Staying Close to the Magic: Inside the Creative World of Louise Bruun
The acclaimed Hair and Make-up Designer on trusting her instincts and remaining a student of her craft
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Louise Bruun was 19 when Nicolas Winding Refn asked her to work on his first feature, Pusher. She had never done it before, but agreed anyway, kicking off her creative career. One of the actors in her chair was another newcomer: Mads Mikkelsen.
Decades later, Bruun is still saying yes to the creative unknown. Only now, she brings a formidable career’s worth of experience with her.
Her work has moved between the immediacy of fashion and the permanence of film, teaching her to trust an instinct while continually sharpening it. On a major production, she keeps herself close to the lens, where creative decisions can evolve alongside the scene in “reel” time. When a project changes course, she changes with it. After decades spent creating extraordinary aesthetics, she still considers herself a student of her craft.
That willingness to adapt is central to Bruun’s process. She arrives with an informed point of view but remains open to what other artists bring to it, allowing the project to take shape through collaboration.
Her latest film with Refn, Her Private Hell, offers a spectacular canvas for that philosophy. The film draws Bruun back into the horror that first captivated her as a teenager, now with a wealth of experience across fashion and film to draw from.
We spoke with Bruun about trusting her creative instincts and the creative possibilities that emerge when artists inspire one another.
Drop Dead Gorgeous: 9 Iconic Gothic Beauty Looks from the Screen
The cinematic hair and makeup moments still haunting our beauty routines
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Smudge it. Sharpen it. Tease it sky-high. Some of cinema’s most memorable beauty looks reached far beyond the screen, awakening something in generations of spooky girls who finally saw a version of beautiful that felt like home.
For those of us who grew up surrounded by Baywatch bombshell perfection, trying on those versions of femininity could feel a little like playing dress-up in somebody else’s closet. Then we met Morticia Addams. Nancy Downs rimmed her eyes in black. Akasha appeared dripping in gold. Suddenly, beauty could be strange. It could be severe or even a little frightening, and still leave us completely mesmerized.
These characters gave us something to recognize ourselves in and, perhaps more importantly, something to experiment with. Their influence stepped out of the screen and landed directly in our vanity cases, where we smudged the liner darker and discovered just how good it felt when the reflection finally looked a little more like us.
These nine iconic looks helped set our spooky souls—and beauty routines—ablaze.
The Dark Feminine Lipstick Cellar: Body, Balance & Finish
From everyday vintages to rare bottles, discover the lip products worthy of a permanent place in your collection
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Much like a well-stocked wine cellar, the best lipstick collections evolve over time, each addition carefully chosen for its unique formula, finish and where you'll wear it.
Some become everyday staples, others are reserved for special occasions and a select few are simply too beautiful not to own. From luxury icons to affordable favourites, these are the products that have earned a permanent place in our rotation.
The Gothic Beauty Arsenal: The Products We Keep Close
A collection of everyday essentials curated with care
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
There comes a point in every makeup journey where the experimentation slows down.
The drawer full of impulse purchases remains, of course, but a smaller collection begins to emerge; the products that consistently make you feel like yourself. The foundation repurchased before it runs out. The eyeliner that never lets you down. The lipstick that somehow ends up in every purse, coat pocket and desk drawer. These are ours favourites to achieve an everyday soft goth look.
Summer Skin Survival Guide: 7 Colour Correctors That Hold Up to Redness
From light touch to full coverage, cooling formulas to easy blends—these are the ones that actually work
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
After a long, dark winter, the return of sunlight is something to celebrate. It also marks the annual goth girlie battle with direct light on carefully cultivated complexions *goth hiss*.
So, how do you win the war against unwanted redness in the unrelenting gleam of summer sun? We can help.
We tested seven colour correctors to stay one step ahead. Here’s what we found.