Elle Magazine
Dior Poison Campaign
Montana Cox for David Jones
Kerri & Cooper Campaign
Margaret Zhang for Kerastase
As a makeup artist, I work in all aspects of media makeup. Recently I have been working on a lot of TV Commercials, which are great fun, but extremely long days. The makeup that you do on your talent not only needs to last a minimum of 10 hours, it needs to look exactly the same in every shot.
Studio lights can be warm & can cause your talent to sweat or get oily so you need to understand your talents skin and prep accordingly. Always cleanse over their skin as you don’t know what they have used on the skin prior to getting into your makeup chair. Ask them if there skin tends to get dry or oily throughout the day, so you know what moisturiser to use. I also always exfoliate the skin with my Dermalogica’s ‘Daily resurfacers’, these little beauties are individually wrapped & contain AHA’s to lift off dead & dry skin cells & create a perfect base for makeup.
I always want to keep the skin looking fresh, the skin generally has to be matte for TV so choosing the right powders is essential. I love MAC’s Blot powders they are fantastic for TV – you can remove shine and re-powder countless times without building up on product or acting coverage or colour. I also love NARS translucent powder in Crystal – I actually use this under the eyes to set concealer, it’s light reflective so be careful for TV; avoid using it on the forehead and cheeks, but for under the eyes it’s a great choice.
Choosing the right foundation is also Important, for male actors, I use MAC’s ‘face & body’ followed by blot powder and ‘studio fix powder’ if i want a bit more coverage. I also like to use Giorgio Amani lasting silk foundation this has a bit more longevity and is also more matte.
For my female cast members I have been using ‘Becca’s 24hr ultimate foundation, this give a beautiful finish but also its super long wearing & has amazing coverage.
Blot tissues and powder will be your savior especially if you are working outside or under heavy lighting. Shine is the biggest makeup issue whilst on set – you always need to keep on top of this. What may look Matte to the naked eye may look completely different on the monitor – so always check.
Layer up – cream blushes and shadows under your powder, and waterproof gel liner/pencils and mascaras are a must!
SMA xx
