Contributor

Napoleon Perdis

Makeup artist

Napoleon Perdis has always sought to demystify and democratize makeup. Since picking up his first brush, at the age of 13, to help his glamorous mother primp for a soiree, the self-taught beauty impresario has aimed to conjure the celebrity in every woman. A native of Sydney, Australia and now based in Hollywood, California, Perdis infuses his makeup collections with a feel-good message of female empowerment: all products have built-in educators and pro-tips, and each season runway trends become a wearable reality.

Napoleon launched a small makeup studio in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt in 1992. Three years later he debuted his first concept store on Sydney’s Oxford Street, boasting a full cosmetics collection, including foundations, eye shadows, lipsticks and accessories. Vivid, vivacious color soon became a Napoleon Perdis trademark. As a specialist in bridal and special events makeup, Perdis learned early on in his career about color’s uplifting benefits. Working intimately with women of different skin colors, skin types and ages, he also developed an immense appreciation for the uniqueness of every face. Napoleon’s reputation soon propelled him into editorial work, spearheading and solidifying his intention to make trends accessible for all.

The Napoleon Perdis philosophy is not dictated by fashion: it’s about celebrating and elevating your natural beauty with confidence-building products. With this ever in mind, Perdis was motivated to launch a second cosmetics line, the playful younger sister to the prestige collection, in 2008. The resulting collection, NP Set, is now available at over 1600 Target stores as well as at 300 Target Australia stores. The collection is 98% paraben-free and boasts organic benefits for even the most discerning glamazon.

In addition to managing Napoleon Perdis, NP Set and the makeup academies, Napoleon is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.com and also remains an in-demand makeup artist with an array of devoted clients. Napoleon was recognized for his excellence in the field of cosmetics and deft makeup skills in the April 2010 issue of Elle Magazine. For the magazine’s fifth annual celebration of beauty’s elite, Napoleon was awarded with an Elle Genius Award.