Barbara Guillaume, born to a French father and a Spanish mother, grew up in Seine-Saint-Denis and left the 93 as a teenager. “I wanted to leave, to discover something else,” she confides. Modeling became her passport to the world, and she settled in Barcelona. Barbara Guillaume then pursued projects throughout Europe, worked a lot, and found herself on the cover of the women’s monthly magazine Marie Claire.
While in Barcelona, she became a mother before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 25, driven by her ex-husband’s Hollywood dream. She aimed to continue her modeling career there, but the contrast was stark. Far from her European base, opportunities became scarce. “Life can change very quickly,” she says. Instead of the prestigious campaigns she was used to, she was offered commercial gigs paying just a few hundred dollars. The fall was harsh, but educational.
Her beginnings in Los Angeles were full of challenges, until a decisive phone call changed everything. Instead of giving up, Barbara Guillaume reinvented herself. Surrounded by photographers and models, she decided to venture into makeup. The journey was not easy, with agency rejections and a lack of credibility, until that decisive phone call came. An opportunity arose when a photographer friend, shooting with actor Colin Farrell, needed a makeup artist urgently. She seized the chance, and her career took off.
She quickly found her niche in male grooming. Among her clients were celebrities like Tom Hardy, Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Josh Duhamel, and Daniel Craig. She also worked with French stars from Johnny Hallyday to Omar Sy. “With men, there is a more direct trust,” she explains. A simple, genuine connection that matches her candid and sincere nature.
But the story didn’t end there. During the pandemic, Barbara Guillaume returned to a more intimate passion, beauty oils. Almost by chance, she started formulating her own blends: rose musk, sandalwood, moringa. “It was very instinctive, almost meditative,” she recalls. The results surprised even her – a texture, a scent, an effectiveness she had never encountered before.
After testing on herself, she moved on to her clients. Tom Hanks was the first. As soon as she touched his face, his immediate reaction was, “What’s that smell?” Anxiety, a moment of hesitation, then enthusiasm. The actor loved it and immediately ordered dozens of bottles for his loved ones. A rare validation in an industry where everything is negotiable. The oil was a hit.
Due to increasing demand, Barbara Guillaume partnered with friend and makeup artist Amy Komorowski, based in New York. Together, they founded Circa 1970 in 2020. Initially starting with artisanal production at home, the brand evolved into structured manufacturing in Los Angeles, while maintaining a strict focus on ingredient quality.
Today, Barbara Guillaume juggles her loyal clients with developing new products. Behind her success, she maintains a clear vision. “The secret is to keep going, even when it’s hard. You can be on the ground, but you can’t stop,” she says. Barbara Guillaume is carving a unique path, guided by instinct rather than rules, and fueled by a simple belief: reinvention is always possible, and “no” is never a final answer.
