Robyn Newmark: the Hollywood beauty guru reveals her secrets to success and the beauty tips everyone should know

Every success story starts somewhere and rarely reads like a fairy tale. There are dreams and triumphs. There are defeats and disillusions. Legitimate success never happens overnight or without some uncomfortable self-reflection. Those who persist rise like phoenixes to prosper, influence, and enlighten. The sweat and tears may be wiped dry, but the personal histories remain.
      Robyn Newmark may not be a household name to the mainstream, but among celebrities and beauty aficionados she is the Hollywood beauty guru. The flawless skin and voluptuous lashes we see sashaying on red carpets and glossy magazine spreads are often either created by her or by one of her many protégées. Her vast knowledge and ingenuity keep her the go-to source for anyone seeking the latest beauty trends or therapies. As the head of a virtual beauty empire that took years to shape, fabricate and mould, her journey provides invaluable insight to aspiring entrepreneurs.
      Newmark was an artist from an early age, always painting and drawing. Fascinated with the human face and structure, by adolescence she was applying make-up on friends, merging her creative gift with a fascination with glamour. While prepping a pal’s prom make-up at a local salon, Newmark was spotted by two Redken stylists and the young artist was on her way.
      Living the life of the Hollywood creative, Newmark’s calendar was fully booked with photo shoots and TV shows while pursuing an art degree, a lifestyle many make-up artists would envy. While she relished the opportunities, Newmark felt the twinge of knowing something was missing. She opted for a little detour and walked away from it all. The in-demand make-up artist ventured into a technology business with friends acting as partner and executive assistant, pushing herself beyond her comfort zone and self-imposed boundaries to a fresh world of possibilities.
      ‘I co-founded three tech companies and we were very successful for six years. I did everything that had to do with the business except writing code,’ says Newmark. ‘I was really able to blossom. I put away my artistic side and nurtured my entrepreneurial side.’ Developing her inner business acumen did not always come easily and Newmark recalls sloughing away the layers of self-doubt.
      ‘People often give up and start repeating a self-defeating mantra to themselves,’ observes Newmark. Rather, she turned the negative inner-voice upside-down, inventing the positive affirmation she repeats to this day: ‘I am intelligent enough to learn everything I need to know.’
      With a new skill set and an attitude to match, Newmark was invigorated to marry her passion for beauty with her hard-earned business savvy. ‘I knew I wanted to take it to the next level because I had to,’ she explains. Newmark started small while attaining an æsthetics licence in addition to certifications in permanent make-up and lash extensions. The clients kept on coming and the business prospered and grew. This time around she was armed and ready. ‘Running a technology company taught me that I don’t have to do every job,’ she maintains. ‘A lot of people are intimidated by what they don’t know.’ She knew what she loved to do, outsourced what she didn’t, and sought mentors when she was uncertain.
      Now the owner of a med-spa with three locations and an online professional academy that certifies beauty professionals in laser-free hair removal and semi-permanent make-up and eyelashes, plus her own line of spa skin care, Newmark is exactly where she wants to be: an entrepreneur and leader in an industry that gave her so much and creating a space for other practitioners to learn from the best.
      Since Robyn loves nothing more than sharing her wealth of knowledge, we asked her to divulge her expert skin care advice and foreseeable beauty trends.

What are the skin care essentials that everyone needs to practise at home?
The three things you need to maintain healthy skin are vitamin C, vitamin A, and sunscreen. These are going to brighten, tighten and protect. I tell my clients they can get fancy treatments but if they don’t wear sunscreen or care for their skin properly at home I will see the evidence on their skin.

Do you recommend specific products?
I advise people to use medical-grade products. It makes a huge difference. They have been put through clinical trials, and are filtered with all impurities removed. Like nutritional supplements, skin care can be really great quality or really bad based on its bio-availability. Skin products are available in four grades: industrial, cosmetic, medical, pharmaceutical. Medical is always my recommendation to clients. You can enjoy a luxuriously fragrant bath balm or essential oil, but at least invest in medical-grade facial serums and creams.

What are your beauty predictions for the months and year ahead?
I think we will be moving toward a more natural look—less spray-tanned and exaggerated contouring. Since people are wearing face coverings, the trend is moving to the eyes and brows. Also more bright and fun colours.

What is your favourite procedure?
My favourite and most requested is lashes. It’s immediate gratification. It really makes a woman feel so beautiful. Often husbands say to me, ‘Whatever you are doing for her, keep it up because she looks so pretty.’

      In addition to her three southern California locations where you can experience the latest skin and anti-ageing therapies, Robyn trains practitioners worldwide in Epilfree hair removal, eyelash extensions and permanent make-up. Visit www.robynnewmarkbeauty.com.