Lou originally trained in theatrical and special effects make-up at the London College of Fashion, however she soon realised that making people look beautiful was her calling. After many years in the industry, Lou has worked in all aspects of make-up and is comfortable on any set from moving image to stills. Her work has featured in Vogue, Stylist, Nylon, Wonderland and Grazia. She has also worked with celebrities such as Gemma Arterton, VV Brown, Tinie Tempah and Birdy. Lou’s make-up style involves clean, beautiful skin with fresh, playful colour.
Lou grew up with an interest in natural health, so experimenting with natural beauty products in her professional kit was the next step. As she discovered their potential however, she also found a darker side to the conventional beauty industry. Surrounded by make-up every day, she started to question what she was using. From unsavoury ingredients to a careless environmental impact, she realised that these were key elements of many of the products she had in her kit.
Over a decade ago Lou made a conscious decision to try and make her kit as clean and ethical as it could be, making her one of the first UK artists to take this path. It has been a long work in progress; from a professional point of view some products have been harder to switch. However with the advancements of green technology, organic and natural beauty is thriving. Lou is enjoying the current boom in conscious beauty and is working towards a super green make-up kit. Her journey and green beauty practises have been documented along the way, most recently a feature in Harper's Bazaar.
Lou is an advocate for great skincare, she believes it is an essential base to any make-up. She is qualified in Indian Head Massage, Natural Lift Facial Massage, Acupressure Facial Massage and facials, and continues to study. She enjoys bringing the practise into her make-up as well as sharing advice with clients.
Lou has worked with green beauty brands such as RMS Beauty, Weleda, BYBI, Alima Pure, Beauty Kitchen and Content Beauty. She has represented the brands themselves, as well as showcasing products both at press and public events. She is a regular on beauty panels and has given talks and masterclasses on green beauty, working with organisations such as the Soil Association. Lou has taught at a make-up academy for the last ten years, and also works with private clients offering make-up lessons and green your make-up consultations. Lou has just been voted into the Natural Beauty News Top 25 Personalities 2020, for the fourth year in a row.
The beauty press regularly ask Lou for make-up tips and product recommendations. She loves to pass on her new green beauty discoveries and give advice through her own beauty writing too. Lou was Beauty Editor for SIX Magazine and EggMag and has contributed to various magazines and blogs. She has her own award-winning blog too, Lou Dartford Green Beauty. For more information on her beauty writing please click here
(portrait by Johnny Carrano for the Italian Reve)
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Frederic Aranda, Lorenzo Agius, Mike Blackett, Philip Blythman, Tim Bret Day, Mark Cant, Sean Cook, Tom Craig, Sarah Cresswell, Perry Curties, Jason Ell, Simon Emmett, Can Evgin, Tomas Falmer, Chris Floyd, Craig Fordham, Jake Gavin, Neil Gavin, Diana Gomez, Rick Guest, Catherine Harbour, Ben Harries, Aitken Jolly, Diego Merino, Iain Mckell, Daniel O'Connell, Packard Stevens, Valerie Phillips, Rankin, Mark Sanders, Derek Santini, Johnnie Shand-Kydd, Klas Strom, Emma Tempest, Amelia Troubridge, Poppy De Villeneuve, Ophelia Wynne, Stefan Zschernitz
EDITORIAL
Badlands 777, Bon, Elle UK, ES Magazine, Esquire, Flux, Grazia, Hunger, InStyle, JNC, Look, Men’s Health, Monocle, Nylon, Stella, Stylist, Suitcase, The Telegraph, Twenty6, British Vogue, Vogue Russia, Volt, Wonderland, 1883
CLIENTS
Aritzia, All Saints, Aquascutum, ASOS, Beauty Kitchen, Beauty Without Cruelty, Burberry, BYBI Beauty, Clean Beauty Co, Content Beauty, Cutler and Gross, Derek Rose, Hewitt and May, Hobbs, Jane Carr, Janet Reger, La Redoute, Liberty of London, Moussaieff, Net-a-Porter, Oxygen Boutique, People Tree, Po-Zu, Puma, Related, RMS Beauty, Shanti Sundays, Swedish Hasbeens, Temperley, Weleda
CELEBRITIES / MUSIC
Ben Whishaw, Birdy, The Coral, Cover Drive, Dizzee Rascal, Donna Air, The Feeling, Gemma Arterton, Jasmine Hemsley, Kate Nash, Lemar, Melanie Fiona, Melissa Hemsley, Nell Hudson, Noisettes, Romola Garai, Rumer, Sade, Samuel L Jackson, Shontelle, Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, VV Brown, Zoe Kravitz
SHOWS
Alchemy, Blow Presents, Fashion Fringe, Fashion Shenzhen, Find Your Feet - You Are What You Wear, Gyunel, Pretty Polly, Sado, Zandra Rhodes
BEAUTY QUOTES / WRITING
Detox Health Beauty, EggMag (Beauty Editor), The Ecologist, Instyle, Natural Health, Psychologies, Pure Beauty, Recognise, Reveal, SIX Magazine (Beauty Editor), Soil Association, Twenty6, Udo's Choice
PANEL TALKS
Tanya’s Living, Fare Healthy, Soil Association, Natural and Organic Product Show, Kind Festival
Contact -
Email - lou@louisedartford.com
Lou is represented by Stella Creative Artists
Email - peri@stellacreativeartists.com
Tel - 020 3176 2800