Chëla Olea is a makeup artist based in Mexico City. She has worked with brands such as Airbnb, Audi, Apple, Bacardi, Coca-Cola, Google TV, Maestro Dobel, McDonald’s, Nike, Nintendo, Samsung, and Toyota, amongst others. In addition to advertising clients, she has worked extensively in the music industry, collaborating with musicians such as Arca, Band of Horses, Björk, Blondie, Hot Chip, J. Balvin, Jarabe de Palo, Jared Leto, Javiera Mena, Jay de la Cueva, Julia Stone, Rico Nasty, The Kook, The Vaccines, The XX, Will I Am, amongst others. Her makeup style often features people with natural foundation and a pop of playful color on the eyes. For Neta Vere’s inaugural shoot, the models all had a dewy face and with varying degrees of color on the eyes and lips—some with pink, shimmering eyes and others with red lips.
Neta Vere spoke with her to discuss her beauty routine and what trends she is looking at now and expecting in the future.
Neta Vere: How do your models or subjects influence your makeup?
Chëla Olea: For me, the characteristics of each face are very important in choosing a makeup look. I am a firm believer that we should all remain ourselves even after a makeup session. I consider the features that make a face unique and make them more beautiful by placing them in a more harmonious environment for the human eye.
NV: What beauty role models do you have? This can be someone you know personally or rather someone you admire.
CO: I am from a generation where we grew up watching artists like Floria Sigismondi or Björk. Where the concept of beauty started to take other directions in search of originality and creating concepts through colors and unusual narratives. In the case of artists like Björk, beauty is perceived as music. She is an artist whom I admire in many aspects and I was fortunate to do her makeup. In the case of Floria, with whom I have also shared a set, it was important to see her creative processes from a more balanced perspective to understand that each element is extremely important for the composition of a scene. Working with these wonderful women has been some of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my career.
NV: What trends are popular now? What trends do you predict will be popular in 2023? What trends are here to stay?
CO: I hope the obsession with skincare is something that stays with us forever!
NV: How do beauty trends affect your work? Where do you get the looks you look for?
CO: In my profession, staying constantly inventive is key. I think my whole creative environment stems from everything I consume—movies, music, exhibitions, art, and of course social media. However, I like to think of my looks as a mix of everything, not an exact replica of what’s on social media.
NV: What brands do you like in terms of product, aesthetics, or packaging?
CO: YSL, Chanel, and Nars are my favorites, not only for the quality of the products but the typography of their logos are beautiful.
NV: What are your favorite products and which ones do you use for a luxurious moment?
CO: Moisturizer and sunscreen are essential. For luxury—Chanel and LaMer.
NV: How has your beauty routine changed in the last year(s)? Years?
CO: I’ve always been a fan of sunscreen, but with the help of my dermatologist I’ve added wonderful products like vitamin C or retinol.
NV: Do you like to try new trends?
CO: Always! In my job, the key is to stay current and try new looks and products.
NV: How important is research for you in your routine, or are you more intuitive?
CO: It is extremely important to have the advice of a professional, so every product I use is recommended by my dermatologist. It surprises me that nowadays many people decide to use products they probably don’t need just because they saw it on social media.
NV: Is beauty something social for you or more personal?
CO: Always personal, it is a result of how you feel about yourself even if you don’t have features that society recognizes as being beautiful.
