I met Alison at one of my favorite clients, Jeffre Scott, a boutique in Charlotte, NC, that carries both of our brands. There, I fell in love with her makeup. Indeed, other than my signature NARS lip pencils, Alison’s makeup is the only makeup I wear. I own her True Concealer, and one of her powders and brushes. And for those who know my minimalist makeup style, that is saying a lot. I like to think that small beauty brands need to support each other, and Alison agrees: we are stronger together than we are by ourselves!
AP: What city were you born in? ART: I was born in New York City at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. There is a flag on top of the building and I see it every time I cross the George Washington Bridge.
AP: What city to do you live in? ART: I currently live in Cliffside Park, NJ, which is directly across the Hudson River from 110th Street in Manhattan.
AP: What is your middle name? ART: Jean.
AP: What is your astrological sign? ART: Pieces, in fact my birthday was just 12 days ago (March 10th)!
AP: What is something about you most people don’t know? ART: Nothing! I am an incredibly open & honest person. What you see is what you get!
AP: What is your most prized possession? ART: There are a number of material things I am very sentimental about: a photograph of my father the day he opened his pharmacy in 1955 that hangs in front of me, the pearl watch that my mother gave to me, the jewelry my husband has given me, etc. But truthfully, the things I treasure most are my good health, the love of my family and friends and my peace of mind, for those things are priceless and cannot be replaced.
AP: If you could have dinner with the person of your choice, who would it be? ART: My dad. He died about 2 years ago, and I miss him so much. He always had the best stories and was just an amazing person to spend time with.
AP: Describe your fashion style in three words maximum. ART: Simple, timeless, and comfortable.
AP: Do you wear a watch? If yes, what model? ART: Yes, a stainless steel Tag Heuer my mother bought me about 20 years ago.
AP: Diamonds or pearls? ART: Diamonds.
AP: What is your #1 beauty secret? ART: 8 hours sleep every night.
AP: What fragrance do you wear? ART: Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia or Red Roses; Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blossom or Neroli Orange Blossom. I am VERY PICKY about fragrance!
AP: Botox or not? ART: No, don’t need it yet. I’m not against it though, I just don’t believe in doing too much – looks unnatural.
AP: Hair color: natural or not? ART: Not! Nice & Easy Darkest Brown – straight out of the box!
AP: What are your special diet tips, if any? ART: I am currently doing a 28 day detox with people from my gym and I am learning how to cook for the first time! I don’t believe in any tricks per se, just healthy, clean eating.
AP: What do you do for exercise? ART: I belong to a “boot camp” style gym and there I do free weights and calisthenics. At home I run on an elliptical machine.
AP: What are three things that you always have in your fridge? ART: Seltzer water, some sort of salad and protein, and peanut butter
AP: What is your cocktail of choice? ART: I don’t drink alcohol on a regular basis, but when I do I like a glass of red wine, a Sam Adams beer, Canadian Club & Ginger Ale or a glass of Scotch.
AP: What is your secret to work/life balance? ART: I write everything down that I have to do and then try to plan my time every day. It’s really hard, but having a 3 ½ year old daughter gives me my motivation.
AP: How many miles do you fly per year on average? ART: I have no idea…it used to be a lot more, but I slowed down my travel after I had my daughter. But I love to travel! Always up for a new adventure in a new city!
AP: What are your three top tips for travel? ART: http://matrix.itasoftware.com lists just about every flight & cost available, try to do/see at least one local thing wherever you go, and when available, I love getting a massage at the airport.
AP: 3 songs on your ipod right now. ART: Only 3??? Are you kidding??? Let’s see…American Boy/Shine, Bitch/The Rolling Stones, Down/311…my elliptical running music.
AP: What book are you reading right now? ART: I almost never have time to read a book, but the last book I read was Negotiate to Close by Gary Karrass – his seminars are always advertised in the airplane magazines, so after years of seeing them, I went on eBay and bought some of his books.
AP: Quote to live by. ART: Oh, I have lots of these as I am a big TwitterHead, but my current favorite is “If you are going through hell, keep going…” –Winston Churchill.
AP: What is your worst pet peeve? ART: A messy house! I work from a home office, and when things are unorganized I literally cannot think.
AP: What time do you usually wake up in the morning, and how many hours of sleep do you usually get? ART: Around 5:30 am, and I am a zombie if I get anything less than 8 hours sleep – so I go to bed early. In fact, I’ve been known to fall asleep on peoples’ couches at parties (embarrassing, but true!).
AP: What is your favorite thing about the beauty industry? ART: The people – I am a very social person and I love working with female customers. I also love talking shop with other cosmetic entrepreneurs & makeup artists – could do that all day!
AP: Least favorite thing. ART: The lack of working capital available to small companies in the US at the moment. It just makes it that much more difficult to grow.
AP: Who is your mentor? ART: My husband, Glenn Tatem. He drives me crazy, but he’s usually right!
AP: Words of advice for young women starting their careers today. ART: Choose your business and personal partners wisely! No one gets to the top alone, and having the wrong people in your life can easily drag you down.
