Top makeup artist Jordan Liberty shares an insight into his career and his new Curated By collection.

• Hi Jordan! Tell us a little about yourself.

When I’m not doing makeup and photography work for beauty brands or planning masterclasses, I try to enjoy as much travel as possible — and the food! I swear if I didn’t work in beauty, I’d be a chef.

• How did you become a makeup artist?

Completely by accident. I had studied fine art and photography growing up (amongst other creative outlets) and one day in college I was on set during a photoshoot and the makeup artist didn’t show up. I’ve always been the type of guy who likes to be a team player, and as someone with a strong art background I figured “why not.” 15 years later…

• Who / what are some of your inspirations?

I’m so wildly inspired by travel. I absorb my environment…the colors, the flavors, the energy — all of it. Even if I’m not taking direct inspiration, I’m constantly photographing everything I see in hopes of pulling inspiration from the images when I hit a wall. My first tour teaching makeup masterclasses throughout Asia and Australia was 34 days, and I took something like 44,000 images in my phone!

• How did you go about “curating” your Ciaté products?

I focused on products with different textures to elevate the idea of a “neutral” look while still remaining understated and wearable for every day. The statement duochromatic nail lacquer, metallic and matte shadows, almost opalescent highlight, velvety eyeliner, and glossy lip oil on their own are pretty straightforward, but the combination of colors and textures looks so chic.

• If you had to choose, what is your favourite product in your Curated By kit?

I’ve been really into duochromatic pigments right now, and I love a pop of color on the nails, so I have to go with the nail lacquer!

• How do you suggest we use each product in the kit?

First of all, I love the lip oil because it’s a treatment product. As we go into winter months, anything that can prevent chapped lips is a must-have, and I love that the lip oil has so much more shine than a balm. When it comes to color, I think anything goes - use highlighter as a shadow or the liner as a shadow base to create a more smoky look. This collection was curated to be fail-safe because you can pretty much go wild and all the colors tie together harmoniously.

• Any top tips for enhancing eye while wearing a mask?

Use warmer tones! With so much of the face covered, adding some liveliness to the eyes with richer colors goes a long way — and warm tones look pretty awesome paired with every eye color.

• What are your favourite makeup techniques or tricks?

I really do believe in “less is more.” It’s amazing how strategic application of concealer in lieu of foundation can create a more flawless look with far less caking and creasing, and that concept applies to color as well. Using more pigmented products that better compliment your complexion and eye color will require less to make an impact. Focus on the feature you’d like to enhance the most and focus all the attention there with a pop of color.

• Any makeup mistakes you see repeatedly?

TOO MUCH OF EVERYTHING! Layers of product on the skin ages your appearance and decreases the beautiful translucency of natural skin. If you start thinking of makeup as “real life retouching” and just laser focus on the few blemishes you feel you NEED to cover, you can really go for it with creativity and it will never look garnish. Fresher-looking skin paired with neutral makeup is divine, and paired with dramatic makeup? So editorial and fashion-forward. It looks effortless.