"I’m searching for something that feels true" - Under The Beauty Radar by nss G-Club
Interview with make-up artist Clarissa Carbone
“I’m Clarissa Carbone, and I’m a make-up artist.” As part of our ongoing search for make-up artists and beauty professionals - with a special focus on Italy - our next featured creative could only be her. From fashion shows to editorial shoots, she’s constantly in pursuit of authenticity. “I started this journey by following a passion that, over the years, became my profession. Today I work within the fashion industry, but what still excites me most is the possibility of disrupting expectations and rewriting the rules. To me, make-up isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s a tool for transformation and self-confidence.”
Interview with Make-up Artist Clarissa Carbone
How would you describe your visual style in three words?
Essential. Intuitive. Direct. I like to start from the person, or the idea, depending on the context, and build something that feels natural, even when it’s highly creative. Something that fits seamlessly with everything else.
Where did your passion for make-up come from?
As a child, I was always the one paying attention to details. I still am. Colors, textures, the way light could completely transform a face. When I was 14, my first boyfriend obsessively collected Vogue Italia editorials, cutting them out and organizing them chronologically in binders. That gave me the chance to spend hours looking at those images. That’s when I realized make-up wasn’t just about beauty, it was a language. And I knew that one day, I wanted to develop my own.
What’s inside your reference archive?
A bit of everything. Steven Meisel’s and Annie Leibovitz’s ‘90s photography, Tim Burton’s films, Galliano’s runway shows, but also real life. My mother’s perfectly polished red nails, which I admired as a child. The women I met while traveling through Tanzania, who used baobab seeds as lipstick. The best references rarely come from make-up itself.
Make-up is often associated with a traditional, performance-driven idea of beauty. How do you approach it? Are you searching for beauty, or something else?
I’m searching for something that feels true. Beauty interests me when it has character, when it expresses someone’s personality rather than chasing an impossible ideal. Sometimes all it takes is highlighting a single detail; other times, it’s about completely breaking the rules. To me, make-up isn’t about hiding, it’s about amplifying.
In an ideal world where anything is possible, who would you love to work with?
People with a strong vision, regardless of their field. If I had to name one person, it would definitely be Pat McGrath. She’s one of the people who has most influenced the way I see make-up. I actually had the opportunity to assist her backstage at a fashion show, and it was one of those experiences that reminds you exactly why you chose this profession. Looking beyond a single collaboration, my dream would be to become the Creative Director of a make-up brand. I’ve always been fascinated by everything that happens behind a product, from the formulas and textures to the color palette, the packaging, and the way it’s ultimately presented. If I had to choose a brand, I’d say Byredo or Gucci Beauty.
What does it mean to enhance someone through make-up? And what does it mean to tell a story with make-up? Where do those two ideas meet, if they do?
I think they meet far more often than people realize. Enhancing someone doesn’t mean changing them, it means bringing out something they may not even have noticed about themselves. Telling a story is essentially the same process, just with an added creative intention. In both cases, make-up works best when it doesn’t cover the person, but accompanies them.
How do you approach trends? Do you think they stimulate creativity or suppress it?
I pay attention to them, but I don’t chase them. Trends are interesting because they reflect the moment we’re living in, but they’re also incredibly short-lived. They’re a bit like the people you meet at a party: some you’re genuinely happy to see, others make you want to go home after five minutes. I like understanding why a trend emerges, but I never feel compelled to follow it. I’d rather create something I’ll still love five years from now.
What does it mean to be creative today?
Today we’re constantly surrounded by flawless images and endless inspiration. To me, being creative means having the courage to be bored every once in a while. The real challenge isn’t finding ideas, it’s figuring out which ones are actually yours. If you’re consuming images all day long, you inevitably end up repeating someone else’s. My best ideas always come when I stop looking for them.
What advice would you give someone who wants to work in this field?
Be curious rather than perfect. Technique can be studied and improved every single day, but curiosity is what truly helps you grow. My father always used to tell me: choose a job you’ll still love on the hardest days, and you’ll always find joy in it. And finally, learn how to listen. A great make-up artist works with brushes but, above all, with people.