Makeup artist Aubrie Layne is in her element at The Vanity Lounge in West Ave. Surrounded by brightly colored lipsticks and eye shadows, Layne is the new face of the sleek beauty salon after the sudden departure of celebrity makeup artist Edward Sanchez whose name the lounge bore. (CultureMap broke the story of Sanchez and the salon's split.)
With Sanchez's loyal socialite following and Houston name recognition, Layne has a big makeup chair to fill.
With her platinum locks, kitten eye makeup and tattoos, Layne is a mix of old school glamour and modern-day pin-up girl. Her pedigree includes Laura Mercier Cosmetics, where she learned the basics and beyond of the beauty business.
With Sanchez's loyal socialite following and Houston name recognition, Layne has a big makeup chair to fill.
In fact, her connection to Laura Mercier is still so strong, Janet Gurwitch, founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics, gave her seal of approval for Layne to move to The Vanity Lounge.
“I got a blessing from Janet Gurwitch, which meant the world to me. To have the support of my mentors is really exciting,” Layne says.
Makeup Proving Ground
Before coming to The Vanity Lounge, Layne was the makeup artist at Therapy Hair Studio.
“I had my dream job at Therapy. I would never leave one dream job unless I was going to another dream job,” Layne says. “(Vanity Lounge owner) Diane (Caplan) and I have the same vision for this place and it was a wonderful compliment for her to approach me.”
“I had my dream job at Therapy. I would never leave one dream job unless I was going to another dream job."
Vanity Lounge will maintain its by appointment beauty services including facials, threading, waxing, lash enhancements and manscaping, but part of the new direction is a more spontaneous approach to customer service. The salon has a hair license, so Layne says women can get quick smooth over or curl touch-up in addition to makeup services and women can expect a speedy beauty update.
“Women are busy, so why not pop in after work, before going to dinner? My signature is a quick touch-up,” Layne says.
Even before Layne landed at Vanity Lounge, the salon carried hard-to-find lines from around the world like Ellis Faas, Face Atelier, Rachel K and ModelCo. For summer, Layne loves Hot Lips by Ellis Faas for its moisturizing and long-wear. Self-tanners often leave an unpleasant scent or leave streaks, but Layne is a fan of ModelCo’s lightweight tanning mousse.
“It’s life changing,” Layne says. “You apply it with the mitt, it goes on nicely and there’s no smell.”
Layne and Caplan are looking to the future of Vanity Lounge with expansion plans and in-house beauty collections. Laura Landry, former divisional vice president of education and promotions for Laura Mercier, is consulting with Layne and Caplan on expanding the duo’s vision.
Without the guy whose name used to be on the door.
Champagne is always chilled at The Vanity Lounge.
Attendees can test out new products and mingle with beauty insiders during The Makeup Show’s exciting return to Houston September 20-21.Photo courtesy of The Makeup Show