Can we talk a bit about our cosmetic history? Namely, the innovators and originals that came before all of the currently popular brands were even around?

One of the originals is Eugenia Weston of Senna Cosmetics.

Eugenia Weston launched her career in the 1970s in Southern California after working as a "cosmetic counter girl" in her early years. From Senna's website:

An original artist and change maker since the age of 13, Eugenia Weston has been fascinated with the face-its balance, beauty, and inherent flaws. She visualizes how one can look more beautiful and feel more confident. In her teens, she concocted her own makeup to achieve the desirable illusion of perfection. Everyone wanted her look. Her vision of her own makeup line was hatched. She ventured out to New York in the early 70’s, tracked down a makeup lab and a chemist who “got it” and designed never before seen velvety eye and face colors for retail in an elite LA salon. That was the start of SENNA. Years later, she revolutionized brow makeup with the original Form-A-Brow® stencil kit.

In 1976, Ms. Weston opened SENNA Cosmetiques and was the very first person to hold the State of Cosmetology's cosmetician license in 1977. Like, literally - her license was issued as #1. By 1978, California changed it's laws again and so since 1978, she's held a license as an esthetician where she has continued to work with not only celebrities like Bette Middler but also Toni Basil. (Can I say for the record I fangirled hard when reading that cause Toni is such an inspiration).

Her services included not only makeup application but also brow services. At the time there few who offered also these types of services and while the Ford twins of Benefit fame were offering makeup service up in San Francisco in 1976, they didn't offer brow services at that time. Ms. Weston was also among the first to create the products that launched not only her brand but set the way for other companies like Benefit (1990) and Anastasia Beverly Hills (1997) to later launch their own products.

Over the years her company grew modestly and she continued to bring to market products that were never seen before such as an angled detailer brush that is must have in any makeup artist or consumer's brush set.

“I scissor cut a slanted tip on a painter’s brush to line eyes with powder color, a technique no one was doing. It caught on, so we produced them.” - Eugenia Weston, Senna Cosmetics.

By 1980, Ms. Weston brought to market the very first moisturizing sunscreen to wear under makeup called Total Protective Moisture Lotion SPF 19. Today there are so many other brands that offer similar products but she was the first.

In 1981, when she opened SENNA Makeup & Brow Studio in Tarzana, CA (still open to this day) where celebrities continued to flock to her. By the 1990s, she had launched so many other professional grade cosmetics including the Brow Fix gels and her revolutionary Form-A-Brow® stencils. Make no mistake, while these are just a few of the firsts she innovated and pioneered, she brought to consumers so many products that have been seen in other cosmetic lines that have launched in the decades that followed.

Ms. Weston is truly an innovated, pioneer, and a true inspiration for so many people including myself. If she ever gives a lecture at IMATS or The Makeup Show you should go and listen because she continues to offer so much for inspiring, new, and established makeup artists.

If you're interested in more Senna Cosmetic products, she has a wide range of products from her original brow products to color cosmetics to makeup brushes and her newest baby - skincare products.