Charlotte Ronson, Beauty Mogul

 

CHARLOTTE RONSON, TALKING STOOP.

You may know Charlotte Ronson because of her eponymous, girlie-chic clothing line, a favorite among celebrities like Nicole Richie, Blake Lively, and Rihanna. Or perhaps you’ve seen her name or photos in the many blogs and magazines swooning over her laid back sense of style. You may even know Charlotte through her famous family lineage—she is the sister of Mark and Samantha Ronson and stepdaughter of Mick Jones (of Foreigner fame). One thing is for certain, if you’re in-the-know, you have definitely heard of Charlotte Ronson.

Now there’s another reason that Charlotte is the subject of chatter and accolades, this time it’s in the beauty industry. In conjunction with Sephora, Charlotte has developed a makeup line inspired by her real-life muses (Nicole Richie and Drea de Matteo, to name two). With the September 15th launch of the collection, Charlotte’s 14-product line was an instant hit, with products like A Perfect Mess Beach Hair (inspired by mom, Ann Dexter-Jones) already on their way to cult status.

We recently asked Charlotte to divulge her personal beauty style and the philosophy behind the new collection.
 

SARAH HOWARD: What made you decide to start a cosmetics line?

CHARLOTTE RONSON: This line happened somewhat organically with Sephora. I had always wanted to expand to beauty, but I knew I wanted to be able to translate my design aesthetic in an authentic way. They have an amazing, knowledgeable team who introduced the best formulas for the kind of products that I was interested in creating.

HOWARD: What’s your personal take on cosmetics?

RONSON: I’m not a make-up person, but I love wearable products that are easy to use, with fun packaging. I always take a less-is-more approach to my routine, and use products that create a sun-kissed glow that can transition from day to night.

 

 

HOWARD: On an average day, what makeup do you normally wear?

RONSON: Rather than foundation, I use a sheer bronzer like A Summer’s Kiss. Depending on my look, I’ll pick A Perfect Kiss Lip Gloss shade, with a bit of Armani Eyes to Kill mascara. I finish my look with A Perfect Mess Hair.

HOWARD: How about your typical night look?

RONSON: If I’m going out, I usually don’t have much time to change my day look, so I’ll transition to night with All Eye Need Eye Shadow in Nicole, a bit of 3X a Charm and Closer Light Filler Powder. If I am wearing lipstick, I usually pick a sheer shade from NARS, and add a little By Terry Eyeliner in Blackstar—depending on where I’m going. Favorites are NARS Tonkin—almost my lip color, just a bit deeper—and Dolce Vita; it adds color but it isn’t too bright. Sometimes, I use Cle de Peau Lip Liner in Red. I like to put on a lip treatment to moisturize and use the lip liner all over my lips as a lipstick.

HOWARD: What makes your products different from all of the rest on the market?

RONSON: The products seamlessly transition from day to night, and are uncomplicated, portable, and easy to use for an effortlessly chic look. They also include light-adjusting technology, which helps the products last from day to night and still look radiant.

HOWARD: What is the philosophy behind your line?

RONSON: Less is more: “no makeup” makeup.
 
HOWARD: Are there any plans to expand the line that you can share with us?

RONSON: Yes, we are excited to continue our partnership with Sephora and expand the line!

HOWARD: What are your favorite products from the line?

RONSON: A Perfect Kiss Lip Gloss: I love that it’s lightweight and sheer. All of the shades are wearable and not sticky. I was inspired by my friends and family, and each shade is named after them. All Eye Need Eyeshadow Quad in Nicole—it’s a palette of shimmery, earth-tone shades inspired by my friend Nicole Richie. And 3X A Charm Luminizer, Blush, Bronzer in Shoshanna—Shoshanna Gruss always looks perfectly sun-kissed, so this palette was designed to create a natural glow.

HOWARD: If you were stranded on an island and you could only have one product, what would it be?

RONSON: A Perfect Kiss Lip Gloss in Samantha [named after her sister]. The color is very wearable, and it has such an incredibly sheer and smooth formula that it would feel comfortable on lips that have perhaps been a bit too sun-kissed while stranded on an island.

ALL CHARLOTTE RONSON BEAUTY PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT SEPHORA AND SEPHORA.COM. SARAH HOWARD IS THE EDITOR OF BEAUTY BANTER.