Interview with Cristina Scabbia

WarPaint International Beauty Agency's Founder & Creative Director, Jessica Mae, sits down for a heart-to-heart about inner and outer beauty, with Rock Goddess, Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil. 

The beauty industry is nearing the $500 billion mark and proving to be a creative outlet for professionals, hobbyists, women and men. With the number of cosmetic companies and beauty brands that have niched their way into the drawers and cases of beauty fanatics, its no wonder that actors, musicians and creatives of all types rely heavily on their go-to products. 

But what exactly does "Beauty" mean? The latest Makeup trends on Instagram may have you thinking that tiger stripes and heavy contouring are how normal women are supposed to look. Jessica Mae's chat with Cristina Scabbia reveals a little bit of insight to her go-to products and perspective on beauty, but also.. what beauty really means to Cristina Scabbia. 

Interview - The Deep Stuff

Jessica Mae: 
You’ve spoken quite a bit over the years about not depriving yourself from the sexy element of being a beautiful woman inside an industry and genre that is largely dominated by men. Can you describe your thoughts on how beauty is perceived in the metal / rock industry and how your personal style works to combat people’s perceptions of what beauty really is?

Cristina:
Back when I started, there were not so many metal bands with a female in the line up. So I guess I developed during that year, a sort of “I don’t care what you think” attitude, as I don’t really see myself as the different element in the band. I look at myself as a singer and performer. 

That said, I like my femininity as an individual and I am proud to be a woman. So even if I am also “one of the guys” I still love to play with my hair and make up and wear a tight dress with killer heels.

Now things are even more mixed up and some guys are wearing more makeup and hairspray than women usually do so the game has changed :) Whenever a look works very well and can be loved by many, there is also that other part of the crowd that will keep and extra eye on you and judge whatever you wear or how you look “just ‘cause”. It's part of the game and I love that , it keeps it exciting :)

This is also why I’ve never tried to fight against whoever had pre-conceptions about females in a rock metal world…because it would be useless. And in the end, everyone chooses their own idea of what beauty is, and it is impossible to make everybody happy.

Jessica Mae:
How does femininity play into your role in Lacuna coil? What elements do you work hard at to ensure that you remain “Cristina" at your core?

Cristina:
Honestly I would not know, as I don’t think about it at all! I think there is a special sparkle from inside that tells you what to do in every situation, may it be in a live show, in a photoshoot or in a regular day out. The most important thing for me (and the most natural) is to be myself, whatever happens and whatever the situation is. That includes taking public photos with no makeup on… or being super dressed with makeup on. This is even if I am alone at home, ahaha!

Jessica Mae:
Can you talk a little bit about some of the criticisms you’ve faced from a beauty perspective inside the metal music scene?

Cristina:
Well, women in the business are in a position of being more easily accused of abusing their “sexuality” in photoshoots and live shoots: some people might think they try to sell themselves out. All the while, no one says anything if a guy sweats with no shirt on… :-)

I don’t tend to show too much, but only because i like to feel comfy and I'm more of a tomboy. But I think that all the other women should be free to do whatever they want on stage and wear whatever they want (or go naked if they like) as long as THEY are the ones who chose the way they dress. 

Jessica Mae:
You are a big advocate of inner beauty. In a world that is mostly material and driven by sex-appeal marketing, can you talk about what’s below the surface for Cristina Scabbia? - What does inner beauty mean to you? 

Cristina:
In one word I would probably say... CONFIDENCE. 

I know that's a word that’s maybe been a little trite or abused. but it’s so perfect in the end. When you believe in who you are and who you represent and look at yourself in the mirror and you’re proud of yourself, you can only irradiate  magnetic energy around you.

Jessica Mae:
What defines the beauty of a woman? 

Cristina:
Some women have that special “glow” that everyone else is amazed by. It might be the light in the eyes, some gestures, a special way of walking… Beauty in general is such a complex thing to define. A person can have nearly perfect facial features and the perfect body (in terms of a generic aesthetic idea) but then they might not be attractive anyway. Weird, uh?

Jessica Mae:
If you were to sit with a group of young women that struggled with self-confidence and inner beauty, what tips or piece of advice would you give them? What should they walk away with? What would they learn from Cristina Scabbia?

Cristina: 
I would say this. You think you are not beautiful because you are hypnotized by media bombarding you with the ideals of the “perfect woman”. But if you pay more attention to how many women are completely far from that ideal, do you still consider yourself very beautiful and attractive?

Looks are very standardized these days but true beauty really comes from within. We are ALL different and unique, there is none in the world just like us. We are not even a limited edition so-to-speak - we are all one-of-a-kind… yet we don’t always appreciate that.

Jessica Mae:
Speaking of self-confidence, inner beauty is often driven by one’s ability to see their own glow and special light in the world. What words of wisdom do you have about self-confidence, when we’re often surrounded by people trying to take that away from us.

Cristina:
I would be a hypocrite if I would simply say to someone else: “believe in yourself, you can do it!”. 

Obviously I strongly believe that the more I believe in myself, the more I am driven and the more I feel comfortable with my reflection in the mirror. But I also have some days when I feel that I look like shit no matter what makeup I have on, whatever dress I am wearing. Its then that I realize that 99% of the time its not even about my look, it is not about how people really see me… but is about ME, judging myself on a deeper level because I am usually bothered about something else.

Did you notice that when you feel very happy you pretty much feel you look fantastic even with no makeup and a cheap shirt on?

Jessica Mae:
Can you describe your journey briefly, growing up as a Creative, an Entrepreneur and a female business owner. Is there anything you wish you could have done differently? How have your biggest challenges related to being female?

Cristina:
Woah... long story short (we are talking about almost 20 years in Lacuna coil), I started to sing in Lacuna coil in 1996, when there were definitely not so many bands with a female in the line up. Weird thing is, I have never felt like the different element and never felt I had to work more because I was a female. I looked at myself as another member in the band.

Of course I had to go through stages like “hey, I might be slightly pretty but I can actually sing as well!” to convince a still very conservative slice of metal fans that there was space for women in metal. I am very happy that things changed though, and there are now more women in bands of all genres. I am also proud of the fact that I am still here and others are looking at me as an example to follow. I am honored. 

As per my career, I took care of my singing (writing lyrics and creating vocal lines) and also my looks from day one. I adopted some in the past that were not exactly great, especially in the first years (I still remember a blue short velvet dress with very puffy eyes, tons of make up and fake long nails) but I also came out of it with great ones that fans are still remembering. In the beginning, I experimented a lot and it was my attempt on searching for the perfect look and I quickly realized, changing and playing with my image, that the best solution was to wear a style of clothes that was… me.

Jessica Mae:
You were quoted once saying, "No matter what, be strong, because the message that people will get is from your strength. There is not just one kind of beauty in this world." Can you describe the time or moment when you turned the page and understood what that strength and inner beauty looked like for you?

Cristina:
It is weird because some people think I am, but I never really looked at me as a beautiful woman. I still consider myself as a very normal (at least aesthetically) woman that learned to improve some things on her look.

I think strength is when you don’t feel the most perfect person in the world but it is when you can accept your flaws as well, and make them your best quality.

The Fun Stuff: On The Surface

Jessica Mae:
We know that understanding what is inside, is the driving force behind one’s beauty, but we still like to “look” beautiful and feel sexy too. What are the top 3 things that you do to create your radiant look or sex appeal?

Cristina:
My “raccoon eyes” signature look. My eyes are kind of small so I started to enhance them years ago with lots of black matte eyeshadow that was reminiscent of “smokey eye” look, but was also covering all the lower part of the eye. So I feel good when I have this look on!

Whenever I want to feel really sexy I put on a mini-dress and very high heels. I don’t wear them often (my friends are always telling me I have to show them more, ahaha!) as I feel uncomfortable to show my legs. I prefer leggings and biker boots but I have lots of high heel shoes at home (I love to own them but don’t wear them often… weirdo). So I put them to use every once in a while.

I also have a weird passion for fake fur jackets especially when they are super puffy - funny (with ears for example) and with strange colors. I know it sounds silly but I feel so comfortable that some people say my face kind of changes too and is more relaxed. Eeeeeh!! I am strange, I know.

Jessica Mae:
What is your favorite shade of lipstick right now?

Cristina:
Redrum by Jeffree Star cosmetics. Awesome shade of red.

Jessica Mae:
If you had to choose one beauty product that is your favorite, what would it be??

Cristina:
The Beauty blender, it changed my whole makeup universe!!!!
(Check out this link for some great tips on how to clean the beauty blender)

Jessica Mae:
Your eyeliner is always so rich in color. What brand do you like to use?

Cristina:
The Kat Von D one (tattoo liner in shade Trooper), is pretty cool!

Jessica Mae:
What is your favorite brand of makeup and/or beauty products?

Cristina:
Anastasia Beverly Hills, Becca, Bare Minerals, Kat Von D, Urban Decay, Benefits, Jeffree star, Beauty Blender.

Jessica Mae:
And I think everybody probably wants to know... how long does it take you to get ready before a show?

Cristina:
Not much!! I don’t spend a lot of time putting makeup on, definitely waaaaay under half an hour. And in the case of need, a few minutes at best :-)

The Wrap Up

There you have it! Some thoughts on the meaning of beauty and few personal indulgences from Cristina Scabbia. Not only am I a huge personal fan of Cristina and her success with Lacuna Coil, I truly believe she lives in my own beliefs that our company wears proudly on their backs. Life is a Stage "Prepare For Battle".

Lacuna Coil: The House of Shame.

You can hear Cristina's heavenly voice against the metal grit of Andrea Ferro and the powerful Maki bass line, in this new single. Check it out!!