James Boehmer
GLOBAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
James Boehmer’s creativity and keen eye for color have made him an established leader in the beauty space. As a seasoned makeup artist, Boehmer not only uses his talent to craft looks for the runway, celebrity clients, and editorials, but he translates his passion into products that resonate with consumers worldwide.
As the Global Artistic Director for SHISEIDO Makeup, Boehmer drives product innovation and directs shade development. He also contributes to the names of the products in the new collection and sources inspiration from both modern and ancient Japan in an effort to tell a cohesive story that is reflective of SHISEIDO’s past, present, and future. Boehmer oversees all Global Artistry teams and communicates the brand’s unique point of view by creating content across multiple channels. In addition to devising many of the attention-grabbing looks for SHISEIDO Makeup’s ad campaigns, brand films, and social content, he works closely with various departments within the company to conceptualize educational materials and tools that enhance the consumer experience and increase customer engagement.
Prior to his position at SHISEIDO Makeup, Boehmer served as Director of Global Artistry for NARS where he defined seasonal beauty trends, conducted seminars, educated other makeup pros, and assumed the role of key artist backstage for numerous designers including Mansur Gavriel, Creatures of the Wind, Suno, Naeem Khan, Vivienne Westwood, and Carolina Herrera.
His work has appeared editorially in prestigious international publications such as Marie Claire, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Purple, Jalouse, L’Officiel, and The New York Times Magazine. He has also contributed to beauty stories in WWD, British Vogue, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, as well online for instyle.com, wwd.com, vmagazine.com, teenvogue.com, sephora.com, and many more. Boehmer’s client roster includes Hunter Schafer, Arca, Isabella Rossellini, Alek Wek, Sofia Coppola, Karen Elson, Daphne Guinness, Naomi Campbell, Zoe Saldana, Amy Sedaris, Olivia Palermo, and countless other top models and actresses. Boehmer has also designed makeup for various independent feature films that have been on view at Sundance, Slamdance, Toronto, and IFP.
