Jenna Lyons Is Ready For Her Most Exciting Chapter Yet
What happens when the coolest woman in fashion sets her sights on the beauty world?
“I’ve always been interested in people who aren’t mainstream,” says Jenna Lyons over a video call. The Real Housewives of New York City cast member, former president and executive creative director of J.Crew and founder of false-eyelashes brand LoveSeen is calling from her NYC home, where she’s being watched by her two adorable kittens.
“I grew up in California, and everyone around me had blond hair, big boobs and a tan — you know, that beachy Baywatch type of beauty. So when, as a child, I travelled to France with my mom, I was fascinated by the women there. They were wearing bold red lipstick and red nail polish, and I just found it so exciting.”
From there, Lyons became drawn to women like Jerry Hall, Grace Jones, Tina Chow and Marisa Berenson. “They all had a unique look to them. I was instantly like, ‘This is so much more interesting than fitting in.’”
After all, fitting in didn’t come easily to Lyons, who was born with incontinentia pigmenti, a genetic disorder that presents as bald spots, discoloured skin, missing or misshapen teeth and a lack of eyelashes. The latter is what led her to launch LoveSeen in 2020, a line of natural-looking false eyelashes. Earlier this year, the brand became available in Canada and is sold at specialty retailers like Living Beauty Inc.
“Kids were so mean about it,” says Lyons. “I was teased a lot and never felt beautiful.”
Lyons has spoken openly about the long-term mental and emotional effects of constantly feeling bad about oneself, calling it harmful for one’s internal ecosystem.
“Now that I have a kid, I can really see the way that confidence impacts his psyche and how he moves through the world,” she says. “I see the difference in the way he walks into a room when he’s feeling confident; it shifts his attitude toward things that are hard, his ability to overcome something, his excitement about school — everything. When you’re not feeling good about yourself, everything is harder. I don’t think I realized the extent of it when I was younger.”
It’s impossible to discuss self-esteem with Lyons without mentioning the immense impact she had on women’s confidence during her 27 years at J.Crew.
“It was an interesting brand because the product itself wasn’t high fashion,” she says. “We were making everyday clothes for everybody. J.Crew was about showing people that there were many different ways of interacting with clothing.”
So what makes a look for the woman who taught us that statement glasses and crisp white button-downs could belong on the red carpet, that sometimes the most powerful beauty look is a bold red lip and nothing else and that leopard print is indeed a neutral? It’s got to be a little bit ironic and off.
“I don’t wear things if I feel like a sense of irony or irreverence has been lost,” she says. “Like, I’ll wear diamonds with a sweatshirt, but I won’t wear them to a fancy event. I would never wear a formal gown and have my hair perfectly done. To me, that would feel like settling. I find it more interesting when there’s intimacy in fashion and beauty versus some big, grand gesture.”
Lyons’s icon status in the fashion industry has served her well as a beauty-brand founder. When launching LoveSeen, she started with a good old-fashioned fitting, just like she used to do at J.Crew. (Yes, an eyelash fitting.)
“The thing that I really understand coming from fashion is that everybody is different and everyone wants different things,” she says. “And you really don’t realize how varied people’s eye shapes are and how different lashes look from person to person.”
Lyons, who has long been a false-lashes connoisseur due to her incontinentia pigmenti, had searched far and wide for a subtle, chic pair of falsies but could only find dramatic, full sets that just didn’t feel like her.
With LoveSeen, she says, “I want everyone to feel like they’re getting a product that makes sense for them.”
So has one of fashion’s most beloved names felt embraced by the beauty industry? “So much,” says Lyons. “I’ve found the industry quite welcoming and democratic. Beauty exists to support and enhance whoever you are.”
Jenna Lyons shares her tried-and-true beauty favourites below.
LoveSeen Cate Lashes
“The Cate lashes are one of our bestsellers because they’re so delicate and natural. You can even add mascara on top and no one will know you’re wearing false lashes.”
Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation
“My makeup artist introduced me to this foundation, and now it’s my go-to for light, glowy coverage.”
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in “Chili Pepper”
“This orangey red has been a staple in my makeup kit for years.”
Biologique Recherche Creme Masque Vernix VG
“I love using this under makeup. I feel like it fills in all the cracks and makes my skin look plump and dewy.”
Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser
“I’m obsessed with all things exfoliating, and this cleanser does just that while still being gentle enough for everyday use.”
This article first appeared in FASHION’s September 2024 issue. Find out more here.
This article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
