SWEED JOURNAL
Interview: Tobi Henney
Meet our Sweed friend, Tobi Henney! A celebrity makeup artist behind memorable looks for icons like Barbara Palvin, Diane Von Fürstenberg and many others. Her work has been seen on the red carpet and at the MET Gala. With her signature glow and modern, effortless aesthetic, she captures the essence of contemporary beauty. Shop Tobi's favorites Sweed products here. HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AS A MAKEUP ARTIST? “I've been a makeup artist now for 16 years and I've worked internationally for about the last 10 years.” WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SWEED PRODUCTS? AND WHY? WHERE ARE YOU BASED? “I'm currently based in the US and I work all over the world actually. I'm often flown to Europe and I was flown back to my home country of Australia last year for a job, but I honestly am open to clients booking me anywhere right now and I'm just really enjoying all the opportunities that come my way.” FAVORITE MAKEUP LOOK? "I just got back from Paris Fashion Week and one of my favourite looks that I created was on Barbara Palvin for the Balenciaga show and it was a beautiful metallic brown liner look, and I know there's a shade called Golden Beetle in the Sweed line and you can use it to recreate the look." FAVORITE BEAUTY HACK? “My favourite beauty hack is to create glass-like skin, and by doing that you really wanna create hydrated base and then you want to dust over the foundation. Just very thinly and then you can really just press the product into the skin and the skin will look supernatural and glowing and gorgeous. And I feel like when your skin looks amazing and glass-like, everything else is going to follow.“ TIPS FOR MAKEUP LOOKS ON MATURE SKIN? “So I have a lot of mature age clients, everything from 40s to 80s, and I really like to keep the blush super high on the face. And I try and create like a triangle shape, so just on the top here, across the cheekbone and then up into the temple, and what that does is it really lifts the face and it gives a more youthful appearance.” ANY ADVICES FOR ASPIRING MAKEUP ARTISTS? "If you're an aspiring makeup artist now the. Internet is the best way to get your work across to people from all different countries and different age groups. So I highly recommend collaborating with other creatives and creating beautiful content that you're really proud of and practising. Practise makes perfect, and trying to work on different skin tones, different skin types, different age groups. And I actually got the best practise from working on weddings because when you're working on weddings, you have to do all different types of skin and you're under pressure, you have to work quite fast and it can be highly stressful, and once you get those practises under under your belt, then you can really become a very skilled and experienced makeup artist." Shop Tobi's favorites Sweed products here.
INTERVIEW: ELISA MAINO
Meet our Sweed Muse, Elisa Maino. Get to know the Milan-based fashion and beauty icon with over 6M followers on TikTok and learn more about her beauty philosophy and favorite Milan-spots! Shop Elisa's favorite Sweed products here. WHAT IS YOUR BEAUTY MOTTO? My beauty motto is definitely “Less is More”. I prefer to choose just a few products, but the right ones—essential items I always have with me in my routine, whether I'm at home or traveling. IF YOU WERE A BEAUTY PRODUCT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? Definitely a good lip combo—they’re always in my bag. I can’t live without them! WHAT'S YOUR BEST BEAUTY HACK? It’s definitely important to prep your skin well with a good skincare routine before applying makeup, because that already makes up 50% of the result. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 SWEED PRODUCTS AND WHY? WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR? This collection launch was definitely a major goal for me this year. It’s a collaboration that came together very naturally, starting as a personal relationship before becoming a professional one. Who knows—maybe there’ll be a part two. I truly hope people will love it as much as I do! WHAT MAKEUP TREND ARE YOU OBSESSED WITH RIGHT NOW? Right now, I’m really into Soap Brows. Brushed, perfectly groomed brows that stay in place all day. WHY IS CLEAN BEAUTY IMPORTANT FOR YOU? For me having beautiful skin is super important! Taking care of yourself not just for aesthetic reasons, but also for something more personal. Because real wellness starts from within and that means having clean, healthy, well-cared-for skin. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN MILAN? Numero Uno – for an amazing, easily digestible pizza. I highly recommend one with prosciutto and burrata on top! Delicious! Then my favorite sushi place is called Miyabi. If you want super unique rolls that melt in your mouth with a really interesting mix of flavours, you absolutely have to go. The location is also stunning! And to give you a more traditonal Milanese option, Trattoria Madonnina! Is beautiful because it has a super cute and simple outdoor seating area. Perfect for when you're craving a quick meal but in a magical and typical Milanese setting. If I had to choose a salad place with healthy, balanced, and of course Instagrammable dishes, I'd say Lùbar. It's amazing! Shop Elisa's favorite Sweed products here.
INTERVIEW: KATE HUTCHINS
Meet our Sweed friend, Kate Hutchins! A London-based fashion and beauty icon, Kate shares her elegant lifestyle and passion for professional horseback riding with 1.6 million women worldwide through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. We had the honor of having Kate as a guest on our Turtle Expedition to Costa Careyes in Mexico and took a moment to catch up with her while she shared her beauty secrets. Shop Kate's favorite Sweed products here. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE ACTIVITY ON THE SWEED TURTLE TRIP? My highlight was the Turtle Release. It was such a magical and really moving experience. Seeing how small the turtles are and seeing them going to the big wide world, was so touching. Something I'll never forget. WHAT'S YOUR BEST BEAUTY HACK? The uglier you go to sleep, the prettier you wake up. Slather on all of those creams, do your slugging and put your hair in the heatless curler. Then you wake up ready for the day and looking fresh and glowy. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR? I have been working on a secret project that involves horses. It has been the most challenging thing I've ever done. I can't wait to share more about the project later on this year! WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 3 SWEED PRODUCTS AND WHY? 1. I love the Eyelash Growth Serum, because it made my lashes so long, thick and healthy. 2. Close contender is the Lash Lift Mascara. It gives you so much definition and length on your lashes. I have it in the dark brown color because I think it's a lot more soft on my face and I really like that. WHAT'S YOUR BEAUTY MOTTO? That your "beauty comes from within". If you are a happy and kind person, I think your beauty really shines out. HOW DO YOU STYLE YOUR HAIR? I use the Maria Nila - Sea Salt Spray! It's incredible. Because when you're in a hot environment like this, it gives you that extra texture and that gorgeous beachy look! IF YOU WERE A BEAUTY PRODUCT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE? I would be the Miracle Powder. Because it's easy, clean and practical. It gets the job done, and it's also one of my favorite products! WHERE'S YOUR HAPPY PLACE? In the saddle! So the fact that we got to horseback ride on this trip was my dream come true. WHAT'S YOU FAVORITE DATE NIGHT SPOT? Dinings in Marylebone, it's very cute and cozy and not very fancy, but the food is SO good! WHAT PLACES DO YOU LOVE GOING TO ON THE WEEKENDS IN LONDON? On a Saturday, I love to meet up with my girl friends, we have a walk down the Kings Road, look at the shops and then get brunch at Colbert on Sloan Square. YOUR FAVORITE SALADS BAR AND PILATES IN LONDON? This is a takeaway, The Salad Project. It's so good. You get to choose your base and the sides, I just love it! I get it about 3 times a week. I also love a Sunday pilates session at Pilates In The Clouds, which is in Notting Hill. Shop Kate's favorite Sweed products here.