Napoleon Perdis Takes on the Vampire Vixen

Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby in True Blood

Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica Hamby in True Blood

Is there any creature sexier right now than the vampire? The cute kids from Twilight, Rob Pattinson and Kristin Stewart, are steaming up screens, selling magazines and causing teenagers to go weak at the knees at public appearances. The cast of HBO’s True Blood is handsome enough to star in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign. Coming up this fall on The CW network is The Vampire Diaries with yet more snarky but sexy vamps. With their preternaturally pale complexions, gothic-inspired apparel and otherworldly mien, the vampire is even starting to have an influence on beauty. Suddenly cool girls are resisting faux tans and embracing their paleness. Pearly white skin, soft bruised makeup hues and an air of mystery are in.

Catherine Deneuve in The Hunger

Catherine Deneuve in The Hunger

Forget Nosferatu. Nowadays, he would be labeled a freakazoid with halitosis and laughed out of town. And Bela Lagosi seems overly camp. The modern day vampire is young, beautiful and virile. It was Catherine Deneuve in 1983’s The Hunger who first made vampires chic. As the decadent Miriam Blaylock, Deneuve sported cat eye glasses, soigne black dresses and matte tomato-red lips. In the more recent Queen Of The Damned, Aaliyah made an impression with her Ancient Egyptian regalia, golden skin and impossibly long lashes (maybe lashes grow when you’re buried in a tomb for two thousand years?). On True Blood it’s the flame-haired, alabaster-skinned actress Deborah Ann Woll who has my attention. When she gets ready to paint the town red, turning up at Merlottes for a pint of True Blood, her hair and makeup are exquisite.

There are some beauty lessons to be cribbed from the undead glamazon. First, embrace the skin you’re in and resist the bronze (for now). Second, stay out of the sun and never, ever, forget your SPF. Third, try experimenting with rosy blush, scarlet lips and edgier shades of nail color. This fall I’m introducing Black Sapphire, a matte black polish that approximates dark lady glamour. Fashion has certainly staked its claim on the territory, with endless designers referencing the transgressive mood. Obviously, avoid anything too literal. Pair the blood-red lips with jeans, the black nails with a metallic dress, the blush with a tailored jacket. And if you have the urge to bite someone, perhaps reconsider.

In 1995, celebrity makeup artist Napoleon Perdis debuted his line of cosmetics and launched his first concept store and Makeup Academy in Sydney. Today, Napoleon Perdis has 59 stand-alone concept stores and more than 800 point-of-sale locations across Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., the brand has three Napoleon Perdis stores and is sold in select independent retailers. Celebrity fans of the brand include AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Szohr, Lady Gaga, Becki Newton, Debra Messing, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes, Shenae Grimes, Whitney Port, Adrienne Bailon and more.