Illusions Cosmetics

Denise and Janice Tunnell, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, are twin sisters and celebrity Makeup Artists. Their careers have covered many facets of the film and entertainment industries. Some of their credits include Stomp the Yard, Daddy’s Little Girls, Hustle & Flow, Step Up 1 & 2, The Notebook, Ladder 49, and many more. Their celebrity clientèle have included Vivica A. Fox, Boris Kodjoe, Idris Elba, Megan Good, Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Tyler Perry, Carmelo Anthony, Yolanda Adams, Maurette Brown Clark, Elise Neal, Marvin Winans and Brandy, among others. Combined, they have over 15 years experience in accounting and business and over 11 years experience in the beauty industry. Together, they co-own Illusions Cosmetics. Clutch sat down with the beautiful twins to find out more about their up and coming brand.

Q: What made you two decide to launch this up and coming brand?
We decided to launch Illusions Cosmetics to meet the needs of women of color and to give them more options when selecting makeup shades and products.

Q: What type of products are included in your line?
The products that are included in our line are lipsticks, lip glosses in several shades and formulas, crème foundations, loose and pressed powders, blush and a large selection of eye shadows.

Q: Both of you are seasoned celebrity makeup artist. What is one of the biggest mistakes you think women of color make when applying and/or purchasing makeup?
Some of the biggest mistakes women of color make when applying and/or purchasing makeup are:
Denise: Buying incorrect shades of foundation and buying products they do not use.
Janice: Following trends but not knowing what colors compliment their skin tone.

Q: In your opinion, what makes Illusions Cosmetics stand out from other brands?
The fact that we are willing to educate our clients on products and colors first and sell second is what make us stand out from other brands.

Q: As you both know, one of the popular trends in makeup right now is mineral makeup. How do you feel about this trend and does Illusions Cosmetics have or plan on introducing mineral products into the brand in the future?
Denise: Mineral makeup has actually been around for quite some time. Most women buy it because it is a trend and they have seen it on TV.

Janice: As a makeup artist, we’ve found that mineral makeup can be very ashy on some women of color with medium to dark skin tones. Some clients have shared with us that it doesn’t give them enough coverage. We have talked about it and researched and tested, and at this time, there are no plans for Illusions to come out with a mineral makeup line.

Q: You two recently launched a new collection of lip glosses named after some of our favorite films. What inspired you two to pay homage to these cinematic classics?
Most of our careers as makeup artists have been spent working on feature films. We thought it would be a great idea to name our new line of glosses after some of our favorite movies. We wanted to make it fun. So far, everyone’s loving it.

Q: If you had to, what would be the one product from Illusions Cosmetics you would want someone to purchase to introduce them to your brand?
One product we would use to introduce the brand to someone… without a doubt, is our LIP GLOSS!!! Our clients love our lip glosses and it’s been our most popular item to sell. Most women wear color on their lips, even if they don’t wear anything else. Lip gloss has been a hot cosmetic item for a long time now. Actually, that’s what we started our line with years ago.

Q: What’s is your number one makeup tip you give out the most?
Denise: Always use a moisturizer before applying foundation and powder.
Janice: Always use a lip conditioner or lip balm before applying your lip color (lipstick or gloss). This will prevent dry, chapped and cracked lips under your lip color.

Q: Since this is Clutch, we would love to know what beauty products are in your clutch bag?
Denise: Rosebud Lip Salve, Carmen Lustre lip gloss and Cappuccino pressed Powder from Illusions.
Janice: Dream Girls Lustre lip gloss, Copper Lip Gloss, and Cappuccino pressed powder all from Illusions.

Q: Lastly, what’s next for you two and Illusion Cosmetics?
A beauty DVD is in the works, distribution in several retail outlets and an Illusions Cosmetics Boutique!

For more information about Illusions Cosmetics please visit illusionsbeauty.com or call 310.748.3489
If you are in the Maryland area you can purchase Illusions Cosmetics products at Haute Chocolate Style Studio, 925 Fairlawn Ave. Suite 109, Laurel, MD 20707. (T) 301.725.0303