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THE VIOLET FILES
FILED UNDER
IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR

ALICE
EVE

A conversation between the British actress and her longtime makeup artist.
Written By Lexy Lebsack
Photography By Diego Uchitel
Makeup By Georgie Eisdell
Hair By Alex Polillo
Nails By Karen Gutierrez
Styled By Jamie Schneider

— ALICE EVE, ACTRESS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIEGO UCHITEL

The Modern Veronica
BEAUTY CREDITS
  • MAKEUP BY GEORGIE EISDELL
  • LIPS
  • TOM FORD LIP COLOR IN SCARLETTE ROUGE
  • EYES
  • BOBBI BROWN LONG-WEAR GEL EYELINER IN BLACK INK

FASHION CREDITS
  • STYLING JAMIE SCHNEIDER
  • THE ROW DRESS
  • VINTAGE FUR
  • VINTAGE EARRINGS
  • LORRAINE SCHWARTZ RING
On any given day in the makeup chair at VIOLET GREY, one may find inspiration in the form of stacks of vintage beauty books or an irresistible rainbow of lipsticks. On very special days, an actress and her beauty team take residency and put their creativity on display in the makeup chair. The latest coterie, British stunner Alice Eve alongside longtime makeup artist Georgie Eisdell and hairstylist Alex Polillo, created looks featuring a sultry smoky eye and heavily textured tresses.
Of course, Alice is no stranger to the makeup chair. The actress has starred in both big-screen blockbusters (She’s Out of My League, Star Trek Into Darkness) and sunk her teeth into independent films (Cold Comes the Night with Bryan Cranston and Some Velvet Morning with Stanley Tucci). Next up for Alice is one of each, respectively: a rumored role in the film reboot of Entourage and a starring role in Before We Go, the directorial debut for co-star Chris Evans, premiering at the Toronto Film Festival next month — and the press tours that accompany them. Topping off her busy year is an engagement to her high school sweetheart, British financier Alex Cowper-Smith. In anticipation of this breakneck schedule of appearances and wedding events ahead, Georgie and Alice sat down to play with a few looks, experiment with new shades and divulge a few great skin secrets.

“This shoot was all about experimenting and seeing where the day took us,” Georgie told VIOLET GREY. “One of the things that I love about working with Alice is that she likes to be very involved in the creative process; she likes to experiment and she can take on many different roles, but still looks like a version of herself.”

In a new role for Georgie, the artist becomes the interviewer and shares with VIOLET GREY a conversation with her longtime client on the record, and into print, below. 

violet
inquires

An intimate conversation between actress Alice Eve and her makeup artist Georgie Eisdell.
In The Makeup Chair With Alice Eve | #VioletGrey, The Industry's Beauty Edit
1
GEORGIE EISDELL: FROM THE FIRST TIME I MET YOU FIVE YEARS AGO, YOU'VE ALWAYS HAD GREAT SKIN. WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?
 
ALICE EVE: Water is important, and changing my products regularly seems to be useful for me. My skin only looks great when I am happy, though.
2
G.E.: MANY ACTRESSES HAVE VERY SPECIFIC BEAUTY RITUALS THEY MUST DO BEFORE A RED CARPET EVENT. WHAT ARE YOURS?
 
A.E.: I always spray my face with rosewater to give the makeup a nice sheen.
3
G.E.: WHAT BEAUTY TRICKS HAVE YOU PICKED UP IN THE MAKEUP CHAIR?
 
A.E.: I’ve learned to go a bit above the natural lip with liner to apply mascara right from the base of the lashes, and never let anyone pluck your eyebrows for you.
“ ”
My skin
  only looks
 GREAT 
 when I’m happy.

 — ALICE EVE, ACTRESS 
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4
G.E.: SHOOTING A FILM CAN BE GRUELING. DO YOU HAVE ANY BEAUTY SECRETS YOU DO WHEN IN PRODUCTION?

A.E.: Steaming helps to relax my face after a lack of sleep.
5
G.E.: WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE AN ICONIC BRITISH BEAUTY AND WHY?

A.E.: Charlotte Rampling. She has hooded eyes and that's so sexy.
6
G.E.: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE A GREAT LUXURY? 
    
A.E.: It is a great luxury to be able to determine the temperature of your house.
In The Makeup Chair With Alice Eve | #VioletGrey, The Industry's Beauty Edit
The Sultry Smoky Eye
BEAUTY CREDITS
FASHION CREDITS
  • STYLING BY JAMIE SCHNEIDER
  • BRA, SILK ROBE, AND SHORTS BY KIKI DE MONTPARNASSE
7
G.E.: HOW IMPORTANT IS HAIR AND MAKEUP IN DEVELOPING A CHARACTER FOR A ROLE?
 
A.E.: Very important. Brooke in Before We Go is a quintessential American girl. She has good skin and nails and wears simple makeup. This was reflected in her personality: She was clear and direct. Knowing things like this is vital to understanding the person; appearances can tell a lot about someone. 
8
G.E.:  WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CITY TO VISIT?
 
A.E.: Any city that is a walking city is a pleasure to visit. When you're on foot, around other people on foot, you're in the middle of the world.
9
G.E.: WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF MAKEUP?
 
A.E.: When I was 9 years old my Nana told me not to moisturize my skin or wear lipstick because my face would get used to it and I would rely on it. I thought I knew better, but I learned that older people always know better.

on set
ESSENTIALS

Tom Ford - Lip Color Scarlet Rouge
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1

/

4

THE FOOLPROOF LIPSTICK TRICK
“The trick to a perfect red lip is to create a seamless border. I always use a brush because I find it’s more precise.”
—GEORGIE EISDELL, MAKEUP ARTIST
Tom Ford
Lip Color
Scarlet Rouge
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Tom Ford - Traceless Foundation Stick Pale Dune
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2

/

4

A STRATEGY FOR  FOUNDATION STICKS
“I love this because it isn’t greasy or too thick, like many foundation sticks can be. Moisturize your skin before so the product glides on easily – but don’t use your fingers to apply the foundation, the consistency is too tricky for your hands. Dampen a sponge with a little moisturizer, pat the sponge onto the stick, then blend the formula onto the skin starting with your T-zone and blending out towards the hairline.” 
—GEORGIE EISDELL, MAKEUP ARTIST  
Tom Ford
Traceless Foundation Stick
Pale Dune
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Yves Saint Laurent - Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Baby Doll 1 Fetish Black
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3

/

4

LINE EYES WITHOUT EYELINER 
“This mascara is the best thing on the planet. I create a natural-looking liner effect by pushing the mascara brush as far into the lashes as you can, wiggle back and forth into the root, then pull it through the lashes. This creates a fluffy lash and a lot of length.”
—GEORGIE EISDELL, MAKEUP ARTIST   
Yves Saint Laurent
Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Baby Doll
1 Fetish Black
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Bobbi Brown - Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Black Ink
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4

/

4

THE TRICK TO GEL LINER
“My best tip to master gel liner is to practice – and use a small brush. The smaller the brush the more control you will have. For Alice, I applied mascara first [using the above strategy] then painted a thin line under the bottom lash line where I wanted more color.”
—GEORGIE EISDELL, MAKEUP ARTIST 
Bobbi Brown
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner
Black Ink
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SHE'S
SO VIOLET

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING, ACCORDING TO ALICE EVE
“I did that film just so I could kiss Robert Redford.” —Charlotte Rampling #soviolet | #VioletGrey, The Industry's Beauty Edit
PHILIP TOWNSEND / EXPRESS / GETTY IMAGES
“ ”
I did
 that FILM 
 just so
 I could KISS Robert  Redford.
— CHARLOTTE RAMPLING, ON THE 1982 FILM THE VERDICT
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IN POLITE
SOCIETY

“ ”
In polite society,
‘makeup artist’
 is synonymous with
 confidante,
 ally and FRIEND.
— VIOLET GREY
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