Francelle Daly has been doing makeup since she was a Dr. Marten-wearing, Nirvana-loving 16-year-old in New Orleans. “I’ve always known what I wanted to do. Growing up, my bedroom walls were plastered with magazine covers — i-D, Vogue, anything I could get my hands on,” she laughs. And now that she’s worked with everyone from the supers to Sky Ferreira (in i-D‘s recent Music Issue), thinking back to her teen fandom can be weird: “It’s very surreal still to work with the girls who were on my wall.”
Francelle has also been painting for her entire life. And there’s not much distinction between her approach to applying thick strokes of acrylic to a canvas and the way she adds color and texture to a face — whether that means having the confidence to do the bare minimum or deciding to go HAM with materials from Michaels.
“I did a collection story with Dan Jackson and [i-D fashion director] Alastair McKimm once,” she remembers. “And at the time I was really inspired by this artist Olivier de Sagazan. He does this performance piece in which he transforms himself into these dark demonic creatures with clay. So we completely covered Casey Legler with clay — all over her face and mouth. She doesn’t look human in the picture. I had just pounds of clay and tempra paint everywhere!”
The art-fashion thing works both ways, too. Francelle has lent her talents with latex and special effects to projects by Matthew Barney and Vanessa Beecroft. Working with the latter matched her own gothic aesthetic.
We rummaged through Francelle’s seven suitcases of beauty supplies at her house in Queens — an outpost of Southern Gothic amazingness filled with cases of taxidermied mice and cat skeletons — as she talked us through her all-time favorite tools of the trade.
What was the last thing you bought?
I ordered more of my favorite palettes (the brand is Z Palette) from Nigel Beauty Emporium in North Hollywood, and they just arrived. They’re great for holding different containers of eyeshadow, blush and bronzers, and they come in a variety of colors — mine are zebra print.
Who makes this amazing black face mask?
It was an Amazon find! I’ve found so many good products on Amazon from Japan and Korea. This particular product is by Daiso Japan, it’s the Natural Pack Charcoal peel off mask. I’ve also used it in a beauty story — it mimics the look of liquid latex, and it’s easy to peel off when it dries.
Which five pieces of makeup do you use the most?
1. NARS The Multiple in Copacabana… It’s my go-to product for an instant highlight on cheekbones, the bridge of the nose and the collarbone.
2. L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Mascara… I get the original formula — it’s rich and creamy and delivers big lashes.
3. MAC eyebrow pencils… They come in pen-style packaging and there’s a great range of shades.
4. Lancôme Cils Booster XL Mascara Primer… I use this to create more drama with mascaras. It has a fiber-building formula that actually makes your lashes longer and stops mascara from flaking.
5. Tata Harper Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tint in Very Naughty… It’s sheer and perfect for building up a tint on cheeks. Plus, it’s all natural and infused with lavender.
You can only bring one kit bag on a shoot — what skincare products do you pack?
Eucerin is my all-time favorite product. I mix it with paint, I use it as a moisturizer, I use it to add shine. Then I love Vaseline spray-and-go moisturizer because it’s easy and dries to a matte finish. And the other thing I use every day, like every makeup artist, is Bioderma Cleansing Water — it’s great because it’s pH-balanced. And I’m nuts about sunscreen. I love the SPF30 by Babo Botanicals. It’s clear, pure zinc oxide.
These bamboo brushes are SO soft. Where can you buy them and what are they best for?
They’re Japanese ink wash brushes and they’re my favorite art store find. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and brush quality. I love body painting with them.
Did you have any crazy experimental phases growing up?
Coming from such a musical city, I had a big grunge stage. It was all Jane’s Addiction, messy hair, and tons of mascara and eyeliner. Then the first time I heard Bauhaus, I was like, “I will be gothic for the rest of my life.” And I’m still that way.
When I was a kid, it was all about rebellion. My mom would take me to a store and she’d be like, “Oh, you want that black lipstick? Ok, yeah. See if you’re going to like that…” She’d let me experiment. And there are so many more options now, you shouldn’t be afraid to play. Makeup’s about self-expression and having fun. Bright green eyeshadow? Why not? It’s not like it’s tattooed on your face!
Credits
Text Alice Newell-Hanson
Photography Brayden Olson