Delphine Letennier, hairdresser and make-up artist, located near Rennes (France), works mainly with photographers for fashion shootings in France and abroad.
RC. What's your background ?
At the end of high school in 1999, I had to choose a course of study. I knew that I would work in the entertainment area. It was not clearly defined in my mind, but I have always been attracted by visual art, drawing, living show, photography.
One day, I was flipping through a magazine specialized in cinema and as I came across an ad about a professional make-up school, something went click. 4 months later, I entered that school in Paris.
RC. How do your inspirations come from ?
I get my inspiration and creative ideas from the books, movies, cinema. I'm inspired by the way characters are made up, to be in line with the aesthetic universe that a director wants to create.
I follow some make-up artists and hairdressers who work with famous artists on social networks like Pinterest and Instagram. I find their work inspiring and right, very delicate, always harmonious and sublimating people...
Nonetheless, I'm not a fan when you don't even recognize the model once the make-up done, then the model looks standardized according to the aesthetic standard and the trend of the moment.
What really matters is the beauty of the model, not the beauty of the make-up.
RC. What are your favorite brands you work with ?
I really like working with Bobbi Brown, Nars, Urban Decay products, especially for the complexion, but my heart tips the scales to Chanel. In general, I appreciate fine, adjustable, clever products like some 3 in 1. I especially want to bring freshness and brightness to a face.
Some brands such as Kiko or the Séphora range can offer cheap but equally interesting items. Anyway, there are good and bad products in any brands, you have to be curious and keep up with novelty.
RC. Can you share technical tips with us ?
In photo shooting, I regularly use two tips.
The first one is about make-up. In fact, if you use flesh color pencil inside the mucous membrane of the eye, it illuminates the eyes immediately and cancels the red shade that appears sometimes. It' not so difficult, but it can make a difference.
The second tip is about hairstyle : when you want to tie hair back in order to clear a face, sometimes hair implantation is thin, so you apply an eye shadow of the exact hair color re-creating a balanced and harmonious implementation. Result is not very perceptible to photos !
RC. Do you have coming projects ?
My plans are on hold at the moment, due to the exceptional sanitary period we are experiencing. I am hopeful that this situation will get in order and that I will be able to work on photo sets again, in France or abroad.
