Exclusive interview with Lina Hanson, Green Make-Up Artist and founder of Lina Hanson Global Beauty

The cult serums from Lina Hanson Global Beauty have finally been available in Switzerland for a few days now. Biomazing met Lina Hanson, the woman behind the valuable oil creations, and met an exciting power woman with a sense of beauty, naturalness and a large portion of talent.

Biomazing: Lina, you are a successful make-up artist and work with stars such as Naomi Watts, Natalie Portman, Mandy Moore and many others. What inspired you to develop your own skincare line? 

Lina HansonAs a make-up artist, my clients' skin is the first thing I look at. You can tell a lot from the skin and read something about the client's lifestyle and health. For me, this is the most important part of the work, because the skin determines everything that comes afterwards, which look is created and always the end result.
I have been using natural and organic oils for a very long time and creating my own blends was the next natural step for me. It was very clear that it had to be a product that I would have in my make-up bag and that would suit each of my customers.

Biomazing: Your skincare range is particularly exclusive and small, it includes a face serum and a body serum. These are just two products. What is the idea behind these serums, what makes the Lina Hanson brand so special? 

Lina HansonFor centuries, people and nations around the world have been using natural ingredients that come directly from the earth for skin care. I want to make these beauty secrets known and, above all, accessible to everyone. All the ingredients in my serums really do make a difference to the skin and are the complete opposite of mass-produced products that contain a chemical fraction of the ingredient.

All Lina Hanson products are blended by hand and we track down beauty secrets and raw materials from all over the world. For me, it is also particularly important to celebrate the idea of 'global beauty'. This is the idea that we are all unique and beautiful in our own way. Our individual beauty is independent of ethnicity, age or background.

Biomazing: What were the most remarkable moments you experienced while searching for the ingredients for Lina Hanson? 

Lina Hanson: I have experienced so many special things on my travels! But the best moment so far was my trip to Kurdistan this year. For over a month I lived with the local Kurdish people and got to know the culture and the country. My travels and the people I meet inspire me to translate these moments and the special things I experience into my products, which is why all these moments are special to me.

Biomazing: What do you like best about your job, both as a make-up artist and as head of Lina Hanson Global Beauty? 

Lina HansonI love that as a make-up artist you can help a woman to find herself beautiful, to discover and emphasise her individual beauty.

As the owner of Lina Hanson Global Beauty, my favourite part of my job is experimenting with new ingredients and beauty secrets to create products that my customers can fall in love with.

Biomazing: What moves you, what inspires you?

Lina HansonMy travels and the people I meet inspire me. But I am also inspired by all of Lina Hanson's customers and fans, who are scattered all over the world. They push me to keep experimenting and improving, working harder and spreading the idea of global beauty. My brand stands for everything I personally believe in and I am very lucky to be able to spend my time doing what I love.

Biomazing: What do you think of the sudden rise in interest in all things supposedly natural, organic food and natural cosmetics? What are the hurdles we will face as our industry grows? 

Lina HansonI think more and more people are realising what they put in and on their bodies and that's great. The more information we have, the better choices we can make for ourselves and our family. I hope that one day all food will be natural and organic as a matter of course and you won't have to label it.

Biomazing: As a professional make-up artist, we simply have to ask: What are your insider tips for our readers? 

Lina HansonMy secret tip is to use the Global Face Serum on each of my clients before applying make-up. I love the foundations from Vapour Organic and always apply them with my fingertips. This creates a natural look and is ideal for blending.

Another tip is to use a cream blush for lips and cheeks. I prefer cream blushes because they look more natural and make the skin glow. If you are travelling, you can also use lipstick and apply a small amount to the cheeks with your fingertips.

Another favourite of mine are blotting papers from Tatcha. They are the saviour in every situation when you are on the go, your face starts to shine a little and you don't have time for a complete touch-up. They remove any shine but leave your make-up intact. I give Tatcha Blotting Papers to my clients before they leave for a red carpet event and I always have some in my handbag!

Biomazing: What are the five things you couldn't live without? 

Essentia water: This is my favourite water because it is enriched with electrolytes and tastes incredibly good. My skin looks much more radiant and vibrant since I've been drinking Essentia!

Global Face Serum: I use this serum every single day, morning and night, and it helps my skin feel healthier and glowing.

Coconut oil: I use coconut oil as a make-up remover, for oil pulling, even for cooking. Coconut oil is used everywhere in my house and I love it.

Coffee: I am a coffee lover. I love my coffee in the morning and it's the one thing I treat myself to in the morning. I use organic coffee beans and drink it with coconut milk and a little cinnamon. I look forward to it every morning.

A good pair of trainers: I spend a lot of time outdoors and on LA's famous hiking trails, so a good pair of trainers is an absolute must.

Biomazing: What is your best beauty tip?

Lina HansonBe good to yourself, eat healthy food, drink healthy juices and lots of water. I believe that beauty comes from within. If you are healthy and feel good, you radiate that outwards and look stunningly beautiful.

 

ORIGINAL version in English:

Biomazing: You are a celebrated make-up artist to the stars and your clients range form Naomi Watts to Natalie Portman to Mandy Moore and many more. What made you decide to develop your own skincare line? 

Lina Hanson: As a makeup artist, skin is the first thing you see when working with a client. You can tell a lot about a persons overall health by looking at their skin.

To me, it's the most important part and sets the tone for any makeup look. I have been using natural oils for a very long time and making my own blends and felt it was only natural to develop a product that I could put in my makeup kit and that would work for everyone I worked with.

Biomazing: Your line is particularly lean with a face serum and a body serum, only two products. What is the idea behind your serums, what makes Lina Hanson unique? 

Lina Hanson: For centuries people around the world have been using natural ingredients derived from earth for their skin. I wanted to bring back these beauty secrets and make them attainable for everyone. These are the ingredients that truly make a difference for our skin. Not products that have been infused with chemicals or mass-produced in factories.

Our products are all handcrafted and we source the highest quality ingredients from all around the world. It was also important for me to celebrate the idea of Global Beauty: The idea that we are all unique and beautiful in our own way, no matter our age, ethnicity or background.

Biomazing: What were the most special moments when you were sourcing for the best ingredients globally? 

Lina Hanson: I have had many incredible moments travelling, but the best one so far was my trip to Kurdistan earlier this year. I spent over a month with the Kurdish people, learning about their culture and land. My travels and the people I meet inspire me to create products and those are all special moments.

Biomazing: What is it that you love most about your job, as a make-up artist as well as the head of Lina Hanson Global Beauty? 

Lina Hanson: As a makeup artist I love that I can help a woman feel better about herself. Accentuate and enhance her own natural beauty. As the owner of Lina Hanson Global Beauty, I love the process of experimenting with new blends and creating products that people love.

Biomazing: What moves you, what inspires you? 

Lina Hanson:  My travels and the people I meet inspire me. Also, the people who are fans of my products all around the world, truly inspire me too. They make me want to continue creating more products, to work harder and continue to spread the message of Global Beauty. My brand stands for everything I believe in and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do what I love.

Biomazing: What do you think about the sudden increase of interest in natural and organic foods and personal care products? What are the challenges that our formerly "pretty little niche" will face? 

Lina Hanson: I think more people around the world are becoming aware on what it is they are putting in and on their bodies, and I think that is great. The more information we get, the better decisions we can make for ourselves and our families. I hope that one day we won't need to label products or food "organic" any longer, but that it will all be organic.

Biomazing: As a professional and green make-up artist, what are your insider tips? 

Lina Hanson: I love using Global Face Serum before I apply makeup to any client. I love Vapour Organic Beauty's foundations and I always apply foundation using my finger tips. Foundation goes on smoother and blends better.

A great makeup tip is to use a cream blush for both cheeks and lips. I love cream blushes because they look more natural and makes your skin glow. Or, if you are on the go, you can use a bit of lipstick as a creme blush and blend it to the apples of your cheeks with your fingertips.

I love Tatcha Blotting Papers. They are great for on-the-go whenever your face feels and looks shiny and you have no time to do a touch up. These blotting papers will get rid of any shine, but won't move the makeup. I give them to my clients before they leave for their red carpet event, and I always keep some in my hand bag.

Biomazing: What are the five things you could not live without? 

Lina Hanson: Essentia Water: This is my favourite water and it is enhanced with electrolytes and tastes incredible. My skin is looking a lot more vibrant since I started drinking it, and now I don't want to be without it.

Global Face Serum: I use this serum every day, morning and night and it has helped my skin feel and look more healthy.

Coconut Oil: I use coconut oil as a makeup remover, for oil pulling and also in my cooking. It has so many uses in my home and I love it.

Coffee: I am a coffee lover. I love having my cup of coffee in the morning and it's the one thing I treat myself to. I use an organic coffee blend and drink it with coconut milk and a bit of cinnamon. It's something I look forward to each morning.

A great pair of sneakers: I spend a lot of time outdoors, going for walks or hikes in the LA mountains so a great pair of sneakers is a must.

Biomazing: What is your best "beauty tip"? 

Lina Hanson: Be kind to yourself, eat healthy foods and drink juices and tons of water. I believe beauty comes from within and when you feel great you will also look great.