Ilia | DirtyFilthyHealthy

Katey Denno …

Not only does she look like she’s been painted by the hand of Botticelli , she’s a superbly gifted Make Up artist to the stars, As well as being a passionate “Green Beauty” advocator .I asked her some questions to clarify non -toxic beauty and just generally pick her brain..

Denno’s a real game changer , she’s one of the forefront pioneers making eco beauty go from green to glam .

In between getting beauties like Isla Fisher , Olivia Wilde and Amanda Seyfried (yes pick your jaw off the floor , she’s that good!) red carpet ready , she personally tests and reviews new products, puts up beautifully filmed tutorials , does workshops and… (take a breath this woman does everything) gives good nutrition advice , hello green smoothies -on her self run site The Beauty Of It Is

I was surprised to learn her path to make up aptly reads like a film script and exposed that her Kind Beauty approach is a mere aspect of her all round kind approach to life .

So you know by her credentials she’s got great advice

enjoy

How did you get involved in Make Up?

i was a social worker for the first 10 years of my career life and i worked in the realm of HIV/AIDS. I had a lot of clients who were transgendered, mostly male to female. The way they were able to transform themselves through the use of makeup was so amazing to me! it led me to start researching how i could be involved in that world – the world of makeup! i read up on every artist and photographer whose work i admired from all the major magazines, and found photographers to do test shoots with to begin building my book. It was a slow but sure process, and i made sure to remain open to learning everything and anything.

You favour natural products .. why and what are your favourites ?

As a person who’s concerned with what i put into my body with regard to food and drink, i find it just as important to be conscious with what i put on my body- and the bodies of my clients. There are so many good non-toxic lines on the market, with new ones popping up all the time. One of my favorite online stores is spiritbeautylounge.com – she has the most well edited selection of non toxic products on the market!

Ilia, RMS, Kjaer Weis, Lina Hanson, and then there are products sold elsewhere – burt’s bees, roots rose radish, BITE beauty…

Are there any beauty Chemicals you try and avoid?

Albumin Phtalates

Bentonite Propylene Glycol

BHA/BHT PVP/VA Copolymer

DEA, MEA, TEA Quaternium-15

Diazolidinyl Urea Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate

DMDM Hydantoin Stearalkonium Chloride

FD&C Color Pigments Triclosan

Glycerin/MSDS Talc

Imidazolidinyl Urea FOR KIDS

Isopropyl Alcohol 2-Bromo-2Nitropropane-1,3 Dio

Mineral Oil BHA

PEG Boric acid and Sodium Borate

Petroleum/Petrolatum Dibutylphtalate and Toluene

best advice you’ve ever been given ?

Not everybody has to like you. This is a tough one for me!

What are the new big trends in beauty/looks for 2013?

I never really follow trends… i’m more into timeless, classic beauty.

Beauty from the inside out seems quite important to you .. whats the best foods/supplements/ lifestyle choices for looking great?

Yes it is! The main issues that folks come to me with that make them feel less than great are skin breakouts, and skin dryness/lack of glow associated with aging.

Eating/drinking lots of fresh leafy greens, richly colored berries, and keeping greasy/heavy foods out of your diet is a great place to start. I’m also a proponent of including apple cider vinegar into your diet (1-2 tsp a day in water) plus 1-2 tsp of coconut oil mixed into your food – whether that’s in a smoothie, or your oatmeal, or cooking with it – will keep your liver clean, and your skin glowing, as well as help stave off any sickness. (i haven’t had a cold or the flu in YEARS!). I also believe in keeping a strong yoga practice to work out tension and find focus – it will show on your face, without a doubt.

I find that a hair/skin/nails supplement is generally beneficial to most, and choosing one made from whole foods is a good idea. The vitamin B and D groups are wonderful for keeping our emotional selves and cells in good health.

following on from that .. if I were to open your fridge .. what would you be most proud of or most embarrassed by ?

well, my boyfriend is a chef in a raw, vegan restaurant, so he’s in charge of the fridge – and there are countless containers of his great concoctions in there. I’d be most proud that at least 85 percent of food i keep in the house is organic and or locally grown/produced. We try to be mindful not to be wasteful and we only shop for what we know we’ll be eating within the few days that follow, so there’s never that much in there. Most embarrassed – I have an obsession with frozen sweet peas (organic, of course). i love them, so i keep tons of them on hand. when people open the freezer they’re always confused and surprised to find 15-20 bags of frozen peas on hand!

When it comes to getting ready for the red carpet what are your go-to fail safe products or techniques ?

i always start with getting the skin into glowing condition by giving a face oil massage before doing anything else.

Getting a good curl going on the lashes is very important to me, and I generally use a few false lashes to take a pretty lash to a gorgeous lash.

Can you recall any teenage make up disasters? ( I personally favoured a terracotta orange bronzer overload .. and an inability to blend down the neck hah!)

i have to say, i think i did a better job with my makeup when i was a teen! i was certainly more consistently put together – i wore perfectly executed black cat eyeliner every single day.