From working at the Saks Fith Avenue makeup counter to cultivating over 15-year in the business, NOLA-born makeup artist Francelle Daly has seen beauty trends come and go while working with clients like British Vogue, WSJ, Dior, and more. Since she was a teen, Daly has loved attending raves, Mardi gras festivals, and seeing theatrical makeup looks, and noticed that alternative beauty was missing from the mainstream beauty space. It was only fitting that in 2018 she decided to start her own beauty brand celebrating all things alternative Love + Craft + Beauty because, as she says, “makeup belongs to music.” The LCB movement deepened as proclaimed music enthusiasts, like many other creatives, had to find ways during the 2020 pandemic to keep creative, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Daly started practicing theatrical looks on herself for the first time, which became a therapeutic process and led her to start teaching these extreme looks to up-and-coming makeup artists. When talking about the artists she mentors, Daly revealed, “To me, there’s nothing more rewarding than creating something and seeing that it can give back to people.” Models.com spoke to Daly about the importance of consideration, the beauty industry’s evolution, and working with consistent collaborators and friends like Craig McDean, Orlando Pita, and Grace Coddington.
Image courtesy of Francelle Daly
How did you gain a passion for makeup, and do you remember your first job as a makeup artist?
I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. When I was in high school, I was really inspired by the creatives I would see walking around the French Quarter and going to dance parties, especially during Halloween and the Mardi Gras festival. Everyone was very deep in the spirit of makeup and theatrics. I started my makeup career at 17, working at a now-defunct day spa because it closed after Katrina, and then I went on to work at the makeup counter at Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans.
What led you to create your makeup brand, Love + Craft + Beauty?
Love + Craft + Beauty stands for loving yourself, your craft, and your beauty. My makeup brand has been around for four years and has taken a big interest in alternative beauty. I work for many makeup brands and key a lot of their campaigns and found that nothing was reflecting alternative beauty, so I wanted to create that narrative. LCB celebrates one’s style and the ever-changing moods of makeup and trends. I wanted to create a brand in a safe space for people to come into our classroom/photo studio in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and create theatrical makeup together. I’m also teaching where many of these alternative beauty references come from because a lot of the younger generation doesn’t know about them. I’m always into the range of cosmetics from the very extreme to the subtle; there’s a hashtag on Instagram called #LCBMuse, and they’re my artistry team. They’re the people that come into my brand and do makeup with me, and those are the real ones that inspired me to create this brand.
So you create the brand’s content at your photo studio and teach makeup lessons?
Yes, two weeks ago, we went knee-deep into Halloween; you can see it here. It’s constantly alternative beauty. This whole month’s inspiration has been focused on Leigh Bowery, the New Romantics, and the London Blitz kids, teaching where the references come from and that it’s all derived from music. I create all the content, and I photograph it with my friend Sam [Kettell]. If I’m not doing photo shoots with the photographers I work with, I’m at the studio down the street and constantly teaching classes. I never really took photos of myself in these alternative makeup looks before Covid, and as I started to really be inspired and do more theatrical things, the brand has started to turn and navigate, and alternative beauty has become a huge ethos of what LCB is about.
Vogue Mexico editorial by Ben Hassett | Image courtesy of Home Agency
You mentioned how you just got really comfortable doing more makeup looks on yourself. How does makeup aid in your self-expression?
Not only does makeup aid in self-expression, but it’s also true therapy. Especially during Covid when I couldn’t have anybody in the studio. I never really did a lot of theatrical makeup on myself. I would go to parties when I was younger, like the raves in New Orleans, and I was very inspired by the music. A lot of the theatrical makeup you see in Europe, especially in London or Japan, comes from the youth. My demographic for my brand is very young; I would say it ranges from ages 15 to 25. As I like to say, it’s ageless, but those are the real makeup junkies that buy because they’re looking at us to set trends, to be leaders in the extreme and alternative beauty space. I’ve been in the business for a very long time in fashion, and we know references, especially from magazines, the photography greats that inspire us, other makeup artists, hairstylists, and designers. About seven kids come through regularly to learn things and are also part of my makeup team. I just keyed the makeup for Batsheva‘s NYFW show with Love + Craft + Beauty. I also led the makeup for Maisie Wilen‘s show, she’s a good friend of mine, and there were five people in my artistry team that are actually LCB muses I taught how to apply makeup, and they graduated to the next level. Love + Craft + Beauty is a movement. It’s a safe space to learn a trade and be passionate about knowing where the references come from and to create something that they can also give input. A lot of my product comes from kids saying, “Oh my gosh, I really wish that you had a liquid eyeliner in a pen form that’s shiny, I don’t want it matte, I want it shiny, and I want it to last all night long.” So that’s where the goth line comes from. Not only am I teaching inspiration to these kids, but they’re also giving me a hell of a lot of inspiration for myself. So that’s something that I can scream from the rooftops how excited I am to be a part of.
So what are you inspired by for your beauty looks?
I’m inspired by my LCB muse crew. They’re fearless, especially with social media and, specifically, TikTok. Anthony Chapman helps me out with TikTok ideas, and it gives these kids a platform not only to have confidence and be original, but they also don’t want to fit into a mold. It’s really inspiring to me to see these young 20-somethings create a look and then also create a platform. I’ve been in the business for so long that people used to pay me to teach trends, and I still do that. Now the younger generation wants to buy your product and show you what they can do with it, and I absolutely love that. They’ve created this aesthetic of Love + Craft + Beauty, and it’s so much fun.
What also inspires me is the empowerment it gives to people, especially to kids that are struggling with their mental health. Right after Covid, some kids came into the makeup studio in Bushwick depressed and not really having people to talk to, five of us were sitting at the makeup mirror, and by the end of it, everybody was happy crying that we were all in makeup and it made them feel empowered about themselves. To me, there’s nothing more rewarding than creating something and seeing that it can give back to people. It’s really important that in anything you do, you find passion within it and always be kind; kindness goes such a long way. With one lipstick at a time, if I can make someone’s day feel better, that’s my ethos, just being a kind person.
Your creative beauty ranges from bold, experimental looks for clients like Batsheva to clean, simple looks for Laura Mercier. Why is variety so vital to you as a makeup artist?
My brain must push things so far and hold back when I need to if that makes sense. That’s why I started LCB; I love doing clean makeup looks, and I love to go in the other direction and do makeup looks on myself or with the kids, which takes hours to do. I think that came with time, and as any type of artist, musician, painter, or designer, you can’t keep doing the same thing repeatedly. I only can speak for myself, but I’m never going to stop learning. I learn from the kids in my studio and my friend Sam, with whom I take LCB content pictures; I’m learning from everything and everyone around me. I’ve taught myself a lot, especially with COVID, and just seeing how there’s a lot of consideration every time I create a theatrical look. That’s my biggest thing. You can do anything that you possibly want to do makeup-wise, but everything has to be considered. That’s the education I’ve had the whole time working in fashion and working with some of the biggest photographers in the world and seeing the passion that goes into something.
Laura Mercier campaign by Ben Hassett | Image courtesy of Home Agency
Could you expand on what you mean by considered?
When I say considered, it’s more about the materials as a whole. If I’m going to wear a bald cap, why am I bald? It has to be considered, meaning that if I’m going to be bald, there has to be a reason for that. Either I’m turning myself into an alien, or I’m doing line work that’s going to go completely over the head. If I’m gonna take my eyebrows off or bleach them, why am I doing that? There has to be a lot of reasons, and I think that my biggest thing, especially teaching the assistants that I work with that are on my team, the LCB Muse team, it’s that you can create anything. It’s easy when you have a high-end fashion piece, but if you have to take some fish nets and some balloons and make a hat with them, how do you do that? I’m always trying to take things and bring them to the next level. I can do hair, but I don’t like to do it that’s why I’m always trying to think of ideas to get rid of the hair if I don’t have a hairstylist. A lot of the posts that you see on my Instagram regarding Love + Craft, I photograph them. I have some help, but it’s all me when it comes to all the art and creative directions. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in, and I’m very proud that I can do it, and it’s all fun. Our small direct-to-consumer brand is getting bigger and bigger. We just started a proga deal with Ipsy and Boxycharm. We call ourselves cyber sonic beauty because if you look at our landing page, my friend Sam and I are painted orange. We’ve created this approachable narrative of fantasy.
So you spoke a bit about material earlier. Do you have any favorite materials that you like to experiment with and why?
Oh my God. I mean, the possibilities are endless. Recently we made a club kids look, and we’re very inspired by the old rave, N.A.S.A., Richie Rich, and the New York Club kids that really made club life fun. Then I wanted to take the look a step further and include a little bit of Lee Bowery and Klaus Nomi in there, and the outcome was that we looked like jokers because we embellished our brows and lips. Again, it’s that word consideration; not only is the makeup very grand, but having that type of accessory makes it really fun and easy. There’s so much makeup movement going on around me that it blows my mind because it’s all done with weird random materials. Things that don’t cost a lot, like paper eyebrows, and then the artist makes it so grand because that is the art of consideration. It also comes back to creative geniuses like Irving Penn and Phyllis Posnick . The material could be so simple, but what story are you telling? It takes time to be confident in the type of makeup that you produce, which I always tell the kids I teach. When people ask, “how do I experiment with makeup?” I just tell them, just try; it’s not a tattoo gun. It’s all about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, whatever that means to you because remember, you can always wash it off, so don’t be afraid to try different things.
Lots of your work is filled with a grunge-like edginess. What draws you to this type of aesthetic?
I will have to say the music. I always say that makeup belongs to music, especially the alternative. So I love doing edgy, grungy looks with Nine Inch Nails playing and mixing Kim Petras or Shygirl in the background. I was inspired by Italo-disco, even for Batsheva and Maisie Willen. The Batsheva show was very early. We started at five in the morning, and I had Italo disco playing, painting people blue, and everyone backstage having a fun makeup kiki at five o’clock in the morning. It’s all based on the music. To go to the grunge part of it, I love creating aggressive makeup looks, and I’m friends with the Nine Inch Nails, and I love Mariqueen [Maandig], Trent [Reznor]’s wife. They both very much inspire me; she’s also a musician.
Document Journal editorial by Craig McDean | Image courtesy of Home Agency
“Beauty means loving yourself, loving your craft, and loving your beauty. It’s about owning one’s individuality, which is the most beautiful thing of all. You can always tell when you meet people and they have this sense of empowerment, and it goes beyond how you dress or your makeup; it’s one’s sense of self.”
I know you’ve recently worked alongside one of your consistent collaborators, Craig McDean, for the Tommy Factory Fall 2022 campaign. What was the inspiration behind that shoot, and how has it been working with him for all these years?
That shoot was so much fun. I remember getting the creative brief and getting so excited. Not only were Kate and Lila Moss in it but Jon Batiste, who’s from New Orleans, and is a fabulous musician, so it was really amazing to meet him. Travis Barker was there, and it was a hoot! It was great to create fun makeup looks because we did extreme eyeliner on Alton Mason and Lila Moss. Amber Later had crazy red lips and smokey eyes. It was an ode to Andy Warhol, as all these amazingly creative people came together to work in “Tommy’s factory.” Four of my team members were assisting, and it was so much fun. I love working with Craig; he’s a dear friend of mine. He’s someone I work with who continually pushes the boundaries and is one of the photography greats. Craig is an originator because every photographer has their own aesthetic and ethos and the way that they work. Still, Craig is someone that is constantly changing the lights, changing the cameras – he’s a thinker. Working with him has also made me a better makeup artist. When I work with my best friend, Orlando Pita, and my friend Grace Coddington, all of us working together is one of the biggest highlights of my career. Working with such amazing icons who have really made a footprint in the fashion world, there is no one like them. I’m very grateful to share creative spaces with them.
Tommy Factory Fall 2022 Campaign by Craig McDean | Image courtesy of Home Agency
How do you challenge yourself in your artistry and in your work?
The biggest challenge for myself that I’ve ever had to do is applying makeup on myself because I never used to do that. Of course, I went to clubs and did like a fun eyeliner or a lip but not the way I do it now. It all started during the Covid lockdown. I needed to create, so I created this magical movement within myself that I wasn’t comfortable doing at first. I wasn’t comfortable in front of the camera, and I had to work hard to create looks I liked to photograph. I really focused on the production, from the light to the background, again, the magical word, the consideration of what we’re going to create. I work a lot with my friend Sam, who’s also been my first assistant for many years, and he went to photography school. Since we’ve moved into this new studio, it’s really gotten us into the next level of photography and thinking of creative ideas for our website because we have a bigger space. We recently just photographed my friend, Jordan Roth for the opening of the Met Opera, and he trusted Sam and me to shoot him for the night because he sees the work that we do with Love + Craft. It is also very rewarding to give Sam that platform; that’s what I always want to do with all these kids I teach, so that they can grow further in their education, be their own artists, and push the boundaries. I think the most creative people are people that do lots of different things, which I admire about the younger generation. The LCB movement is starting to really trickle down, I have a 25-person waiting list of people that want to come and just hang out in my studio and do makeup with us and it’s only getting bigger. These kids are seeing what we are posting and they see us out. I’m heavily involved with the scene, especially the lgbtqia+ movement. We are a very safe space to be creative, and I’m really trying to make the beauty industry evolve into a new narrative because I think it’s time.
A lot of people don’t have that direct access to someone like you, who has worked in the industry for so many years and has much insight it’s great that you can be a resource for these kids.
It’s important to me because I don’t have children of my own. My LCB muse team are my brothers, sisters, and my fellow aliens. I think the more you give people a platform and they post on their channels, you’re not only giving that person empowerment but genuine support. I had seven kids on the Batsheva show from Love + Craft; two crying because I gave them a place on the team. I get emotional about it because I’m like, “Oh my God. Like, yes, of course. Why wouldn’t you be on our team? You’re amazing.” I can’t tell you how many times I hear the kids I teach say, “I just needed someone like you to believe in me.” It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done, and I’m striving really hard to bring Love + Craft into a much bigger dimension. It takes a while to get your following, but the tribe is coming, and I’m ecstatic. That’s why I love your platform, a lot of the kids know all about Models.com because I show them how to look up certain artists and look up certain photographers, and it’s the only platform that really shows the history of someone’s legacy and career.
As an industry veteran, how have you seen the beauty industry evolve?
I’m starting to see the alternative beauty movement and a lot of avant-garde beauty; avant-garde is such a scary word to people. So I like to say alternative beauty because I want it to be approachable. I’m seeing a lot of the alternative beauty movement come to life, especially within the music industry, with people like Grimes, Doja Cat, Eartheater, and Boy Harsher. They are making these looks more mainstream. I mean, look at what Laurel Charleston did on Doja Cat for Paris Fashion Week; certain people like that will bring alternative beauty on the map.
Elle U.S. December 2021/January 2022 Covers by Nathaniel Goldberg | Image courtesy of Home Agency
What does beauty mean to you overall?
Beauty means loving yourself, loving your craft, and loving your beauty. That’s why I named my brand Love + Craft + Beauty. It’s about owning one’s individuality, which is the most beautiful thing of all. You can always tell when you meet people, and they have this sense of empowerment, and it goes beyond how you dress or your makeup; it’s one’s sense of self.
What are your plans of expansion for Love+ Craft + Beauty?
We’re asking a lot of our customers about the products and getting feedback and we are starting a rave line that drops next month. We have three products dropping in the spring, and we’re going to continue to push the boundaries of makeup and lifestyle. That’s the wonderful thing about being part of Ipsy and Boxycharm is that we have an audience and it’s always about navigating and finding ways to make the brand bigger. Like I always say to everybody, slow and steady wins the race. That’s the fun part about having a small DTC company, seeing the means and avenues of potential growth. It’s always important to really believe in what you’re doing. Everything that you see on my Instagram with Love + Craft comes from the heart. I’m thinking of ways to not only push the narrative of a different type of beauty but also to give back to our community as well.
