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Meet the Resident Artist at Barneys New York
Dubbed “East-Coast Beauty Guru†by Simon Doonan, artistic director of Barneys New York, Jason Ascher has the unique pleasure of helping his customers choose from any of the makeup, skin care and fragrance line’s available at The Foundation, the beauty floor at Barneys New York’s flagship store in Manhattan. He assumed the position of resident artist in 2006, and every since has dispensed unbiased product recommendations by appointment and free of charge from the privacy and comfort of a well appointed studio. Following is a BeautyInTheBag.com exclusive revealing a few of his secrets and tips.
Please describe your career path leading up to your role at Barneys.
Having experienced the boot-camp, backstage training on Bobbi Brown’s Beauty Team, executing runway looks for designers like Peter Som, Roland Mouret and Bradley Bayou, and given the honor of conceiving the look for Mr. Bayou’s first Spring Collection for Halston, I chose a somewhat more placid and secure path of retail beauty. I’ve worked with Trish McEvoy, NARS, Chanel, Vincent Longo and Chantecaille and assumed the unique position as Resident Artist for Barneys New York in 2006, dubbed “East-Coast Beauty Guru†by Barneys New York’s artistic director, Simon Doonan. I sought to forge a union between artistry and personal shopping that has helped revolutionize the experience of buying cosmetics and I pay close attention to the lifestyles and personal beauty of my clients. Because I don’t work for a particular vendor, I’m able to dispense unbiased product recommendations in color, skin care and fragrance. Â
What is your beauty philosophy?
I suppose if I have a philosophy, it would be for women not to get caught up following makeup and color trends, dated or unflattering makeup techniques, or thinking that they can only wear makeup one way. It’s a bit like music; once you understand the basics, you can open yourself up to any number of intriguing combinations.Â
What are some of the most common concerns of your clients?
Many of my clients worry that they’ve fallen into a rut with their makeup, that they want to wear less makeup or recognize that perhaps they need a bit more or that their makeup doesn’t last. All of these are remedied by a refresher, a new way to view their look and a few new techniques.
What are the hot new makeup looks for fall/winter 2010?
Perhaps inspired by the Mad Men craze, I’m seeing, in one camp, red lips and nails this Fall/Winter with clean, sharply lined upper lashlines and nude shadow; and  in the other camp, smokey eyes and liners in ocean shades – teal, navy, aqua, emerald and sage. Nail colors have gone toward off-beat metallic greens, navys, taupes and copper-browns.
Can you share a professional makeup tip that our readers could easily adopt?
Tip: if you can’t get a tight, sharp line along your upper lashline, try using a liquid felt-tip liner pen and dot/stipple from underneath your lashes straight upwards into your lashline right at the base, filling in the tiny spaces between the lashes all the way across from the outer corner to the first few lashes at the inner corner. Definition with no mess.
What’s the trend in fragrance for this upcoming season?
Barneys New York makes a very concerted effort to locate original scents each season and this Fall the trend seems to be turning toward warm, smoky-infused scents. L’Artisan’s Nuit d’Tubereuse takes normally floral tuberose and subdues it with amber, creating a very sexy “incense†fragrance.
What products should every woman carry in her makeup bag?
What every woman carries in her bag will obviously differ, but necessities include a concealer, a translucent pressed powder, a natural “bitten lip†lip-color, a blush and an eye pencil to line and smudge, which should take anyone through the day and even into evening. A few Q-Tips or latex wedges for cleaning up and a travel-sized moisturizer/SPF and lip balm in addition to a few travel brushes round out a well-stocked bag.
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