THE BEST IN BEAUTY
FROM THOSE WHO KNOW BEST

VIOLET GREY began with our search for the best eyelash curler. To find the answer, we formed a band of inside-Hollywood experts and editors — from makeup artists to movie stars — to test every eyelash curler against our rigorous set of standards (the VIOLET CODE). We tested on film sets, on red carpets, and in the back of Jack Nicholson’s limousine — and once we learned which curler would make our lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), we moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo, and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. On any given day, we are discovering, testing, and approving best-in-class beauty. The result is a discerning curation of products, tips, and inspiration deemed essential — the Industry’s Beauty Edit.

violet look:

the bond girl
smoky eye

VIOLET GREY makeup artist Merrady Wickes re-creates Ursula Andress’ come-hither Bond girl gaze.
Written By ERICA LOPEZ

URSULA ANDRESS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY BENTLEY ARCHIVE / POPPERFOTO / GETTY IMAGES

THE ARTIST

Merrady Wickes | @merrady

THE INSPIRATION

Ursula Andress making a quick getaway, 1969.

WHERE TO WEAR

At Tower Bar with your new flame, sipping a Vesper—shaken, not stirred.

THE BOND GIRL
SMOKY EYE

REIMAGINED BY MERRADY WICKES

Charlotte Tilbury - Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow Mona Lisa

Shop Now

ABOUT THE BASE

“Gently tap the cream shadow onto the eyelids with your fingers—taking it up into the socket but not all the way to the brow—to create Ursula’s rounded yet elongated smoky eye effect. Run a small amount of the cream shadow under the lower lash line to complete the first layer.”

Charlotte Tilbury

Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow
Mona Lisa

Shop Now

Shop Now

THE LAYERED LOOK

“Line the upper and lower waterlines with black Giorgio Armani Eye Pencil, then apply it along the upper lash line even more generously. Run Nars Bali shadow, which is a deep, cool brown, over the liner with Utowa’s 7P brush, blending into the eye socket and the outer crease. Use Bobbi Brown’s Eye Blender Brush in a horizontal back-and-forth motion across the socket to smooth it further. The goal is to create a diffused smoky eye that is dark, but still multidimensional, by layering cream and matte-finish eyeshadows.”

NARS

Single Eyeshadow
Bali

Shop Now

Giorgio Armani - Smooth Silk Eye Pencil 4 Black

Shop Now

BLURRING THE LINES

“Now that you’ve diffused the liner, go back for more. Use the Armani pencil again, closely lining the upper lashes to give them some extra oomph. Start with a thin line at the inner corner and build it up thicker and thicker as you approach the outer edge of the eye. More is more with this look, so you don’t have to worry about overdoing it.”

Giorgio Armani

Smooth Silk Eye Pencil
4 Black

Shop Now

Shop Now

SMOKED OUT

“Apply Bobbi Brown’s Smokey Eye Mascara liberally to the upper and lower lashes. This mascara is great because it has kajal, which is super black and conditioning and makes it easy to achieve bold bombshell lashes without clumping.”

Bobbi Brown

Smokey Eye Mascara
Black

Shop Now

Charlotte Tilbury - K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick Nude Kate

Shop Now

THE SIGNATURE LIP

“To achieve Ursula’s defined pout, I used MAC’s Lip Pencil in Stripdown and carefully lined the very edge of the lips. Don’t be afraid to amplify their shape! For lipstick, I chose Charlotte Tilbury’s Nude Kate, as a nude lip was Ursula’s signature.”

Charlotte Tilbury

K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick
Nude Kate

Shop Now

ARTIST
PROFILE

MERRADY WICKES

MERRADY WICKES, Makeup artist
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN BLACK

ARTIST STATS

Name: Merrady Wickes
Known For: Natural skin, effortless makeup, and ethereal smoky eyes
Where to Find Her: The VIOLET GREY flagship on Melrose Place
Years in the Industry: 17
Instagram: @merrady
Beauty Essential: Face oils—specifically, Vintner’s Daughter and African Botanics Neroli Infused Marula Oil
Mentions in The Violet Files: Solutions for Color-Treated Hair, Approved By the Violet Code: African Botanics Marula Skin Repair Balm, Best New Year’s Day Masks, Melrose Place All-Stars

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Merrady Wickes first discovered the transformative power of makeup not through her mother or her three older sisters, but via her dad—specifically, his involvement in the local theater. “His makeup kit was bigger than my mom’s,” the VIOLET GREY makeup artist remembers. As a tomboyish pre-teen, she tagged along to her actor father’s rehearsals at local universities and playhouses, where she was meant to look after the stage animals. But while backstage, she also received an unexpected crash course in prosthetics and old-age makeup from the theater students, thus inspiring her beauty philosophy: Anyone can be anything.

Wickes spent her teenage years tearing through every beauty book her local libraries had to offer, and landed her first makeup artist gig for an independent film when she was only 15. After several years in the industry, between editorial, beauty counter, film, and TV (she also moonlighted as an indie musician), Wickes learned that her real passion lay in her connection with the woman underneath the rouge. “Anyone can make a 16-year-old model look beautiful,” she says. “I’m interested in the everyday woman and what makes her feel her best.”

After moving to Los Angeles with her husband in 2010, Wickes continued her work as an artist, joining VIOLET GREY in 2014 and managing the Melrose Place flagship. As store director, she spends her days researching organic skincare ingredients, swatching the latest lipstick shade additions, and creating dozens of the “woke-up-like-this” makeup looks that Angelenos crave for her droves of satisfied clients. When not working, Wickes can be found focusing on the other beauties in her life—three rescue terriers she and her husband adopted. “They are my happy thoughts,” she says.