John Blaine: The Art of High Jewel Lips

In High Jewel Lips, photographer John Blaine brings together bold, unconventional lip colors and high jewelry in a striking exploration of beauty, individuality, and light. Drawing on decades of experience in fashion, Blaine creates images in which the face becomes a jewel in its own right, while color, texture, and precious stones engage in a visual dialogue. We spoke with Blaine about the inspiration behind the editorial, the art of beauty photography, and the importance of developing a creative voice that is entirely your own.

IRK Magazine: High Jewel Lips by John Blaine brings together statement lip colors and exceptional jewelry, creating a visual interplay between beauty and luxury. What inspired the concept, and how did you envision the relationship between the lips and the jewels when developing the shoot?

John Blaine: My favorite cosmetic apparatus is lipstick. If you asked any of the amazing makeup artists I work with, they would tell you that red lipstick is my favorite. In fact, the first photograph in my work will almost always feature red lips. My creative process is guided by both my heart and my mind. Every idea arrives with its own perspective, separate from the others, yet somehow connected. Once a spark appears, I follow it and see where it leads.

For High Jewel Lips, I wanted to create a beauty story with an androgynous force to the overall facial look. That led me toward pungent, unapologetic lip colors: purple, red, dark pink, green, cobalt, and brown. I wanted the colors to have a strong presence, to command attention rather than simply complement the face.

There’s an American saying I heard back in the ’90s: “The face is the jewel, the hair is the crown.” It’s what we present to the world. From there, high jewelry entered the picture, quite literally coming into the light.

I’m also the owner of an emerging high-jewelry and clothing line called Plain Blaine, which includes the diamond jewelry featured in this editorial. The pieces were designed by me and my business partner, Maggie Coulombe, who has been a friend and colleague for 15 years. So, for me, the relationship between beauty and jewelry is also deeply personal. Both are forms of expression, and both have the power to transform how we see ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world.

IRK Magazine: The editorial features a diverse palette of lip shades. How do you approach capturing the texture, pigmentation, and finish of different lip products while ensuring that each shade retains its character and impact on camera?

John Blaine: My work requires brilliant people to be part of the process—people who trust themselves enough to trust me. For this shoot, that person was Michiko Saito, a brilliant makeup artist who was introduced to me by the legendary Kathy Jeung.

The process begins well before the shoot itself. Our first conversation takes place no less than two weeks before the scheduled date. That’s when I communicate the six colors I’m looking for and begin sharing the visual direction of the story.

We then conduct a makeup test on a model before the shoot. This is essential because I need to see how each color and texture translates on the face. A shade can look one way in a product, another way on the skin, and something entirely different through the camera. Testing allows us to understand those nuances before we begin photographing.

For me, it’s about respecting the individual character of each color. I don’t want to lose what makes a shade distinctive. The color has to hold its own within the image while remaining part of the larger composition. That preparation gives us the freedom to be more instinctive once we’re on set.

IRK Magazine: Beauty photography depends on the smallest details, from the luminosity of the lips to the precision of a gemstone’s cut and the reflection of light across its surface. What photographic techniques or lighting choices were particularly important in balancing these elements and achieving the desired aesthetic for High Jewel Lips by John Blaine?

John Blaine: Beauty is a different monster from fashion photography, that’s for sure.

I’m self-taught when it comes to using a professional camera and lighting a space, whether it’s an area, a room, or an entire set. Nobody formally taught me how to do any of it. However, before becoming a photographer, I spent years working as a hairstylist on fashion, film, and television sets. I worked alongside some of the biggest names in photography, including Tom Ford, David LaChapelle, and Patrick Demarchelier. Although I had no intention of becoming a photographer at the time, I would hear these photographers giving instructions to their gaffers, and those conversations gave me an understanding of lighting, light sources, and their positioning.

When I approach a beauty image, I map out the face and its different elements. With fashion photography, I do the same thing, identifying the areas that will be visible within the composition. But with beauty, the focus has to become much more concentrated. Everything is magnified: the texture, the contours, the reflections, the smallest details.

I’m thinking about composition, grid ratios, and how every element occupies the frame. The light has to reveal the character of the lips while allowing the jewelry to speak for itself. Neither should overpower the other. It’s about understanding where the viewer’s eye will travel and creating a visual balance that feels intentional.

Ultimately, the technical decisions serve the image. You have to understand the details well enough to know what to emphasize and what to leave alone.

IRK Magazine: With makeup by Michiko Saito and jewelry from designers including Maggie Coulombe, Plain Blaine, and Maggie Barry Fashion, the editorial brings together several distinct creative disciplines. How do you approach these collaborations, and how do you ensure that the makeup, jewelry, styling, and model work together harmoniously in the final images?

John Blaine: The truth is, you can’t be sure of anything. And that’s the part I live for and love—the not knowing how it’s all going to work out.

I trust myself, and that trust allows me to trust the people involved in the process. Everyone brings something different to the table. We’re all equal artists on the canvas.

I also style much of my own work, so I’m constantly thinking about how the different elements relate to one another. But I don’t believe in controlling every single outcome. You can have a vision and a direction, but the magic often happens when another creative brings something unexpected into the mix.

For me, collaboration is about creating an environment where everyone can contribute their perspective. You need people who understand their own artistry and have the confidence to bring it forward. When that happens, the work becomes something bigger than any one person’s contribution.

I love that moment when all the individual elements begin to come together, sometimes in a way you couldn’t have predicted. That’s where the real excitement lies.

IRK Magazine: Beauty photography continues to evolve alongside changing ideas of luxury, individuality, and self-expression. In your view, what makes a beauty image truly memorable today?

John Blaine: Perspective. We all see life through our own.

About nine years ago, I was working as a hairstylist with a very famous and important photographer. One day on set, he said to me, “So, I see you’re doing photography.” I replied, “Yes. May I ask you a question? How do I know I’m doing things right?” He told me, “It’s going to need your own voice. Don’t chase after others, trends, or what everyone else is currently doing. Once your voice is developed, they will chase you.”

I’ve never forgotten those words. They remind me that creating memorable images isn’t about following what’s popular or trying to replicate someone else’s vision. It’s about developing your own perspective and having the courage to express it.

IRK Magazine: How do you hope this project contributes to the way we see and experience beauty through photography?

John Blaine: With High Jewel Lips, I wanted to explore the relationship between the face, color, and high jewelry in a way that felt strong and individual. Beauty doesn’t have to conform to a single idea or aesthetic. It can be bold, unexpected, and even a little confrontational. I want the viewer to feel something, to stop for a moment and look again.

There’s also something about the way jewelry interacts with light that I find fascinating. Jewelry reflects light back into the world, and we reflect our own light into the world. When we look at jewelry, we see that beautiful light reflecting back at us.

Isn’t that something?

For me, that’s where beauty becomes more than an image. It’s a reflection of who we are, how we see ourselves, and what we choose to share with the world.

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About John Blaine

John Blaine began his 37-year career in fashion in 1995 as an editorial hairstylist, training under the legendary Oribe Canales. Over the years, he worked in the world of supermodels and alongside influential figures in fashion and photography before developing his own practice as a photographer and stylist. Today, his work brings together beauty, fashion, and a distinctive visual perspective, informed by his experience on both sides of the camera. He is also the founder of Plain Blaine, an emerging high-jewelry and clothing line created in collaboration with Maggie Coulombe.

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