The Team

The Team

Our Journey

It Started with Questions Then Led to Research, Science and Answers!

At the height of the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) crisis, a growing concern arose in the makeup artist community regarding proper sanitation. Misinformation spread like wildfire online as everyone struggled to find trustworthy information to put into practice. Makeup artists Mary Irwin and Lindsey Williams felt a heavy responsibility to find science backed answers that were concise and digestible so artists would want to carry them out.

They crowd sourced the most common questions and biggest concerns about sanitation within their makeup community. In-depth research for assistance in finding answers to these questions led them to the COVID-19 National Scientist Volunteer Database. The NSVD team’s willingness and excitement to be involved in the project was mind blowing. With their collaborative efforts and supporting knowledge the Makeup Artist Sanitation Standard was born. It is The Makeup Standard’s hope that this information will give artists peace of mind as they strategize how they choose to work in this new landscape we find ourselves in.

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Lindsey's Portfolio

Lindsey Williams

Lindsey is a licensed cosmetologist, makeup artist, educator and co-host of the We Speak Beauty podcast. She has worked in the industry for over 15 years and is most known for her beauty, editorial and advertising work. Her work has been most recently published on the covers of Harper’s Bazaar MX, Vogue Taiwan, GQ Russia, Elle Serbia and many beauty campaigns including Beauty Blender, Clinique, Elemis and Sally Hansen. Lindsey is a firm believer in the statement “you don’t know how much you don’t know” which has kept her constantly seeking information from trusted sources and sharing that knowledge with others.

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Mary's Portfolio

Mary Irwin

A professional makeup artist for over 15 years, Mary has always erred on the side of science when it comes to how she works on set. When assisting at the beginning of her career, she realized that there was a huge spectrum of sanitation levels observed through the industry, and a close friend in medical school made sure she was well informed on the various ways makeup could spread diseases. This led to an extreme caution regarding sanitation throughout her entire career. She has worked all over the world, and is an artist who understands many environments and situations. Her client list includes Neiman Marcus, Badgley Mischka, Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, and Viseart. Editorial work has included Elle Argentina and Malaysia, Schön, and Vogue Germany.

Listed below are the scientific experts The Makeup Standard coordinated with from the COVID-19 National Scientist Volunteer Database. NSVD is a network of almost 10,000 professional scientists volunteering their time, expertise, equipment, and consumables to support society’s response to COVID-19. Their members include experts in scientific testing, virology, operations research, bioinformatics, and data management. They have deployed to manage testing laboratories, develop new assays, monitor viral levels in sewage, and have worked with decision-makers remotely to build data products, conduct analysis, and through their consulting service.

NSVD Website