COCO KEEPS IT CLEAN
There’s a reason Courtney Matthews (aka Coco) has been our go-to makeup artist (and like family) for as long as we can remember. It’s the same reason everyone from debutantes to Mardi Gras queens to brides and more have Courtney on speed dial—she’s just that good. And it’s not just her way of making her clients look and feel their most beautiful; if you’re in her chair, she’s thoughtfully teaching you both how to replicate her work and also which products will best achieve it. We spoke with Mobile’s premier makeup artist to get her take on clean beauty.
By Amber Wielkens Photos Stevye Photography, Stevye Photography.com Hair Jason Chambers, HeadDress Salon, 251.689.7427
After 22 years in the business, Courtney is a master of her craft, full stop, but a little background is in order to grasp how far she’s come. “My career began when I was 21 and I was approached by Bobbi Brown Cosmetics about joining their team. After my training, they offered me a position at the counter in Mobile,” she says. Moving quickly to full-time, she worked there for ten years, becoming a local favorite, with regular customers bringing in their daughters to buy their first makeup and learn how to use it. A promotion to management was her wakeup call. “I was doing less makeup artistry and was more stressed; it was time for me to have faith that my name and skill set had spread and to go freelance,” she shares. That faith in herself paid off—almost immediately, she was getting calls for weddings, photoshoots, and local magazines.
“I started getting more and more busy and it quickly proved that this is my calling,” she tells us. Hard agreement from her Access family. Working with the Mobile Carnival Association Court, individual organizations, and brides (and their wedding parties) for 15 years now, Courtney says, “I wish I’d kept a book listing all of my brides. In my phone contacts alone, I have over 150 brides—and that’s just since 2018! It thrills my heart to know I’ve been a part of so many women's special events in their lives, and it’s important to me that they feel like their most perfect self.”
“MY ADVICE IS TO START BY CHANGING OUT A FEW OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY PRODUCTS AND REPLACE OTHERS WITH SAFER OPTIONS AS YOU RUN OUT” ”
Longtime friends with Louise McCown, Courtney shares, “Louise and I first met when her mom brought her in to pick out her first Bobbi Brown makeup and I helped teach her about makeup application. We kept up over the years and when she called me to help spread the word about safe ingredients and product choices, I was immediately inspired. Honestly, I was furious when I realized the industry I work in encouraged us to use products they knew were unsafe.”
Joining Louise's Beautycounter team because of their mission-based platform, it also empowered Courtney in her work. “I wanted to be able to offer my clients clean skincare and makeup without wondering about its legitimacy. Thankfully, in the last few years, other companies have realized consumers are demanding clean products and launched lines like Jones Road by Bobbi Brown and Give by Gwen Stefani,” she says. “This is what Beautycounter has been pursuing from the beginning—raising awareness both locally and in the government, which leads to real change in the industry. We have far to go, but we still celebrate the wins.”
As we wrap up, Courtney leaves us with some actionable to-do’s. ”Apps like The Healthy Living app make it easier for us to buy safer products. Just scan the item and their research-driven database will rank it on their health meter—the lower the number, the safer the product.” Lest you think Courtney is judging anyone’s choices, she’s clearly not. “Of course I’m not perfect in every choice I make—none of us are. My advice is to start by changing a few of your day-to-day products and replace others with safer options as you run out.” As in all things, baby steps are small but still move you forward. Carry on, Courtney.
