In an industry perpetually focused on what\u2019s new and what\u2019s next, longevity is increasingly rare. For more than 24 years, Exclusive Artists has represented leading hair, makeup and grooming talent behind some of Hollywood\u2019s most recognizable magazine covers, red carpets and pop-culture moments, including well-respected artists like Marc Mena, Elaine Offers and Nick Barose.<\/p>\n
But the agency\u2019s longevity isn\u2019t just measured in years. Claire Frajnd Kanda and Andy Marun\u2014both of whom started as interns and worked their way up\u2014have spent their entire professional careers at Exclusive Artists alongside founder Darin Barnes. Together, the three have had a front-row seat to more than two decades of Hollywood beauty, from Friends <\/em>promo shoots and the first Twilight<\/em> cast covers to Vanity Fair<\/em>, Lupita Nyong\u2019o and Bruce Springsteen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For Barnes, it started with a week away. \u201cI spent about a year at Fred Segal running hair and makeup, but I wasn\u2019t sure whether I wanted to make a career of it,\u201d he says. \u201cI took a week off and went to my grandfather\u2019s farm to think about what I actually wanted. By the end of the week, I knew. This was it.\u201d <\/p>\n Kanda didn\u2019t plan on becoming an agent at all. \u201cI started as an intern at Exclusive Artists 21 years ago, intending to eventually work full time at a fashion magazine, since I had previously interned for Robb Report<\/em>,\u201d she says. \u201cDarin quickly realized I would be a great agent, before I even saw it in myself. I went from intern to receptionist, and worked my way up from there.\u201d<\/p>\n Marun\u2019s path started even earlier. \u201cMy version of \u2018camp\u2019 was Boca Beauty Academy, and sadly I dropped out, but I\u2019ve always been fascinated by beauty,\u201d he says. \u201cGrowing up, movies were one of the ways I learned about American culture (love you, Mary-Kate and Ashley!), and the glam and fashion were such a big part of that for me.\u201d He once thought he\u2019d be a publicist, inspired by Billy Crystal in America\u2019s Sweethearts<\/em>, before landing at the agency as an intern and then Barnes\u2019 assistant. \u201cI thought I would do this for only a few months, but 14 years later, here I am!\u201d<\/p>\n Two decades of bookings have produced plenty of pinch-me moments. For Kanda, it was the Teen Magazine<\/em> cover with the entire cast of Twilight<\/em>. \u201cOur artist did the styling, and I was already such a fan of the books,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was incredible getting that first look at the cast before anyone knew quite how huge they would all become.\u201d As a huge electronic music fan, she also counts booking a groomer for Kaskade\u2019s music video, the first in which he sang vocals, as \u201cmanifest destiny.\u201d<\/p>\n Marun\u2019s favorite was Nyong\u2019o on Sesame Street<\/em>, one of her earlier press appearances. \u201cShe came up to me and started speaking Spanish. I had no idea she was fluent!\u201d he says. \u201cNick [Barose] must have mentioned to her that I was from Colombia, and she went out of her way to make me feel comfortable.\u201d He also has a simpler answer: Bruce Springsteen at the Toronto International Film Festival. \u201cI mean, it\u2019s The Boss!\u201d<\/p>\n For Barnes, the proudest moments are the ones where a phone call changes everything, like Shia LaBeouf\u2019s first Vanity Fair<\/em> cover. \u201cI remember calling Katherine at Vanity Fair<\/em> and advocating for our artist,\u201d he says. \u201cThose are the moments you remember, when you make the call, and something big comes from it.\u201d<\/p>\n After spending their careers surrounded by some of the best hair and makeup artists in the business, all three have strong opinions about the beauty products that work\u2014both under the lights and back in the bathroom at home. Kanda\u2019s holy grail is Cr\u00e8me de la Mer ($200) and her daily lineup is Dior concealer, YSL mascara, a Kosas brow pencil and MAC brown lip liner, finished with Byredo M\/Mink ($330). \u201cAnd a little Botox never hurts,\u201d she adds. Her longtime curl cream is Cheribe, a tip from publicist Marie-Laure Fournier. \u201cShe introduced me to it years ago, and I still use it today.\u201d<\/p>\n Marun\u2019s must-have is his simplehuman magnifying mirror ($350). \u201cAbsolutely essential,\u201d he says. These days, he\u2019s obsessed with Merit (\u201cI love the entire line\u201d) and reaches for Lisa Eldridge foundation, Hourglass for brows, Merit blush and IGK for hair. He\u2019s also a laser hair removal convert. \u201cI could never go back.\u201d<\/p>\n Barnes keeps it simple. \u201cI love a hydrating mist. At any given time, I probably have two or three different ones sitting on my desk,\u201d he says. His current favorite is Caudalie Grape Water Moisturizing Face Mist ($20). Beyond that, it\u2019s \u201ca really good face wash\u201d (right now, Eve Hansen Vitamin C) and Rogaine. \u201cI have more hair now than I did at 40.\u201d<\/p>\n As for what they\u2019d tell their younger selves? \u201cDon\u2019t be intimidated by the appearance of the industry or the misconceptions around it,\u201d Kanda says. \u201cFollow your gut and trust your instincts.\u201d Barnes keeps it to four words: \u201cDon\u2019t take things personally.\u201d And Marun has the last word: \u201cDon\u2019t rush growing up. You\u2019ll be a grown-up for much longer than you\u2019ll ever be a kid. Enjoy the ride of life, baby!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/0vv8moc6\/newbeauty\/0d0272b4a87a9341e744999eab4c7e47cf2b2d62-2400x1400.png?w=1200&auto=format&q=70\")
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