Siddhartha Simone and the Face Before the Face

 A face is already busy before anyone touches it. It has weather, sleep, parents, bad lighting, good lighting, last night’s thoughts, one eyebrow with a private agenda. Makeup can flatten all of this into a clean little answer. Siddhartha Simone seems more interested in the questions.

Her work has a way of staying close to the person wearing it. A color appears, but the skin still has its own opinion. Something glossy, dark, or sharp might happen, but the face is not asked to become obedient. Maybe this is what happens when a child from a quiet Dutch town grows up making worlds out of pictures, then learns to treat the face as a place where evidence should be allowed to remain.

Below, Simone lets us further into that way of looking.

PHOTOGRAPHY PHIL ENGELHARDT @philengelhardt
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY DENNIS BRANKO @dennisbranko

INTERVIEW KATIE MANN @trippychickmakeup
MAKEUP SIDDHARTHA SIMONE @siddharthasimone @streetersagency

Please introduce yourself — where are you from and where are you currently?
I’m Siddhartha Simone, born in a small town in the Netherlands. There wasn’t much happening there — my dad was an engineer working on oil rigs and my mum worked in a local laboratory conducting blood research.

There certainly wasn’t any sort of fashion scene. Although at the time the subculture gabber scene was quite big in the Netherlands. I wore ‘Australian’ and ‘Cavello’ tracksuits, Nike air maxes, Timberlands and had my hair slick back, and applied really dark lipliners on myself. I worked in the local bar discotheque when I was 14. I know, I was very young and was a bit of a rebel.
To be able to be my own boss and plan my own schedule, I started a nail salon for the local ladies in my town at the age of 15 and mixed custom made nail colors for all my clients.
A few years later, around the age of 17 I did my first makeup course in Amsterdam. Soon after I built my own clientele.
I would drive early mornings from my home town, work there and drive back. I was very independent from a young age, building my network. When it started to get busier with makeup jobs, I had to stop my nail salon and it wasn’t before long I joined an agency and moved to Amsterdam, the city I would call home for the next ten years.
Fast forward, and now I split my time between London and Paris.

How long have you been an artist?
I’d say I’ve been an artist from a young age, though I didn’t realize it or call it that back then. Because there wasn’t much happening in my hometown, I started creating my own world by experimenting with makeup on myself and my friends.

Was there a defining moment that solidified your drive and desire to be an artist?
I got into makeup from a very young age and did my mum's and friends' makeup whenever I could. Being an early teenager I was heavily influenced by watching MTV music videos in the 90’s.
From a very young age I was also obsessed with ‘FashionTV’ with all the fashion shows and backstage programs. I would watch it for hours.
The desire to create was always there. I used to collect images and create inspiration books — I was obsessed, constantly observing peoples faces. How I would paint their faces. I felt it so strongly that it was what I wanted to do so I just really followed my heart. Before I attended any makeup schools, I drove to a local photographer every weekend to do makeup on models we cast and come up with ideas and let the photographer shoot it. I would tell him how to retouch the images and make edits. 

Some years later after doing a makeup course in Amsterdam I soon got represented by my first agency and moved to Amsterdam. This was I think the point when things started to be more serious and I started travelling a lot more.
Not long after, I got introduced to Diane Kendal through my old agent and that’s how I started assisting her on the shows.
After being Diane Kendal’s first assistant, I wanted to pursue my international career further, so I moved to London to take things to the next level.

What inspires you and your work?
I’m hypersensitive to my surroundings and have always been fascinated by people’s faces — how they catch the light, their expressions, their presence, and the small details that make someone unique. Inspiration comes from many places: people, colour, travel, nature, art, and everyday observations.

When I’m not shooting, I spend a lot of time in my studio developing ideas. I invite people in, work on personal projects, sketch concepts, experiment, and allow myself the freedom to make mistakes. Curiosity is very important to me. Often the most interesting discoveries come from something unexpected.
I also mix my own colours and have always been interested in the study of colour — textures, transparencies, depth, undertones, and interesting combinations. I love the spirit of experimentation and the possibility of finding something new.

"Makeup should reveal something about a person,
rather than disguise them."

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Your work has a rawness that — to me — celebrates the beauty of being human. How does nature or what naturally occurs play into your work or approach?
I’m drawn to people with character — those who have a strong sense of themselves. I love seeing someone wear a bold lipstick while allowing their skin to remain visible and alive, with freckles, birthmarks, and natural texture left untouched. Sometimes all they need is brushed-up brows and healthy skin.
Makeup should reveal something about a person rather than disguise them. I’m always interested in enhancing what already makes someone distinctive.

When inspiration hits, how do you work out an idea?
Every project is different. When I have to develop an idea beforehand, I often sketch on my iPad. It helps me translate what’s in my head into something visual. I’ll gather references, study the styling direction, and sketch until something clicks. From there I’ll usually create a test or tryout.

Other times, I prefer to work intuitively on set. Collaborating closely with the team and responding to the model, styling, and mood in real time often leads to the most interesting and authentic results. Leaving room for spontaneity allows ideas to evolve

Your work feels very tactile, even through a screen. Do you have any favorite textures?
That’s such a lovely observation — thank you. I think my work feels tactile because I am tactile. I love experimenting with textures and finishes on the skin. There’s so much more to creating a look than simply “natural” or “bold” makeup — I aim to enhance character and authenticity, even when the makeup itself is strong. I’m mostly drawn to balmy textures because they melt so nicely on skin so it becomes part of their own skin.

There’s a vulnerability and intimacy that comes with being a makeup artist. How do you approach that energetically?
I have to be strong and vulnerable at the same time when I’m creating. If I shut down, the creativity doesn’t flow. I think models feel this when they sit in my chair — I try to tune in to their energy, and that’s often when things start to flow.

It might sound a little spiritual, but it’s almost like an exchange between energies, and that’s when the makeup usually comes to life.

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The fashion industry is notoriously “go-go-go,” with long hours and lots of travel. How do you stay grounded?
People who know me well know that I always travel with my jump rope — skipping helps me clear my head. This job is like a top-level sport, and staying focused is essential. I try to sleep well, eat healthily, and meditate.

When I’m not working, I try slowing down as my job is fast paced. I spend time in nature with my partner, take ice-cold sea swims, and spend time at my community in London. We do pull-ups and other exercises outdoors in the park and have grounding conversations that have nothing to do with fashion — just life. Even when it rains we train together. It is very grounding for me to be a part of a community like that, that has nothing to do with what jobs we do, how successful we are, but all about just having a shared goal of simply being there together doing something for our body and minds.

Do you express yourself through other mediums aside from makeup?
Yes — I do color studies and paint in my studio, experimenting with different combinations and textures. I also love interior design and enjoy hunting for unique pieces of furniture.

What does beauty mean to you?
Beauty, for me, is when someone is completely comfortable in their own skin. It’s not about perfection - it’s about presence, confidence, and individuality. The people I find most inspiring are those who embrace who they are rather trying to become someone else.

@SIDDHARTHASIMONE