Visionary makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench is known for delivering ultra-artistic makeup looks that tap into and are inspired by the subcultures of society. The result? Well, it’s an aesthetic that exudes sex, drama, and power.

And this is evident in her second makeup drop entitled, ‘Wild Star.’ Wild by name, wild by nature, Isamaya was inspired by unadulterated rodeo decadence and, specifically, the vivaciousness and glamour of cowgirls. Helping us channel our inner cowgirl, her eponymous beauty line offers plenty of shimmer and vibrancy courtesy of pink and baby blue hues set against matte nudes that come together to create alluring looks. Isamaya tells us about her new range.

Inspiration

ISAMAYA Beauty’s second drop, ‘Wild Star’ is inspired by the unapologetic glamour of the midnight cowgirls you can see in a dive bar on a hot Texan night. The kind of women fighting for what they believe in and never compromising their authenticity. A wild spirit rooted in the power of the natural world.

Makeup

I designed this collection for the Wild Star girl to have all the weapons she needs for glamour! From the shimmery lipsticks with matching liner pencils to the bold, vibrant and glittery colors in the palette, which also includes matte contouring tones, along with a highlighting stick for face and body and dramatic thickening mascara, you are perfectly equipped to walk the desert night in true rhinestone cowgirl style.

Packaging

I loved the idea of doing something that felt very different from our first drop, ‘Industrial.’ To show that you can be a beauty brand and create collections based on diverse sources of inspiration that don’t always have to relate to the same aesthetic codes and still be relevant and consistent. I love objects you want to keep past their product’s life simply because you think they’re beautiful or because it ties you to a memory or a feeling of excitement about something. From looking at our golden, bejeweled horses, you wouldn’t necessarily know they’re hosting cosmetics. I also wanted the palette to have a purpose once empty, so you can remove the insert and use it as a box to keep jewelry or something precious to you.

Campaign

I wanted to work with Steven Klein again for this campaign because his work goes beyond the realms of fashion and beauty and always elicits a very cinematic style. I needed this collection not to be seen through a literal lens because it’s a tricky theme that can easily be read as kitsch, girly bling. I wanted it to have a cool, powerful edge that wouldn’t take any of the glamour away, and he was the right artist to achieve that. We recreated the environment of a dive bar in a studio with set designer Jack Flanagan, complete with a rodeo bull and a cast of 20 cowboys; it was a lot of fun to shoot!

Launch

For our big brand launch that happened last June with the collection INDUSTRIAL, we opened a pop-up shop in London for a few days and recreated the campaign’s environment so that people could immerse themselves in that world. This time, we wanted to focus on our American audience, so we’re doing a pop-up in Los Angeles and a party at the iconic Saddle Ranch on the Sunset Strip. This is the best setup to unveil that collection; it’s going to be a ride!

See more on isamaya.com.