Dany Sanz, Founder and former Creative Director of the international brand MAKE UP FOR EVER, is a true mentor in the make-up world. With her humble, non-eccentric attitude, she’s easy to pick out of a crowd with her signature bright red hair. As a child growing up in a Parisian suburb, she was drawn to the world of the arts at a young age. Following her studies at the Ecole des Beaux-arts, she began her professional life as a painter and sculptor. Her work in the theatre planted the seeds for the creative discipline that would be the driving force behind MAKE UP FOR EVER one day. While working on theatre sets one day, she discovered by chance that she could also paint on the actors’ skin; a revelation she coined as her “paintings in motion”. As a result she began teaching the techniques of body painting to other make-up artists, slowly creating a following in the make-up community.
“I dreamt of a place where make-up artists could find everything that they needed for their art as well as a collection of reliable, authentic products with professional performance.”
In the 1980’s there were very few products available to professional make-up artists and those available came in a limited number of shades. Dany therefore decided to create her own products with the help of her students. As more and more make-up artists and students began to request her products, she felt it was time to take things one step further. With the help of her husband, Jacques Waneph, she created MAKE UP FOR EVER in September of 1984 by setting up her workplace and boutique at 5 rue la Boétie in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
From the start MAKE UP FOR EVER was a team effort with the help of Dany Sanz’s “Tribe” – made up of close friends, family members and students. At the time of its inauguration the MAKE UP FOR EVER Boutique at 5 rue la Boétie was a unique and eclectic place. The boutique was a necessary stop for make-up artists in need of the incredible variety of products, many of which were not available anywhere else: Star Powders, Pure Pigments, Glitters, Lipstick Palettes and the iconic collection of 100 Eye Shadows, all of which were hand-filled in the cellar of the boutique. What followed were years of growth and expansion for the brand as it slowly began appearing in various countries around the world due to the recognition in the professional make-up realm.
“My students from the four corners of the globe have always been my best advocates – without their support, MAKE UP FOR EVER would not have grown internationally and it certainly would not be where it is today.”
Dany Sanz watched her passion grown into a prized company within the prestigious LVMH luxury group in the late 1990s. With the brand’s success, Dany’s dream to create a MAKE UP FOR EVER ACADEMY came true in September of 2002. Dany was able to return to her first love of teaching by transmitting her talent, knowledge and techniques to new generations of make-up artists.
“I am above all a teacher – every day is as an opportunity for me to share my passion for my craft.”
Dany Sanz is a perfectionist, and MAKE UP FOR EVER’s products are a true testament to this. Her impact on the world of make-up is immeasurable; many of her students have gone on to become celebrity make-up artists and Artistic Directors of make-up brands. Drawing her inspiration from her daily life in Paris and her interactions with people during her travels, her products have changed the world of make-up: from the fully waterproof Aqua range to the HD line created in response to the arrival of High Definition filming techniques each product that was launched while Dany was a part of the brnad was driven by her yearning to solve a professional make-up issue. With the brand present in over 52 countries, it is easy to see how one woman’s mission to create high quality make-up for professionals and women in everyday life has became an enduring worldwide success.