Rock Royalty and Red Carpets: How Amber Griffin Became the Queen of Make Up in LA
Re-posted from the Young and Pretty Blog: www.yandp.tv
Reported by Teddi Curtis
Photographed by Laura Sortwell
From the quaint house in Topanga with the stunning mountain view to the beautifully minimalistic decor, it is clear from the get go that Amber Griffin is an artistic soul who needs tranquility, space, and comfort to evolve her masterpieces. Her dark hair in a delightfully casual pony tail, her petite frame in skinny jeans and a boldly striped black and white long sleeved tee, Amber opens the door with a greeting as warm as it is soft-spoken. Immediately our hostess has given Laura an afternoon mimosa, handed me a coconut water, and we’re off and running, into the world of opposites that is Amber Griffin’s cosmetic genius. Light and dark, shallow and deep, it is contrast that has made this delicate looking woman such a powerhouse in Los Angeles’ world of smoke and mirrors. A full list of events for which Amber has worked her magic can be found on her site and includes the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and the Billboard Awards, to name a few.
The talent she is responsible for prettifying ranges from James Blunt and Jason Mraz to Smashing Pumpkins and long time customers (and friends) Motley Crue. How does one begin the trajectory that leads to such stature? An ice skating injury as a high school senior it turns out; “I had no hobbies, all I did was train. I had to learn how to walk again”. Learn to walk she did, and when it became clear that traveling with the Ice Capades was no longer in the cards, learning how to design clothes followed shortly after. It was in fashion school that the beauty bug bit Amber hard and led her to experiment with makeup. Starting with burn victims, Amber discovered the transformative powers that makeup holds, a beginning that has left her with a love of the phoenix as a symbol and a more internal view of makeup’s effects. While all of her assistants had to learn their trade in beauty school, Amber moved into the world of airbrush makeup and star studded jobs with a shoot for Dub Magazine, specializing in not celebrity styling, but cars. Fascinated by the airbrush work she saw the guys perform while detailing, she began to develop her painted style. “I like things that are painted and have a lot of texture… if you’ve got your skill level, it’s there, you can go crazy and do whatever you like”. Responsible for the beautiful and haunting images in Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx’s book “This is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography, and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx”, Laura and I are able to see the depth and complexity that Amber has managed to communicate through a commonly considered ‘perfection’ industry. Rebelling against the day’s obsession with computer generated art and retouched magazines, Amber’s allegiance is to the authentic vision of a person, “that’s what I love about art, when you see the imperfection in a line, that’s the artist’s hand in that… I like beauty in the darker places”. Clearly the industry seems to like beauty wherever Amber does.
We slowed down with Amber to get to know the woman behind the brush a little better.
When did you fall in love with makeup as an art form?
When I was in college, I studied fashion design and was deeply inspired by haute couture as an art form. I was drawn to the creativity but also the high skill level that was the foundation for these amazing pieces. Being in art school, I was always drawing, painting, sculpting and, up until that point, sewing. This is where I discovered make-up artistry and, basically, it was all over from that point on. The moment I realized that a person can be a canvas, I knew in my bones that this was for me. I felt inspired and completely breathless at the same time. You know that feeling? I absolutely fell in love.
Are there any themes you often try to explore using makeup?
It varies from job to job as to what we are trying to accomplish. When I get artistic freedom, I tend to lean towards challenging the standards of commercial beauty. Iʼm interested in provoking the viewer into reevaluating their own definition of beauty. And since I come from a fashion background, my style tends to be more “fashion” with a rock nʼ roll edge.
You’ve spoken about your interest in transformation, can you expand on that and how it effects your style?
When I first started doing makeup professionally, I worked a lot with people who had burns, scars or some other skin trauma. I would mix all kinds of products to get the right shades and consistency to conceal it to be less noticeable in public. These peopleʼs lives improved because of makeup, and I just think that is amazing. It can completely transform the face and body…and lives. This is how I eventually developed my own style of makeup application- beginning with tones to sculpt and then moving into color to accent.
How has it been working with Motley Crue for so many years?
I am truly honored to work with such legendary rockers as the Crue. Getting to know them over the years has been an absolute blast. They are awesome guys and we have had a lot of fun adventures together. I have also been collaborating with Nikki Sixx over the years on various projects like SIXX:AM; his books “The Heroin Diaries” and his latest “This Is Gonna Hurt;” his radio show “Sixx Sense” as well as his clothing line Royal Underground and whatever cool ideas his wild imagination comes up with.
Do you learn a lot about people while doing their makeup?
Anyone involved in shoots can tell you that itʼs pretty much the quickest way to get to know someone-the good, the bad and the ugly! This is especially true of makeup artists. Within minutes of meeting someone for the first time, I am in their personal space, touching their face and talking about, well…pretty much everything you can imagine! Each time I work with someone, our relationship gets stronger since we get to know each other at such an accelerated pace. I love it because there is a built in level of trust that, under normal circumstances, takes a long time to develop. Some of my clients whom Iʼve worked with for years have turned into true friendships based on mutual trust and creativity. I am a very private person and I never speak about what is discussed while in my chair-but letʼs just say I know a lot of secrets about a lot of people!
What rock band have you had an especially memorable experience working with?
I have had so many memorable experiences, that itʼs hard to pick my favorite. One time I was on the tour bus with Motley Crue and we drove right in front of the house that they lived in together in Hollywood when they first started out as a band. We joked about jumping out right then and knocking on the door. Then there was the crazy time I spent in Vegas with Vince Neil shooting for his solo album and book. I also have great memories of shooting with James Blunt on the back lot at Universal Studios-on probably the hottest day ever, and with Dead by Sunrise at Vasquez Rocks (which looks like a completely other planet). And then there was this time with the Smashing Pumpkins where we were shooting in this place that was supposedly haunted…
If you could do anyone in the world’s makeup (you just about can at this point), who would it be?
Being the romantic that I am, I would have loved to work with Audrey Hepburn. Her impeccable style and values are something to be admired and remembered. Also, I would love to work with up and coming designers, photographers, directors, actors, musicians, etc. who are interested in pushing the boundaries of makeup as art.
