Meet L.Duane Sevelin

Today we’d like to introduce you to L.Duane Sevelin.

L.Duane, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin
Being raised in the south during the 70’s was difficult enough to find a career and to be a model or makeup artist? I was both. I was always an artist at an early age—painting, clay, metal sculpture. Partly raised on my grandparent’s farm in South Alabama, my first trade was paint and body. I learned so much from that. We had a shop on the farm and in town. Hence my soon to be published, tell-all of 40 years in the business.” From Fenders to Faces”

Aa banquet waiter at the Tampa International Hotel, I had the chance to meet many incredible people. Estee Lauder monthly accounts meeting was one of them. I had the chance to meet the tops at Lauder. I had long hair and a real southern accent, which led me to my first real modeling job with Devin, the country cologne of Aramis. I traveled all over the state of Florida as one of the first male fragrance demonstrators for that market. Some time passed, and I knew I wanted and could do makeup. I worked basically for free and went to all of the Lauder counters and trained with the beauty advisors. In all the malls in Florida.

A year later, I got into a location in Clearwater, Fla. After receiving “store of the year,” it was time to move to NYC.

My dream, so with $150.00 in my pocket and a promised job at Bloomies, NYC. I headed north. After a while, I made the transition to Revlon.

I became Regional Training Director for all the Macy’s and B’Altmans. I had the exciting time launching, the Bill Blass Fragrances. With Mr. Blass himself at B Altmans. NYC.

While in Macy’s, I worked along with Elizabeth Taylor, Dianne Von Furstenberg, and Sofia Loren when they launched their fragrances there. Rising to International Makeup Artist for REVPAC, the international division at Revlon. My territories were Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, & Thailand. incidentally, I actually had an audience with Princess Grace of Monaco when she personally thanked everyone one by one for our support for the Queen Mother of Thailand Charity Ball.

Returning to NYC, I started my freelance career. Working with icons such as Andy Warhol for Interview magazine, designers and many super models.

I was told to go to Milan. As a young artist, they were open to my work with Revlon and immediately took off. I worked with Linda, Janice, and many others. I traveled to Munich, Hamburg, London, Paris all over Europe. I even had a chance to visit Isreal for the Dead Sea conference. Returning again, to the most incredible town, NYC, where I began to work with all the catalog companies. All the Soaps, Nickelodeon, NBC Universal. Cable, was hot and we didn’t have to be in the union. I did both makeup and hair, so I could not do both. If I was in the union.

In the early 90’s I started going to Barbados. My first job was with Paris Vogue shooting, Erte” the artist.

I ended up staying there for 14 years, working with all the UK fame. Sir Cliff Richard, Piers Morgan, John Cleese, and many more at sevelin.com. All was going well and then I had to have some medical attention, so I moved in with my dear sister In Austin, who got me up and kikin’

Now over 40 years, I have a lot of fun with crazy stories which I will share on my podcast the #smudgereport. We talk tea, dirt, and all kinds of chit-chat.. see you there, xx

While taking a break, I redesigned my cosmetics with the newest cosmetics manufacturing. With CBD, Hyaluronic Acids, and all kinds of super natural ingredients, botanicals, and the like. I am planning A live launch for my new website with so many new state of the art products face palettes, facial primer, eye repair, And my new state of the art Sevelips CBD #lipgloss please check this out at sevelin.com also on Tiktok Instagram Facebook LinkedIn and Twitterand let’s not forget destination weddings on Barbados by Sevelin check out my Brides and let’s create your special day!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an artist, it is never easy. Also getting your name out is so important. I was a studio artist, not a salon artist. So I went to locations around the world. Which was awesome, but people forget you very quickly in this business. Additionally, I worked on advertising, TV and catalog, so you would never see my name or credits. However, I got a huge day rate and “buy out” for advertising. I was one of the lucky ones at the time when clients used “word of mouth” and I was known as the king of catalog.. in the city. But traveling Europe and the like, clients want you there now. So you sometimes have to keep a second address in the city where you get the most work. Getting paid is a real downfall. As a freelancer, you have limited access to clients, especially now that a lot have their own “in house” and Photoshop has put a lot of us out of work. A new artist with little experience( I love them) but they want to do stuff for free or a low price to get their name out. Unfortunately, the results are less than professional, and many times they have to re-shoot. But this is a people-based industry and I believe in the people that exist in this industry. They are loyal and curious to learn new tricks of the trade. And my loyalty to my clients and friends/ customers is what has kept me going. There have and will always be times where you give back to the industry and it will always give back.

right now I’m working on my cosmetics doing a few weddings and waiting for other states to open so I may travel and promote my cosmetics and work on photo shoots but for now I have a cool F150 and I will even deliver my own cosmetics if I can get to you ..lol. I have been creating new ideas for the use of hemp in the cosmetics industry. All my packaging and cosmetics favor bags will be out of soft refine hemp. The sevelin survival kit is coming out redesigned using hemp instead of any leather products, leaving my cosmetics narrative almost totally sustainable packaging.

My range of real CBD is a manufactured product using the latest technology in cosmetics products. Including the use of Hyaluronic acid and natural fruit and veggie fusions.

My publication “Pounding Pavement,” a working dairy and appointment book soon to launch, is hardbound personalize appointment book to keep a journal of your destinations. Each owner of this personal account of their journey will have their name imposed on the front cover. It will also have monthly “sevelin celebrity women of the month” and monthly articles on the diet, nutrition, beauty, tips and so much more.

Next, I have a line of Bow Ties and pockets squares called “notBlackties” samples can be seen on Facebook and IG

#the smudgereport #smudgereport. Fun chit-chat good dirt and interviews with celebrities’ newest cosmetics and trends. BeautyDO’S and of course BEAUTYDON’TS LOL.

How do you think about happiness?
Painting faces traveling helping people to find their “sevelinface and create that #sevelingirl and watch her /or him feel soooo good about themselves, just a little bit more.

Contact Info:

• Email: duane@sevelin.com
• Website: sevelin.com
• Instagram: @sevelincosmetics
• Facebook: sevelin.com
• Youtube: L.Duane Sevelin official
• Other: Tiktok Duane Sevelin

Image Credits
Model credits: Dasha Novikova cover model Amanda Ashford Katie West Fatmata Karbgo Billie Jean Bachmann Corey Oreo Dominique Samone Idaya Espirit photographer Mani H. Zonoozi and others