Spotlight On: Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo Part 1

Beautylish chats with pro makeup artist and YouTube Guru Samantha Chapman also known as Pixiwoo. In the first installment of our three-part special, Sam dishes on her new brush line, Real Techniques, and chats about Kate Middleton's wedding beauty predictions!

B: Your brushes are fantastic—how did the whole process even get started?

"The company (Paris Presents) contacted me first and it just took off from there. We created the whole line and I didn't even have to go on any business trips. From the start, I felt really good about the collaboration. Launching a product in the U.S. market is big time, it's all very exciting. I can't take all the credit for it, the American team is fantastic."

B: You created the entire brush line without flying to America once?

"Amazing, isn't it? I was quite pleased because I don't like leaving my young kids. The team organized a ton of conference calls and I constantly tested samples. I continually gave feedback and mostly fretted on the shape of the brush, the most crucial detail."

B: Why is the shape so important?

"The shape needs to be expertly designed for a particular function on the face, whether contouring or color application. While the aesthetics of the brush were important to me, I focused on shape before settling on something I loved."

B: Did you have input on the overall look and feel of the brush?

"Of course! I focused on the artistry and gave feedback on the aesthetic and ergonomics. The American team came up with the ingenious color-coding system and the brushes themselves are just so well-designed. I love the use of metal and rubber materials—it feels so good in my hands, the perfect weight. Everyone expected me to create a very "sleek" looking brush line à la MAC, but I love that they're fun and pretty to look at. They're affordable, high quality, and most importantly, cruelty-free!"

B: You always use Louise Young brushes in your videos. Did you consult with her while designing your own brush collection?

"Louise is fantastic and a really good friend of mine. Unfortunately, these sort of projects are always hush-hush so I couldn't talk to her during the process. She reached out and congratulated me the day they launched. Louise's line are a professional range and have a different price point, so both our brushes have a place on the market. Louise's brushes are absolutely fantastic, and I constantly use them for videos and on shoots."

B: Your brushes are selling out in stores, how have your YouTube subscribers responded?

"Brilliantly. I've had such good feedback and it's really exciting. Unfortunately, it's not available to the international market until May 2nd, so many people are anxious to get a set. For this reason, I try not to use them so much in my videos now—wait a little longer guys, they're coming soon!"

B: You always create such an approachable and fun relationship with makeup, you must love Kate Middleton's no-fuss beauty style too?

"Yes! Kate did her own makeup for the engagement shoot, and rumor has it she's also doing her own for the wedding. Kate is just a beauty, and William's so handsome, a wonderful duo!"

B: Will you be in London for the wedding?

"I will absolutely be nowhere near London on the day of the wedding. It's going to be completely mental on Friday—I can't even imagine the crowds. I was in London as a child for Charles and Diana's wedding and it was a lot of fun, but it's not happening for the family this time. We're going to celebrate comfortably from home."

B: How do you think Kate should do her makeup for the wedding?

"She's going to have every form of media around her, it's a terrifying and exhilarating position to be in. Her makeup needs to withstand the spotlight. She's got really wonderful skin, I just hope she wears a bit more powder than normal to help with shine. I would love to see softer eyeliner on her, focusing more on the top. It really doesn't bother me too much, though— she'd still be beautiful with no makeup on. She also has such fantastic, thick, and shiny hair, I hope she flaunts it!"

B: What's next for you and Pixiwoo?

"There's nothing stirring at the moment, I'm really concentrating on the Real Techniques line. I'm testing more brushes to expand the collection and fill in the gaps—definitely look out for a really fine eye liner brush! Nic and I get so many opportunities and offers but we're focusing on more YouTube videos [a Cheryl Cole video's up next], writing a weekly newspaper column we just started this week, and raising the little ones."

Check out Part 2 and Part 3 of our Pixiwoo Interview series!