19/99 Beauty is a Toronto-based clean makeup brand that is making makeup fun, again. Remember the smell of your first lip gloss or the first time you swiped a glittery eyeshadow across your lids? How fun was that? 19/99 founders Camille and Stephanie are bringing back the feeling of opening up a Caboodle full of colour.
19/99 is for anyone at any age, where feeling free, playful and creative are the ethos for getting ready.
Hi, Camille and Stephanie, we’re very excited to chat with you both. 19/99 Beauty has been so well received by the HH team and our community. We’re pretty minimal when it comes to makeup, but we’re finding ways to wear more makeup around here, your products are just that gorgeous. So let’s dive in and talk all about colour and feeling good!
HH: 19/99 has a cute compact mirror that says “As far as you can see is fun.” Can you talk to us about the unique perspective 19/99 is bringing to the beauty industry?
C+S: We are often sold beauty products as a solution to a problem. I have eye bags, so I should use this concealer, I have acne so I should cover it with this foundation, or I have small lips so I should line them this way.
We believe in using makeup as a tool of creative expression or an accessory, and something that should be enjoyed. Instead of looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking, “What can I fix?”, we encourage people to see how much fun they can have with their face.
HH: You’ve taught us that makeup can be, and should be fun! It’s not permanent and while that’s obvious, it doesn’t always feel that way when we’re deciding between 100 shades of red. How to choose?! We’d love to know how you decided on the colours and products in the 19/99 lineup.
C+S: We worked closely with Simone Otis, a Toronto-based makeup artist, to develop all the shades for the line. Simone has been working in the industry for 30+ years and has worked on thousands of faces, so she knows what colours will work well across skin tones.
We’ve taken out some of the guesswork for picking a shade because we only have one of every colour - our red Precision Colour Pencil does look amazing on everyone!
HH: You’re both always looking so fresh, hello to a bright red lip! We’re curious, what’s your daily makeup routines look like? Let’s say you’re going out tonight, is there anything you’re going to add for an evening look?
C+S: The three products we both use every single day are the Precision Highlight Pencil in Lustro, Black Lash Tint Mascara, and the Tinted Matte Balm or a Precision Colour Pencil on lips.
We apply the highlight pencil on the inner corners of eyes and lower lash line to bring light to the eyes, and use the Lash Tint Mascara for subtle lash definition. We both love a bright lip - like the Precision Colour Pencil in Voros or Rozsa and we’re most often wearing more than one shade mixed together! The Tinted Matte Balm is a go-to for a subtle flush of colour on the lips - it’s a sheer, universally-flattering plum shade.
HH: You’ve been in the beauty industry for over a decade (huge applause!) What’s one thing you wish everybody knew about makeup? Any other insider tips you’d like to share?
C+S: That there are no rules. It sounds obvious but we still hear so many people say “I can’t try this or I can’t wear that colour”. Yes, you can - and if you don’t like it, take it off! Makeup is temporary and meant to be played with.
HH: Georgia O’Keefee said, “Colour is one of the great things in the world that makes life worth living.” The colours in the 19/99 palette are so fun, striking and elevated. We love the juxtaposition of a classic blue liner filled in on the lips and a bright pink across the eyelid. What or who inspired you to play so boldly with makeup?
C+S: We wanted to play with bold colours to break down the idea of ‘age appropriate’, which is something we don’t believe in. We believe anyone should be able to do and wear whatever they want at any age. We also included bright shades in the collection to encourage play.
HH: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Looking forward, what do you see for the future of 19/99? Thinking about the beauty industry, what do you hope it moves away from and what do you anticipate it moving towards?
C+S: Age is just a number, and we hope we get to a point in the industry where we aren’t put in different boxes based on age.
It’s also exciting to see brands launch thoughtful products with better ingredients and materials. We hope that the industry continues to cut back on unnecessary excess packaging and continues to improve in ingredients and materials.
We also hope the industry will improve on speaking to consumers in a way that is inclusive of all ideas of beauty.
THIS OR THAT WITH CAMILLE
Oil or cream cleanser? Cream
Bath or shower? Shower
Salty or sweet? Sweet
Cook or take out? Cook
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Morning or night? Night
City or country? City
Summer or winter? Summer
WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT FEEL-GOOD WITH STEPHANIE
Binge-worthy show? Clark
Toronto Eatery? White Lily Diner
Local Shop? Kotn in Leslieville
Evening snack? Cherries and dark chocolate
Song? Echolalia - Yves Tumor
Ritual when you get home? Got out for a walk or play tennis
Activity to wind down? Cook
Beverage? Campari spritz