Hey there, I’m Jess ✨. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.
There is no beauty review I have done in the past couple of years that has not been influenced by the makeup artist Andreea Ali.
Andreea is Romanian and moved to Paris many years ago to work with Anastasia Beverly Hills (founded by Anastasia Soare, a fellow Romanian) at Sephora Champs Elysées.
She lives in Paris with her videographer husband and their young son. She shares a weekly video on Youtube on Sundays that I always look forward to watching, either with her favourite brand or product of the moment, or her strolls around Paris and the world, as she travels often for makeup jobs. From Cannes to her living room, from New York to her beautiful studio in Paris, no matter where she is recording from, I watch her almost religiously.
Andreea is very knowledgeable about skincare and makeup but it is her honest take on beauty that makes her approachable. She tries products herself, for at least 3 to 4 weeks before she gives her honest reviews about them. She also loves sharing her technique and she is soft spoken - with an amazing singing voice! - which makes one want to listen intently to what she is saying.
I am sure this article might be updated often in the future, as here are a few things I have done or purchased inspired by Andreea Ali.
I discovered Victoria Beckham Beauty through her
Of course I had heard about Victoria Beckham and her beauty range but I would not have jumped to purchasing if it weren't for Andreea Ali's videos and reviews. Her rave of the Satin Kajal Eye Liners did it for me. And when I visited the Victoria Beckham Beauty corner at Le Bon Marché in Paris, I fell in love with the whole brand.
Jess
How I became a Clarins Club Member thanks to a mask she recommended
Although I lived in France for over a decade and was very familiar with the brand Clarins, what truly made me connect with the brand was a recommendation from Andreea Ali about this mask which promises an instant tightening, skin firming and glow boost. And it started with a mask - which I have repurchased for several friends in the meantime - and now I have their whole array of products. I have since become a Clarins Club Member, earning points, amazing discounts and dozens of samples. All due to her product review.
Jess
She loves sunscreen and I love her for that
She made a video about testing 30 sunscreens in 3 months, both for pre makeup and post makeup application. As Andreea also has an acne-prone skin - I can totally relate! - I really love how she always talks about the importance of daily sunscreen. No wonder she looks that young and stunning even when she films without makeup.
Jess
She made me become a Charlotte Tilbury fan
Andreea has some brand-focused videos where she only uses products from a single brand for a complete look and I was completely enthralled after watching the one about Charlotte Tilbury. It made me reconnect with my feminine energy and my love for makeup. Andreea always speaks so highly of Charlotte Tilbury in most of her videos and makeup tips. I needed to understand what it was all about and I went down the rabbit hole.
Jess
She revived the coquette girl that was asleep in me
I have always loved beauty products and make up. Alas, since leaving France, my love for make up started fading away. One of the things that linked me to my decade in Paris was a Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette I bought at Sephora Champs Elysées circa 2010.
Two years ago, I watched this video from the make up artist Andreea Ali and I was bawling my eyes out. When I lived in France, I used to go to that Sephora almost every day as my school was a few minutes away. I knew of all the makeup updates in the world, I was always in the know. My ties to make up and France are very intertwined and having left the country, I felt my love faded. As I watched the video, I wanted to reconnect with that coquette side of me.
When I first saw this palette, the Urban Decay counter lady did my make up with it (and it was a success when I went to class afterwards!) and as I bought the palette, she told me I was one of the first customers to buy in France as it has just launched. I am a big advocate on how beauty products and make up has an expiry date - I religiously only have ONE mascara open at a time and I bin it every 3-6 months! - but I never managed to stop using this palette even 15 years later. But I guess time has come as I got a bit of an allergy a few weeks ago. It might not even be the palette - that aside from a few shades, it's still quite intact - but I saw it as a sign.
Last year I bought a new baby version called Half Baked and I just started using it. As I put on make up today (the previous photo with the earrings), Bruno said it reminded him of our wedding day make up and I used copper tones in my eyes and loved it. How sweet is that? So goodbye to the original palette (I will wrap it in film and put in a memory box!) and hello to letting go of the past even in the most simple gestures.
Urban Decay
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She reminded me of my connection with Paris
I lived in France for most of my teenagers and young adult life and have been back several times. But there was a lapse of time where I stopped going and putting it on the yearly travelling plans. I love to discover and go back to other places in the world such as South Africa and Scotland, but going back to Paris is not a sightseeing experience for me, it's a moment to reconnect with the roots of the woman I have become. Watching her vlogs in Paris made me want to head back and enjoy long strolls in a city I genuinely will always call home.
Jess
Is Andreea Ali also your go-to beauty influencer or do you have someone else in mind? To all my past Michelle Phan girlies, I am here for the listen!
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