The Westmores of Hollywood

For anyone in the makeup industry, there is a nod of reverence due to the Westmore family that needs to be done as we move into a new decade: acknowledging those whose innovations and skills have helped to drive our industry forward, defining and shaping how we view the beauty side of makeup as well as creating iconic characters and showing the potential of makeup in a cinematic realm, the Westmore family is amongst those founding clans that have changed the way we look at makeup and created an art form second to none with a flourish that has spanned over a century in film and TV.

Icons of cinema and TV makeup, they are often overlooked in the public domain but remain firmly (and rightly), a part of cinema history with a continuing stance of professional standards that echoes across the world.  Hollywood royalty is a term that is often thrown around without knowledge and rarely looks at the talent behind the cameras who helped create the iconic images and star looks that are still held up today as a classics of both stills and moving images.

Credited as the founders of the makeup artist role in cinema, the Westmore family are seen across the board as being innovators at the start of an industry giving it an edge and sense of style to a world that is unrivaled to this day.  With reams of coverage over the years, the family historian, Christiana Benson a makeup artist and beauty marketing guru of repute in her own right, is taking the lengthy and storied history of her family and making them available to everyone as a part of cinema history. 

From its early days with George Westmore and his sons to its current family artists, the Westmore clan is amongst the elite of the elite in cinematic history and worthy of note to anyone in or entering the field of makeup artistry.  

To learn more about the Westmore family and their brands see:

The Westmore’s of Hollywood Site.

The Westmore Beauty Makeup line.

The Westmore FX line.

The Lost Creatives in 2020

In a short space of time, The Lost Creatives has become a major part f the Lost Narrative and we are really proud of what we have achieved to date. In 2020 we are looking forward to what will be a clean slate opportunity and taking the more strides toward achieving our creative goals.

We will be working on new and exciting projects with our affiliates and partners across the globe and making a concentrated effort to increase our marketing, expand on the narrative of professionals in the media sector. Our creative director is reopening his website as a portfolio only site and will continue in his capacity as the resident beauty blogger for The Lost Project and as our primary blogger as well as.

Expansion of the Lost Narrative is being worked on and we will be looking at bringing online (over the course of the year) an additional site that will become our home for film and TV, management services are also being addressed for the new year which will allow us a higher degree of control over how and where we are pushed as a brand.

Part of the expansion will include an increased and focused drive to work closely with our partners Nepal film production and of course HOD TV.

Both of whom we are really proud to be associated with on the film and TV side of our business. It is also worthy of note that World Fashion Media News will see more of our work in print and have exclusive access to the creative team for profiles etc.

In the coming year, The Lost Creatives will be pushed heavily and we will continue to work The Lost Narrative to showcase not just our creative team but the creativity and ingenuity of the media sector as a commercial entity.

Research and Planning

research and planning

We are just days away from the New Year (2020 is going to be huge) and our work has already started with blogs being prewritten and scheduled, stay tuned for a huge announcement, and we are now working on the next phase of our plans with a meeting lined up with one of our favorite indie film directors; Jim Manclark to discuss project development in TV and of course some new editorial behind the scenes and of course portfolio pieces for our creative directors new portfolio site.

Something we are really keen to get done is some projects designed specifically for the festival circuit and editorial submission as promotional material to help push the lost concept and of course, to promote our team as a whole.

Part of this will be a selection of small meetings and then a full-scale push through January to do the work. We are being selective about the work we do with planning and research being put in motion now. We are starting to add to the makeup artist library we have with new FX and character makeup books being added and a definite must-have that will be coming soon to our collection will be the book on out of the box FX.

From a purely creative stance, our plans are more commercial than artistic which ultimately what the business is all about.

Adding to the overall theme of change will be the addition of news sites and management services for the Lost concept already in the works allowing us to have a wider and more comprehensive business model and umbrella formation around the Lost Concept.

Over the next year, our goals are to create, commercialize and push a narrative of the media as a commercial art form.

The Office of Lost Creatives

We have been really working hard over the last few months designing, meeting with stylists and wardrobe staff and negotiating contacts that will come into full effect in the new year. Much of the work has been done in our home office with emails, WhatsApp messages and our social accounts being heavily used for international calls and messaging.

There are some really big announcements to come as our continuing work Nepal Film Production and they're associated businesses along with plans to shoot a TV series here in Scotland mid-2020.

Portfolio wise, the JamesC mua site will be reopened for the new year and we are working with James on updates and script choices for festival entries (micromania film festival we are coming). Naturally, we will be looking at the Himalayan film festival as well.

Something we are focused on getting done is more of the out of the box fx work to update our books and give some depth to the upcoming shoots we have planned and of course there is our beauty work which will be tied to creative director JamesC webstore with My Beauty Brand.

We are really excited about the prospects for 2020 and so grateful to all our supporters.

My Beauty Brand as a Professional Tool

From a professional makeup artist stance (or that of a beauty blogger) the newly launched range of My Beauty Brand has all the hallmarks of a game-changer for the savvy artist. Looking at key areas of the makeup range and potential avenues we wanted to break this down and show different artist positions and how this can be a beneficial range as a sales tool or for the sheer simplicity of access.

1: Salon freelancers/wedding artists: sales can often top up the wages of an artist and having a brand in-store can be expensive to arrange. My Beauty Brand offers up a simplified solution. Having the range in your kit (an investment with a potential return is always good), you can add the link to your own store to your cards allowing clients to choose from your curated favorites or buy from the collections giving you a commission on sales.

2: Fashion/event makeup: our creative director has worked on numerous shows as an artist and a supervisor, so understands that models do ask for information on the makeup used so they can buy it for themselves. What better option is there on two levels than My Beauty Brand, you can control the look and offer a one-stop-shop for a look, earn commissions on sales and ensure that everyone is on the same page for cosmetics with the back up of ease of marketing as stated above, your shop link on a card or linked to your site allows you to promote your own favorites and streamline the process as supervisor.

3: Film and TV makeup: in much the same manner outlined in the previous two, you can work theMy Beauty Brand range into your kit and know that you will be able to recoup some of your outlay (if you shop from your own store) and that the makeup is suited to your needs from the creative to the commercial. With the added bonus of knowing that actors who want to have a piece of the range can buy direct through your store via a business card or link on your site/social media page or account.

4: Beauty blogger/social media influencer: in much the same vein as other commission-based lines, My Beauty Brand is designed for social marketers and gives you not only a professional grade range that can be integrated into your work but a retail store that does not require you to carry stock or handle shipping etc.

It should be noted that this is currently available in the UK only for shipping and each link in this blog is tied to our creative director and head of makeup JamesC who offers his own professional endorsement of the range and is not affiliated directly with the company at this time he is a supporter and has a storefront of his own.

To learn more about the range or shop from the JamesC favorites click here.

Refreshing The Lost Concept

In the last month, we have been working really hard on the creative and more solid business elements of our work and we are really grateful to our partners for not only being in regular contact but helping with giving us a new direction and helping to define boundaries.

Over the next few weeks, we will be working with our creative director JamesC on what will be his relaunch, a new portfolio website and shop with My Beauty Brand is being constructed to showcase his work and separate him from the more lifestyle and art-based work of the Lost Project.

With all the new doors being opened up to us with our new collaborative relationships and partnerships in place with companies such as Nepal Film Production and HOD TV, whos horror and thriller distribution service we will be making good use of, we are really gearing up for the new year as the starting point of a whole new and fresh business year.

Lost Project will continue as an art, beauty and lifestyle blog with a new element of travel (which we are really happy to take on) with efforts made toward creating new work for that site around its current themes.

Lost creatives as a site is going to expand and we will have a new banner for production coming soon, with ties to our current team members here in Scotland and some more options coming to the fore with our partners overseas.

Overall, we are happy with our new direction and will continue to push boundaries with our team and media partners.

Smartere Secrets London a New Professional Kit Staple

From a media and fashion perspective the Smartere Secrets London concealer has all the hallmarks of an artist staple; waterproof with a good shade range that can be mixed and customized, a built-in brush for convenience, it is the total package for longevity and artistically can and does suit multi-use from concealing blemishes to contouring and sculpting the face (a must in the fashion arena). 

Ideally suited to the rigors of fashion shoots with strong lighting and longevity on a film TV shoot minimizing the interruption to scenes allowing additional time to other areas.  Smartere Secrets London is a brand that must be seen for anyone working media and fashion. 

When it comes to male grooming there is often a demand for quick, easy solutions as most male presenters and on-air talent (including models) want to look clean and tidy rather than made up (news readers often make this request).  

In fashion terms, the ability to use two of the six shades to sculpt and contour the face with minimal hassle is a savior for time when on a shoot or backstage at a show.  Defining the face and giving coverage with a few simple strokes of the built-in brush, again minimizing the need for brushes, etc. 

A range that is designed to work with both consumers and prosumers, it is vegan and cruelty-free with the added and frankly noteworthy certification from the World Land Trust an accolade alone that makes this a brand worth noting and integrating into a fashion and media artist kit. 

To learn more about the brand or to purchase see:

Smartere Secrets London Website

Smartere Secrets London Instagram

Smartere Secrets London Facebook

The Process of Consultation and Management At Lost Creatives

As we move ever closer to our goals for the end of the year with contracts being reviewed and an increase in our consultation work for production and other areas, it is interesting to see how our work is being viewed and see the key areas that we wanted to tackle being put into action.

To date, we have secured deals and partnerships with Italy (HOD TV) and Nepal, with further plans to create our own projects in 2020 with some of our business contacts in India such as actor and model Raj Srivastava who has become integral, alongside the team at Nepal Film production, to our overall goals.

Of course, we do have plans for the UK and in particular, Scotland where we will be shooting some of the new content for our website (hopefully by mid-December), it has been slower on that front than we would have liked but certainly positive as we can say that our goals and aspirations are being met in a time frame that is frankly speaking ahead of schedule in key areas.

As we have always maintained, we would prefer to have all the I’s dotted and t’s crossed to ensure that things roll smoothly, which at this point the consultation and management structure we have in place is really moving things forward.

Continuing forward we are looking at stock levels, camera equipment and planning around this to ensure that we have everything in place to a level that creative director JamesC (also senior artist and blogger for Lost Project) is happy with.

In addition to our film and TV goals, we have reopened dialogue with some of our fashion contacts including London and Delhi.

Planning and Development with a PR agency

Image Courtesy of Pexels

In what is a short amount of time, we have secured a great deal of support both in our (current) home base and with outside parties (Nepal Film Production) to a point where we have had early morning video calls back and forth, planning strategies via email, WhatsApp and occasional phone calls.

While this may seem a little strange for a creative team to be doing less of the creation and more of the management it is the nature of the work and we are happy with the progress and deals being pushed which include negotiations with distributors, PR support for the beauty blog side of the business (The Lost Stories) all of this leading to what will be a multi-faceted and diverse company.

This for us means we are making the right choices and dealing with the right people which is a positive step forward and will later, give us the flexibility to be creative as there will be a multinational team rather than just a local base, handling the work. Such an amazing opportunity for us to take risks and put in motion projects that have been on the backburner for a while.

With so much in the works and a clear set of short and longterm goals being placed in motion, it is really an exciting time to be a Lost creative.

Nepal Film Production Partnership

Nepal Film Production

Our creative director and founder JamesC has done his time across the globe working in Europe, across the UK and of course a 2-year stint in India, so it was a natural progression to deal with Nepal and this new partnership with Nepal Film Production is an absolute joy to announce.

One of the most unique and beautiful countries in the world, Nepal is the jewel in the crown of South Asia and is considered a hub for creativity, tourism, and spirituality that has no parallel anywhere in the world.

We are familiar with the managing director Digbijaya Bharati who’s connections and business skills are widely known and respected throughout Kathmandu (Nepal). His attention to detail, malicious business sense and ability to spot trends have put him in a unique position of authority in the media industry.

With Lost Creatives and Lost Project (by extension makeup artist and creative director JamesC) all joining forces making us the UK partner to the Nepal Film Production team with more options being discussed and contracts being drawn up it is the start of our existing business relationship that will see us make changes alongside Digbijaya Bharati and his team across 2020 and beyond affecting not just how the Lost concept moves but the Nepal film production team works as well.

Having built a solid reputation for their professionalism in media including previous work as location fixers and production managers for companies working documentary, drama and a huge array of film and TV projects from across the world including the USA and mainland Europe.

More announcements on this partnership will be coming soon. If you want to learn more about the potential of Nepal for film and TV production see:

Nepal Film Production Website.

How We Plan To Move Forward Creatively

There have been some really interesting changes and updates in the background of our work that from a creative perspective have been good and bad. Our creative journey is really getting interesting and as we have a very definitive idea of what we want we have had to put somethings on the back burner to allow us the space to focus on the grander scheme.

We were approached by a New York agency that wanted to take our creative director on their books for development, a huge compliment, but not really a fit for what is planned for the Lost Project and Lost Creatives at the moment but we will look at this in the future.

From this, it becomes clear to us how we want to move forward and we are planning accordingly. As we have outlined previously there is to be a studio shoot, some location work and we are waiting for feedback from a film festival about working together as a form of a PR support network which is fantastic.

Our goals have been getting worked on for a few years and now we have started the ball rolling toward what will be a long term plan with some smaller short term projects in between to bolster the narrative. The dream won’t come true unless we work for it.

With some longstanding inspiration behind our plan (we will be revealing details in the new year), and careful research and experience backing our goals it is really about creating the narrative that we want to see in motion.

It is worth noting we are giving serious consideration to relocating the business as well, we can see from demographics across our sites where the support is coming from and who is conspicuously absent and will adjust our plans accordingly so watch this space.

Creating a Narrative

When I talk about creating a narrative what I mean is keeping the story linear. Each aspect of what the Lost Concept is has to fit smoothly with the other elements and gel. From the language, I use in The Lost Stories to the way I talk to a potential or existing client.

As the founder and creative director of the Lost Project and Lost Creatives, I do spend my time on the background work and fitting the pieces together. With shoots planned and brand campaign articles to write for PR agents its a matter of juggling my time to fit in what is feasible in a day.

Checking the stats on both our websites, we can see a real global reach to the Lost Project and the start of something similar to the Lost Creatives that is really gratifying given the short amount of time we have been working on this.

Seeing a pattern to the stats is giving us the team a more concrete sense of what we need to do and how to focus our energy on moving forward from a business and geographical stance.

We really are grateful to our audience and will be working on showcasing the other elements of the business very soon, we are looking at relocating and equipment, adding new stock for shoots and so much more is planned much of which will be put in motion in 2020.

The Lost Concept is growing and we cannot be prouder and will be increasing our marketing over the next few months to make the whole package even bigger.

Working Smart in a Hustlers Market

Working Smart in a Hustlers Market

We are taking our time over how and where we market ourselves as a business, building the groundwork before we go full scale in 2020 with our projects in the wider media spectrum. We are focusing on the bigger picture overall and adding smaller details as we go.

To us, the hustle of creating in this market is part of our reason for taking time to get things right, dotting the I’s and crossing the t’s to ensure that every single aspect of the work is clearly defined and fits our brief and look.

We are working with some amazing talents across the globe and have a solid idea of what we want to do and how we want to approach this from a business perspective it does look slow but trust us when we say it, there is a method to the madness.

Aside from our studio based shoot plans, we will be doing a series of location shoots in the UK focused on the Lost Boys and Lost Girls concept taking the dynamic of these ideas and expanding it in a visual context and padding out the idea overall to match our vision.

With our media plans, we have in place the HOD TV option for horror and thriller (they have some amazing projects already in place) and Streamlette who are nonexclusive and open to all styles of shoots, that we will be working with to push our film and TV projects.

Taking the initiative has always been at the heart of our work and will continue to be so, The Lost Concept is built on experience and expanding to encompass and support creative talent.

Searching For a Studio

We are currently on the lookout for a natural light studio to book so we can do what will be a 2-day shoot focusing on the areas of work we will be focused on in the long term.

• Portrait and beauty.

• Character and out of the box FX for film and TV.

Our goals are simple, we want to create inhouse, a series of still images that will be portfolio based for the models and ourselves to showcase not just the skill set of the team but the potential of what we are doing.

With a series of long term plans and targets for 2020, it is really interesting to get to be able to see our hard work behind the scenes coming together, we are constantly dealing with brands and opening up new avenues that will include product placement and video of the work in action. Which we might send-off to one of the many fashion film festivals if we can find something suited to our work.

In fact, part of the plan for the studio shoot is to be behind the scenes videos that will be a showcase of the work as it’s done with our Lost Boys and Lost Girls them from The Lost Project being carried over into the work we are doing.

Naturally, we will do some outdoor shoots in and around the Lost Concept in industrial and bleak landscapes, adding a touch of dystopian drama to our work.

While we are really aiming to be making waves in 2020, we are laying the groundwork now to help with the marketing push we have planned that will integrate all of our social accounts and give a deeper insight into the creative process.

A meeting With Style

We are pushing forward with plans and setting things in motion that will become clear in the next few months for the creative side of our business. In what was part catch up and part brainstorming session, I met with two of my favorite wardrobe people: Shona Boudica Blair and Amber Richards, to talk clothes for some of our marketing shoots.

With two distinct areas of expertise I wanted to pick their brains on, Shona who is known for her reenactment and historical costuming and Amber (currently studying fashion manufacture and retail) who came to the table with the more current and fashion-led options, it was a fun little catch up that led to me leaving with a beautiful 3 piece suit that will be split up to create two different and distinct looks thanks to the input of the girls during our little meeting.

Aside from being a fun time to catch up and discuss our individual progress, it also allowed me to run ideas past them concerning future plans such as collections and our TV plans for 2020.

The Lost Creatives is pushing forward into new areas of business and with the support of the various talented people in our address book, such as our fantastic wardrobe mistresses Shona and Amber, we are able to pull resources and access different areas of expertise that will benefit the projects either by consultation in our meetings with style or through direct action on film/TV/print projects.

In what we are pushing to become a regular thing, we will be calling these get-togethers “a meeting with style.”

The Lost Creatives continue to be a priority for The Lost Team and we are really excited about the future.

Depixym Paints A Freestyle Artistry Dream

When it comes to creative makeup there is one artist that stands out above and beyond: Linda Mason, her freestyle work has inspired many shoots for me and I will be working on something new with The Lost creatives soon to showcase this. When I came across the Depixym Paints I knew the time was right to start working on something fresh and outside of the commercial norm that could be an editorial piece.

Opening the doors to a wide range of potential looks, the paints are designed to be used on the whole body (externally), a creative must, they are reminiscent of the traditional paints you would find in a fine art studio and have a vintage, tactile look that makes you want to play. The color spectrum they offer is perfectly suited to mixing or using straight from the tube. A truly multi-purpose range the scope is endless.

We will be looking into booking a studio soon and naturally we will be doing some clean beauty work and experimental with a freestyle paint shoot, simply because it will be fun and that is ultimately what makeup should be.

Taking this forward we can see the potential of the Depixym paints and will be testing these out during the shoot for the sheer and simple joy of working with something designed for creativity and thinking outside the box.

*A little side note to the Depixym Paints is they would fit perfectly with period makeup as they are close to the original makeup used on early cinema and consumers, making them ideal for the ’20s to 50’s looks or pin-up work amongst other options. Which we will consider for our future film/TV projects.

To learn more about the range see:

Depixym Paint Website.

Depixym Paint Instagram.

Putting A Value On Assisting And Earning Your Craft

Being an assistant can be a big game-changer for your career and allow you to learn new skills, meet new people in the business and if you're smart about it you will gain more work and credits.

“Being an Assistant is not a negative thing.”

many people think that once they have a certificate they can walk onto a photoshoot, a film set or into the backstage area of a fashion event and immediately become the supervisor. Sadly that isn’t the case. Like any job you need to learn the ropes and there are multiple ways to do this but the best and most sensible is observing and assisting, you get all the advantages of being involved without the responsibility of being in charge.

Something I hear all the time is people feeling disappointed that the job (makeup artist, creative director, camera tech etc) is not what they expected or as glamorous as they thought, the reality of early mornings, late nights and dull corporate gigs can be mundane but pay well. Its, not all glitz and glamour, its called business for a reason, bear that in mind when you start touting for work.

The right people to deal with have done their time as a trainee (myself included) and know that what you learn in college is important but there is more to the job than what you learn in a class so you have to come in with an open mind, and be a team player.

It is not a denigration of your work that you are an assistant it can be a really smart move, especially when dealing in the film and TV realm.

If you are working, being paid and doing the job you are passionate about that is the important part. use it as a chance to learn a new skill or add to your CV. It’s better to get a credit as an assistant on a shoot be it film, TV, editorial or event than not get any credit at all. It shows you are proactive in your work and can be a part of a team.

No matter your age or status being an assistant can open new doors, create opportunities and if you're smart, look at the situation and put a value on what you are being offered and use it as a chance to advance your own work.

All We have is Now

When I was asked about the motivation behind The Lost Creatives, my answer was simple. All we have is now. Over the last few years, we have seen a dramatic change in the industry both from an observational standpoint and as a hands-on member of crews for film projects.

Not all have been good experiences and made me realize that the only way that would change is if I did something to rectify it and move forward.

Professionally I see my work and that of the Lost Creatives taking a more film and TV-based route geared toward something solid that can be sold, creating projects from a commercial stance may seem against the grain for some but that does not stop the artistic process contrary to the myth you can be artistic and commercial.

It is not easy to build something solid and takes time, earning credentials and getting started is a scary process but for me, that is half the fun.

Taking the stance that “all we have is now,” I plan to keep moving forward and taking creative and personal risks in business whilst supporting the arts. Each step we make will be a triumph and give more fuel to the business.

*We will give consideration to taking a team to an off-schedule London show during fashion week if we can work the marketing to suit.

Progressing forward we are now looking at additional script ideas for festival projects and editorial concepts that we will use as promotional material over the coming months and then in the new year (watch out for this one) our big marketing push. Creating a new narrative is what we are about.

The expansion will be over time and give us a more solid base to work from with a range of placements coming up which will be designed to give professional experience in the media and fashion arena.

Laying The Groundwork of The Lost Creatives

The Lost creatives site is being built around the idea of the cast and crew of future projects, we are talking to potential festivals to tie up with on the cross-promotional front and looking at what will be a series of films built around this from a few minutes to an 8 part TV series and of course ultimately, a feature film.

With the Lost Project, we have been doing a lot of groundwork and have successfully created a respected beauty blog with PR agencies and brands across the globe come to us for support and product placement, etc. Which we will continue to do.

For the remainder of 2019, we will be focused on smaller photographic shoots, looking at creating a series of editorials and character-based projects from a single image to a series for print and online magazines to help with pushing the Lost Creative narrative. This may include some behind the shoot films and creation of fashion films with either a youtube or Vimeo channel added to the Lost Creatives stable to showcase behind the camera moments.

Naturally, our primary focus is the be thriller and horror, over the course of years we have seen how much easier it is to sell this type of project and we also have ties to two fantastic independent distributors we will work with on this and are more than happy to have in our arsenal for the future.

Stay tuned for more news and updates.

Starting a New Journey

We are firm believers in the idea of a journey beginning with a single step. At this time we are building up a database of different magazines and projects that will be worked through in a two-fold fashion:

Magazines (particularly online) will be used to promote not only The Lost concept but the team behind the shoot. With a focus on a more character and a dramatic feel touching on naturalism, *the insta/social media makeup style doesn’t appeal to us.

Film and TV, we do have one project earmarked (more details on this later) with a writer from Iran who has been fantastic about supporting the concept and has agreed to be a part of what we are doing. We are negotiating terms to pick up the first of what we hope to be a series of projects starting in 2020.

The Lost Project continues to grow and we are really excited about the prospects of this new avenue of The Lost Creatives which will allow us to work a different side of the business and keep to some degree our artistic roots at its core while opening up commercial avenues that we will explore over time.

We do try to think about our work as commercial with an artistic edge allowing us to create and gives a distinct and soon to be an identifiable edge to our work that will become synonymous with The Lost Concept.