Makeup artist confessions: The good, the bad and the ugly

How long have you been working as a makeup artist?
30 years

What is one of the best experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Seeing my work published internationally [and] the incredible, creative people and surprisingly humble celebrities I’ve met along the way. I feel like I just keep having better moments, that’s what I love so much about this industry, [there are] so many highlights [and] every day is different.

What is one of the worst experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Having my kit not turn up on a job. And yes, it was on location. 

Have you ever had any shocker clients? What did they do?
I’ve only had one, she was a nightmare and she’s super famous so I'll never disclose her name. I was warned that she likes to make makeup artists lives a living hell and she did.

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair? 
Yes, when I was working with P!nk [she sang] “Sober” acapella and [asked] me if I liked it. It’s still my favourite P!nk song to this day!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from someone in the makeup chair? 
That privacy is power. People can’t ruin things they don’t know. 

How long have you been working as a makeup artist?
Over 20 years! My gosh. That has flown. I have loved every minute of it. It has not felt that long at all.

What is one of the best experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Meeting and working with some of the biggest names in the industry ie. Gigi Hadid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shanina Shaik, Priscilla Presley, Boy George, and some of our incredible Aussie talent too. I am so beyond grateful to work with some of the biggest names in the world and also become friends with them. Gigi and I keep in touch via texts. Priscilla invited me to Graceland for a personal tour. You definitely build relationships with [some] incredible people. 

What is one of the worst experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Working with rude and unprofessional clients.

Have you ever had any shocker clients? What did they do?
Not naming anyone, but I worked with a very well-known musician and it was definitely an experience. Hungover, rude and disrespectful. It was the way she spoke to people that worked for her. We’re all the same at the end of the day and everyone deserves respect. No one should be treated different because you sold millions of albums. That’s how I see it.

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair?
Oh my goodness — YES! So many. When I met Sarah Jessica Parker she stopped me as I was prepping her skin and held my hands and said “you have magic hands, do whatever you want for makeup”. I could have died right there. I [also] grew up with a crazed Elvis Presley family and meeting Priscilla Presley was a huge moment for me and my family. She was so gracious and divine. When I was doing her makeup I told her that my family were huge fans and we FaceTimed them while we were in glam! My parents nearly fainted! She then invited them to be her guests of honour at an Elvis event here in Melbourne. It was a dream come true for my parents. That memory is irreplaceable.

How long have you been working as a makeup artist?
This year is my 20th year! 

What is one of the best experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Working with amazingly beautiful models has been great but working with top athletes who are literally the best in the entire world (such as Ash Barty, Steph Gilmore and the Campbell sisters) — that is truly amazing. Also, being flown all over the world to present my masterclasses to makeup artists wanting to learn from me is pretty up there too! 

What is one of the worst experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
[Once, I was] chatting to a Paralympic athlete who was in a wheelchair [and] getting made up for a sports segment. I said to them their children must ‘keep them on their toes’. As the words came out I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. 

Have you ever had any shocker clients? What did they do?
Dealing with a drunk bridesmaid champagne burping in my face like Homer Simpson. I was not getting paid enough for that one!  

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair?
I’m the person that is with you just moments before the most memorable moments of your life. Whether that’s calming a bride’s nerves, listening to a VIP speaker’s final thoughts before they go on stage, or encouraging a new model before their first time in front of the camera. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from someone in the makeup chair? 
Don’t think, just do. [It was] from Roxy Jacenko in relation to business advice and being an entrepreneur.

How long have you been working as a makeup artist?
I dropped out of school young and enrolled into a makeup course at the age of 16. I was fortunate from a very young age that the head of the makeup school saw that I had potential, drive and passion, and allowed me to be the youngest person to ever enrol at that time. Through college, I met industry leaders that took me under their wing and mentored me over many years, which shaped the artist I am today. This year will be my 17th year in the industry. 

What is one of the best experiences you've had as a makeup artist?
I absolutely love to travel. I’ve been super fortunate to travel a lot overseas with makeup work. I shot in the jungle in the Dominican Republic, spent two weeks in the Maldives and shot on a luxury yacht sailing the coastline of Thailand.\

What is one of the worst experiences you've had as a makeup artist?
I don't have one stand out worst experience, more of a struggle that I encountered throughout my career. Because I started so young in the industry, for a long time I felt that I really had to prove myself as an artist because of my age and being seen as a junior. I would automatically feel the energy change when a model, talent, or celebrity would judge me and my skills (before I had even started, mind you) because I was visibly younger than most. I loved hosting events, education and training for makeup and beauty brands, but I do believe my age hindered some of the jobs I was put up for. Because I was younger, my experience and credibility may have been in question. 

Have you had any shocker clients? What did they do?
Any shocker clients [I come across] I [don’t] work for again! Life is too short to be treated badly. I guess the typical; not paid for months after chasing, expected to work overtime without any extra hourly payment, not providing food or water on set when you are shooting for 10 hours on location. Clients/talent that are rude, not easy to communicate with, and that push your boundaries. I do believe you need to be a very patient person as a makeup artist. 

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair?
A couple of years ago I worked with The Pussycat Dolls over a few days whilst they were in Australia doing press for an upcoming tour. After the first day working with them, they allowed me to personally design each of their makeup looks for the next lot of their interviews and press. I loved being creative and matching their personality and style to create their individual looks and glam.

How long have you been working as a makeup artist? 
Almost 17 years. Hair, 30 years.

What is one of your best experiences as a makeup artist? 
I’ve had so so many! Travelling the world for eight years working with incredibly talented creatives on campaigns ahead of their time, very early in my career — invaluable to this day.

What is one of your worst experiences as a makeup artist?  
Just one? Being ‘single white femaled’ by a client over a long period. My career and I are still healing from it. Not being credited or compensated for my ideas and work — it happens a lot. 

Have you ever had any shocker clients? What did they do? 
Yes, thankfully I can count on one hand or less. [They] didn’t want to talk to me at all to discuss the look and lied down flat in bed the entire time. Then had a hysterical breakdown and rubbed the entire look off using her tears and bodily fluids in a chaotic screaming tantrum. I left as fast as I could. Obviously, issues were happening unknown to me. I think she's now in jail or has been in jail.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from someone in the makeup chair? 
I'm not sure if it's from a client or where I learned this, however you can take this into every situation in life — read the room.

How long have you been working as a makeup artist? 
About 22 years.

What is one of your best experiences as a makeup artist? 
After doing three different fashion weeks back to back in Aus, I had a day off and was buggered. I got a call and thought I had stuffed up something as I was so tired and on planes galore. [But it was the] opposite; it was a call to say I had been selected to work at New York Fashion Week. I cried and screamed the whole day and called my mum and never felt more proud of myself. It was epic!

What is one of your worst experiences as a makeup artist?  
So many to choose from — probably being booked by Chris Brown (the singer not the vet) and having the worst period pain of my life. [After] getting through the look, he then invited me to hang out and watch an MTV interview. Sounds great so far, until I fainted and vomited in his room and had nowhere to do it so I took my t-shirt off and made a makeshift bowl. Then I had to walk through Crown Casino at 1pm in a bra with a t-shirt full of spew and my makeup kit. #funtimes

Have you ever had any shocker clients? 
The only client I literally walked out on was an entitled rich Melbourne woman a few weeks ago. [She] yelled at all the staff and yelled at a young boy with a disability [who was] helping his dad set up a stage, saying he wasn’t working hard enough. I legit stopped doing the makeup and said ‘I'm done, you're on your own’. It felt like dirty money and goes against what I believe in.

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair? 
I have a ton of these ones. My fave was when Usher gave me HIS.... that's right… HISSSSSS on-stage pass to use after I did his makeup and we got along like a house on fire. He asked if I was going to his concert and I said “‘no’ — I couldn't afford it at the time (my flat mates were going so it sucked majorly). He then said, ‘we can't have that, just take mine and it will get you everywhere! Go home, dump your stuff then come back’. Which I did! No one believed me so I had to call his manager and let them speak to security. Great night!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received from someone in the makeup chair? 
A comedian, who I was doing for the ACCTA awards, said to me "some people are just d***heads” — ha. I have used that message many times since then. 

How long have you been working as a makeup artist? 
20 years.

What is one of the best experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
So many. I feel like listing one is like picking a favourite child. One that does spring to mind though is a trip we made to Seychelles as a team to shoot for a fashion client. Seychelles is such a beautiful part of the world. The job itself was really tough and our schedule grueling, but it was with my favourite team so the shared experience was very memorable.

What is one of the worst experiences you’ve had as a makeup artist?
Some days do make you want to hang up the tools for good. I once had to do makeup in a completely blacked-out room, while the talent, sitting in a foldable picnic chair, ate a giant bacon and egg roll, talked, and scrolled through her phone, chin down. All the while I was being pressured relentlessly by the director as they wanted to shoot her now.

Have you ever had any shocker clients? What did they do?
The shocker clients we talk about most are rarely the talent. Although once, when we were on a super tight finish time, I had a client decide right at the time I needed to start her that she wanted to brush her teeth and pack a travel bag (of which she couldn't find half the items she needed). She was also extremely particular with her makeup and a difficult subject, so I needed every possible minute with her. Needless to say, it did not go well.

Have you ever had a memorable moment with a celebrity or model while they were in the makeup chair?
Yes, many... I recently had the most fun with Radha Mitchell whilst we were getting ready for one of her red carpet appearances. She is such a fab human!

What is the best advice you have received from someone in the makeup chair?
I don't know about the best advice, but I can tell you the worst advice was ‘invest in crypto' (after the crash had begun) and I followed it. The best is probably to take a minute to consider the bigger picture before choosing a hill to die on.