Joy Adenuga, the celebrity makeup artist who brought us iconic looks like Love Island star Jourdan Riane’s Spell Magazine cover and India Amarteifio’s Venice Film Festival beat, has just released a brand new collection of makeup brushes – and they’re not to be passed up on!
We couldn’t wait to find out more about these brushes from Joy herself, who designed the collection to include everything you need to create endless makeup looks. The 100% vegan and cruelty free tools are capable of buffing, blending, contouring, highlighting and detailing – you won’t need another set of brushes for as long as you have these. Alongside the MUA’s line of false lashes, these brushes are part of Joy’s growing high quality product offering for makeup lovers.
Here, Joy tells us about how the new collection came to fruition, the challenges of running an independent Black-owned brand, and how often we should really clean our makeup brushes.
What inspired you to create The Ruby Luxe Brush Collection?
I was really keen to add new brush shapes to my existing collection of brushes. I was truly compelled to create a collection that was vibrant, bold, and would show more of my personality, hence the colour red.
Talk us through the creative process of creating your brushes. How do you come up with ideas for each brush collection?
As a working makeup artist who has been in the industry for over 15 years, I’m always on the lookout for tools to make the job of makeup application smoother and easier. With the new Ruby Luxe Brush Collection, it was more about wanting to incorporate certain shapes within the Joy Adenuga brush portfolio to enhance the customer’s experience of applying their makeup.
What are some of the challenges you have faced throughout your journey of being the brand owner of your makeup brushes?
The most challenging aspect of running my business independently is lack of access to capital. Having a self-funded business is very restrictive, add to the fact, I feel I have to work extra hard to achieve visibility being an independently owned Black business.
This might be a hard question, but what is the one brush within the collection that you think everyone should have in their makeup bag?
My favourite brush is Brush 017 (Angled Foundation Brush) from the Ruby Luxe Brush Collection. It consists of densely packed bristles, and is ideal for applying and blending foundation, concealer and contour products with precision. It’s a truly a multi-purpose brush that will ultimately save space in your makeup bag.
How often should we be washing our makeup brushes?
I always suggest you wash your brushes at least once a week. I know it can be tedious and time consuming but it’s an important task that will prevent grime, bacteria and build-up accumulating on your brushes. To make the job easier use a brush soap like Joy Adenuga Solid Brush Soap, £20; a real fuss free formula that allows you to cleanse your brushes with ease. I also advise people to make double or triple purchases of their favourite brushes (budget permitting), so there’s back up if you are unable to commit to your weekly washing sessions.
Name three must-have items you carry in your makeup bag at all times.
My day-to-day make-up is actually pretty low key. The only three items I need are my lip oil, blot paper and a small mirror.
Joy Adenuga’s Ruby Luxe Brush Collection is out now. Visit byjoyadenuga.com to shop the collection.
