How did you start working at the Versace fashion house?

In the late nineties, when Gianni died and Donatella took over the company, I was living in Rome. At some point I decided to move to Milan and sent job applications to all sort of companies and agencies. I was very young, with little experience and few references for myself, but I managed to make appointments. Most people said, “You’re lovely, but you have no experience. Let’s meet again when you’ve gained some.” And I had no idea that my last appointment was at an agency that represented Versace. The conversation went very well. A week later I got a call and when we met again they asked, “Valeria, are you ready to do La Donna’s makeup?” Is he a football player, is he a star? It didn’t occur to me at all who La Donna was? And then the agent clarified – it was Donatella. Oh my God! I felt such emotion. Twenty years later I still cringe when I tell that story.

And then?

The first person I made up for the company, however, was Elton John – a guest at a brand show in Calabria. I traveled with him on his private jet and looked him in the lips the whole way, trying to figure out exactly what he was saying. I spoke no English. My heart was beating fast, but I am a brave woman. My biggest gift from my mom and dad is my strong character. I am always positive and good-natured. If a problem comes up, I tell myself, “You can do it, Valeria! Go for it!” After that makeover, Donatella fell in love with me and I started working for her personally. (A mighty clap of thunder interrupts the conversation. Valeria looks up and says to the angry sky, “Yes, yes! Thank you!”) Every week I was travelling to Milan from Monday to Friday. On the weekends I’d go home to Rome. And so for four years.

Is Donatella easy to work with?

No. She’s not easy in character or make-up. Very strong woman. She was nice to me. There is no difference for me no matter I do the make up of a model or of a star. To me, both are routine. The only difference is that for the models to change is a routine and they tend to accept everything, whereas for VIPs you can suggest what is good to do, but more often they have the definite and clear idea of what they want. And you have to execute it. Donatella, for example, likes to have a tan, glitter, powder, golden shimmer, brown eyeshadow and to have very long eyelashes, no matter if she has an administrative job, business meetings or fashion shows… Together with her, I’ve done make-up for other guests at shows or faces of advertising campaigns, like Lenny Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Madonna.

What are your impressions of Madonna?

I worked with her with Mario Testino in the Versace campaign in 2005. He photographed her in his studio in London. We started four hours later because she needed first a personal coach to help her relax, then she did a workout in the gym with a trainer to prepare her body. Then was the makeup.

Do you talk to the person you are making up?

With models – usually not. They’re used to makeup, and there’s not much time. In my work with celebrity clients, thanks to my two years of training in neuro-linguistic programming with Anthony Robbins, I can assess the person and what my relationship with them should be in two seconds. I note body position, eye position and what presence the person has, what space they occupy. And I already know how to work with her or him. Nicole Kidman, for example, stands perfectly straight, with her arms folded in front of her, as if locking and protecting her. The first time I did her makeup, a year after Elton John, I went to the suite Versace had rented for her at the Four Seasons in Milan – she was a guest at the launch of the new collection. I arrive at the hotel, the piccolo opens the door for me. Nicole is sitting in a chair and yet she looks very tall. While I was working, she was silent and concentrating, learning a role for a film she was shooting at the time in Rome. In contrast, Penelope Cruz is crazy, fantastic, so temperamental. She is a Spanish woman. Bright, happy, good-looking, friendly. While Nicole is distant, Penelope touches you, hugs you like she’s your friend. After 27 years in the business, I can assure you that when it comes to makeup,

there are five types of women.

The first are open and friendly, the second – distant and self-centered, the third – petty and insecure, looking at tiny details, the fourth are too self-confident and do not take any advice. And the forth are convinced that make-up is a problem for the skin – they don’t want foundation, they don’t accept shadow because they are victims of the idea that make-up is only suitable for twenty-somethings. That to look younger at 40, you don’t have to wear makeup. That’s not what’s important. To make someone up, it’s important to explore their style. If the face is dramatic or has a very pronounced character – you put less makeup. If it’s not, you can put on more makeup.

What’s important to learn about to become a really good make up artist?

There are many make-up schools in Italy, but the basic knowledge is not taught well enough. On most courses they teach popular information, poor and at a very low level. In the beginning it is very important to learn the theory of colours and the different shapes of faces. My advice for beginner makeup artists is to start with training for 2-3 years and then add workshops with different makeup artists to learn different styles and approaches. When you have 2-3-4-5 years of experience, you start to notice and separate the wrong concepts from your work. For makeup artists, my workshops are high level, and my makeup school teaches painting as well. Knowing about lights and shadows is very important… When I have free time, I always go to look at the paintings of different artists.

Where did you train?

I have a variety of teachers and my practice involves travelling all over the world. I lived in New York for two years, and in Brazil for four. In South America, I worked for the Conde Nast publishing group for four years for Brazilian Vogue and Elle and many other magazines. There the idea of aesthetics in makeup is one thing, it’s quite another in Dubai and the Arab countries. Arab women don’t have many options to be attractive, so they like long false eyelashes, highlighting their lips and making them big with strong colours. And for them, very bright dramatic makeup is natural. In the States, they love the commercial Kim Kardashian type makeup – very dramatic, deep. In Italy that’s not common.

On your website I saw a gorgeous session with made-up clowns. What is the idea behind this project?

Oh, “Clownville” – “The City of Clowns” – is a personal project of mine and photographer Eolo Perfido (shot for NY Times, Vogue Russia, GQ Russia). He is a world photographer. He does portraits, streetstyle and art photography. My meeting with him was very important. Upon meeting, we discovered a common passion for art. And so 10 years ago we started to create this gallery that I use to move from fashion to art. Eolo and I’s idea is to show the shadow that lives deep within each of us. How does it work? The wrinkles on each face imprint your hidden self. The two parallel lines between the eyebrows are signs of anger, they show people who get very angry. The parallel ones above the eyebrows are found in creative and emotional people. Wrinkles starting around the nose and ending at mouth level again indicate skeptical, angry, tense people. I use black, white and red – typical Rembrandt colouring. Clownville is currently exhibited in many art spaces around the world – in Brazil, at the Guggenheim, in Russia, in museums in Turin and Bologna.

And do you take off your make-up? Who can see you without make-up?

Ha ha ha! I don’t think about make-up in my free time. Otherwise my style is very simple. I use black or brown eye pencil. I have big lips that I don’t put anything on. I also think my face radiates character and strength. Such faces are better to make up less. More makeup is more suitable for romantic faces or faces with not much character.

What kind of makeup do you wear with you every day?

Pencil, powder, blush, mascara and lip gloss and base. I have my own line of makeup. I found out years ago that when you buy a makeup product from a well-known company, I don’t want to quote names, you can’t get very strong color because they replace the powder with talc. Talc makes the product cheaper in terms of cost, but it also lowers the quality. For now I sell my cosmetics on my website, I also have a hundred corners for makeup artists who use my cosmetics. I am currently working on a franchise network for five stores worldwide – in Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Moscow and New York.

What are the trends for this season?

For spring-summer, the trend for a fresh complexion continues. Lip colours are vibrant – orange, red or magenta. Green and blue eyeshadows are trendy. These colours will continue as a trend in winter. It is still fashionable to have thick eyebrows.

I see you have tattoos. What do they mean?

On my back is the sign of Sicily, where I was born, on my arm I have a heart with me and my father painted on it, and low down on my belly I have a tattoo of a big cat woman.

Are you a cat woman?

Yes.