance of theirs called Pauper. It is warm and woodsy with notes of wormwood and absinthe, but it isn’t available on their site. LeLabo Labdanum 18 and Kiehl’s Coriander Lotion are winter go-tos. My favorite for summer scent is Jo Malone Wild Bluebell, it smells fresh and watery, like watermelon rinds. I have to stop myself here, I could go on forever.
4. I started meditating years ago and I really believe that it has changed the course of my life by helping me to be a more calm and balanced person. I feel like there are a lot of people out there who feel like they “can’t” meditate. The way I see it, it is one of the only things that every single person can do. As long as you can breathe, you can meditate. I’ve found the practice to be so helpful and profoundly transformative.
Follow Nicole!
Instagram: @nics_pics
Twitter: @nicoledarmanin
