As a member for the Irish Film and Television Academy I was invited to Dublin’s Gibson hotel on Thursday the 29th September 2011 for ‘The Craft of Make-Up’, the Academy’s annual event hosted in association with MAC Cosmetics, featured the work of two IFTA winning Make-Up artists Jennifer Hegarty and Linda Mooney.

The event was hosted by Tv3′s Xposé presenter and Karen Koster. Jennifer and Linda share behind the scenes secrets from their award winning careers in film and television. It was a really informative event with a great insight  into the industry.

One of the things that I noted was that as make-up arists they never stop learning. Jennifer said that she started her career by going to London to do a few courses, but that she still learns all the time. She said that the industry changes so fast that you have to keep up with the times. Also it was great to note that there was no overnight success for Jennifer, it was a very slow process. It was through hard work and dedication that she has become the success that she is today. The first time that she actually felt that she had made it was when she did Peter O’Toole’s make-up. She said on meeting him that she found it quite comforting, because he was very nervous that day and it made her realise that everyone is nervous about what they are doing, so you have to keep going and keep doing it. She still enjoys the job and sometimes has to pinch herself when she is on a set in an exotic location. She has worked on films from Lassie, to Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, to Harry Potters, so I am sure she has seen a few! On creating a character, she says that it is usually a collaboration between the Make-up Artist, the Director and the Actor, although it is really about trying to convince them to do what you want . The products that she can’t live without are her grease palette and her skin illustrator and her brushes in particular the MAC foundation brush. For people starting out Jennifer would recommend taking up painting. If choosing a school, find out what the background is of the people you would be learning with.

Linda came to her career in a little bit of a different way. She was from a family that did hair and would have seen her mom make wigs for the Abbey. She is a fully trained hair dresser as well as a professional make-up artist. She found herself having to go abroad alot because the union in Ireland is quite restrictive and you can’t really do both. She is fluent in German and spent some time over there. Linda felt that she had really made it when she got to do a Deaf Leppard album cover, she had to turn the clean looking young men into 80s rock stars so lots of backcombing was required! Linda also mentioned is very aware that the women in the industry have missed out on family, that you have to try and strike the balance. She feels that she is a better mother when she is working. She was working with 21 women at the time of the talk and only 3 women out of that had a family.When asked what tools she couldn’t live with out, her immediate response was: Good brushes! When you are starting out Linda thinks you can’t beat being on set, try and get some work experienc. You will realise what it is really like and see what end you would like to go to.

They are both very warm people and it is easy to see that as well as their skill and talent that their personalities have brought them a long way too. They both touched on having the right personality for the job and being easy to work with and letting things go over your head. Also it is about knowing what battles to fight, when to take a bit more time doing a make-up and when to just let a bit of shine go…. Someone asked a question in the audience about whether they ever looked at another make-up artist’s work and said “what were they thinking” and they both agreed and said that they wouldn’t judge someone else’s work as you never know what kind of stress or what the circumstances were surrounding the job. Never a truer word was spoken! As a makeup artist if the day has run behind, you could sometimes be asked to do a make-up on set with the whole crew looking at you, when usually the make-up could take an hour to do normally!

It was a great talk and I hope that the Academy run more events like this in the future. It was great to meet fellow make-up artists and we got a free lippy to boot!

My Professional Make-up Kit – Eyes No.1

Nars – Night Breed
MAC Glitter – Crystalled Lime
MAC Glitter – Reflects Pearl x2
MAC Glitter – Reflects Bronze
Unknown Glitter – Silver
Unknown Glitter – Various in Stack
MAC Pigment – Neo Orange
MAC Pigment – Fuchsia
MAC Pigment – Golden Lemon
MAC Pigment – Gold
MAC Pigment – Cheers My Dear!
MAC Pigment – Softwash Grey
MAC Pigment – Gift O’ Glamour
MAC Pigment – Silver Fog
MAC Pigment – Mauvement
MAC Pigment – Gold Mode
MAC Pigment – Most Darling
MAC Pigment – Gilded Green
MAC Pearlized Pigment Clusters – Impassioned
Body Shop Shimmer Cubes Palette – No. 6
Barry M Dazzle Dust – Green
Barry M Dazzle Dust – White
Barry M Dazzle Dust – Blue
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 01
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 02
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 03
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 04
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 05
Naked Pigment – Sierra Nevada 06
Bobbi Brown – Duo Eyeshadow Bone & Mahogany

Eyeshadow Palette No. 1:
MAC - Free to Be
MAC - Passionate
MAC - Vibrant Grape
MAC - Swiss Chocolate
MAC - Shadowy Lady
MAC - Pink Venus
MAC - Cranberry
MAC - Plum Dressing
MAC - Texture
MAC - Satin Taupe
MAC - Twinks
MAC - Mulch
MAC - Trax
Lancome Lilac
Urban Decay – Midnight Cowboy

Eyeshadow Palette No. 2:
MAC -White
MAC -Brule
MAC -Orb
MAC -Kid
MAC -All that Glitters
MAC -Forgery
Lancome – Bain D’or
MAC – Shroom
Lancome – Moonlit
MAC – Cork
MAC – Brun
MAC - Wedge
MAC – Copperplate
MAC – Tete e Tint
MAC – Mulch

Eyeshadow Palette No. 3:
MAC -Plumage
MAC -Club
MAC -Sumptuous Olive
MAC -Dazzlelight
MAC -Blue Calm
MAC -Steamy
MAC – Bio Green
MAC – Bright Sunshine
Lancome – Creme
Urban Decay – Goddess
MAC – Deep Truth
MAC - Humid
MAC – Rule
MAC – Carbon
MAC – Mulch

Eyeshadow Palette No. 4:
Estée Lauder -Vanilla
Estée Lauder -Ginger Drop
Estée Lauder – Sand Box
Estée Lauder – Amethyst
Estée Lauder – Bronze Cube
Estée Lauder - Camouflage
Estée Lauder – Cinnamon
Estée Lauder – Honey Drop
Estée Lauder – Mocha Cup
Estée Lauder – Pale Moon
Estée Lauder – Mink
Estée Lauder – Ivory Box
Estée Lauder – Berry
Estée Lauder – Rose
Estée Lauder - Sugar Cube

Eyeshadow Palette No. 5:
Logona Blusher – Apricot
Logona Blusher – Peach
Logona Blusher – Mauve
Estée Lauder – Honey Drop
Estée Lauder – Amethyst
Estée Lauder – Grey
Bobby Brown – Bone
Bobby Brown – Blonde
Bobby Brown – Taupe
Bobby Brown - Mahogany
Dior 5 Coleurs Palette – Black, Grey, White, Lilac, Purples
Dior 5 Coleurs – Peach, Green, Blue, Grey, Brown

.
MAC Blot Powder Medium/Dark x 2
Make-Up Forever Mist and Fix Non Alcohol
Stop Sweat

Loreal Studio Secrets Primer
Benefit Dr. Feel Good Primer
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Green
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Pink
Make-Up Forever Micro Perfecting HD Primer – Yellow

Revlon Highlighter Pink
MAC Strobe Cream
MAC Shimmer Highlighter Chez Lame
MAC Shimmer Highlighter Rose Ole

Make-Up Forever Professional Lift Concealer No.1
Make-Up Forever Professional Lift Concealer No.3
MAC Moisture Select Concealer NW20
MAC Moisture Select Concealer NW30

Blush Palette with 10 Colours from Jordane Cosmetics
Coastal Scents Blush & Contour Palette x10
MAC Blush & Contour Pallette x5 Emphasise, Taupe, Pink Swoon, Fleur Power, Salsa Rose

Jordan Concealer Pallette x6
Dermacover Camouflage Mini Palette – Fair
Rimmel Clear Complexion Concealer Ivory 001
Rimmel Concealer Ivory 001
Rimmel Concealer Natural Beige 004
Laura Mercier Undercover Pot 3
Bobby Brown Cream Concealer Ivory
Georgio Armani Skin Retouch No.3
Jordane Correcter Stick – Peach
Jordane Correcter Stick – Mint
Jordane Correcter Stick – Contour
Jordane Correcter Stick – Lilac
Jordane Correcter Stick – Melon

Did a photoshoot on Friday with a whole host of talented people. There was 4 hours to do about 6 different make-up and hair looks and get them photographed. It was a really fun day, but it got a bit frantic at times!

Here is one shot from the shoot…more photos will follow soon…

Make-Up: Me @ Fashion Make-Up
Photographer: Richie Stokes
Model: Georgie Frances Wilson
Clothes: Lucy’s Lounge

I attended a MAC Trends Masterclass which was hosted in the Brown Thomas headquarters. The masterclass was run by Lesley Keane and Nikki Gillick.

The day started off with a snappy video of all the backstage action in London, Paris, Milan and New York. I love seeing the mayhem and discord before a big show. Leslie fresh from behind the scenes herself was able to regale us with tales and anecdotes. The biggest trend (which I was talking about in a previous post) is definitely bleached eyebrows.

This can be done using the good ‘ol Jolene, usually a staple for the lady bleaching her top lip, you can now use it to stay on trend and brighten up those brows. If you don’t want to commit fully to this look, you can always cheat it by using MAC full coverage foundation and working it into the brows with a mascara wand. Make sure you brush them in all directions ensuring that every side of each hair follicle is covered.

There were a few mentions of this season being a real throwback to the 70s with strong colours and a more rounded eyeshape, following the natural curve of the eyesocket.

I went away from the event inspired.

Here are the finished looks:

Here are some of the MAC Trend Facecharts for Spring Summer:

American Nomad Trend

Dye a Tribe Trend

Pale n Dandy Trend

Underground Society Trend

Last weekend I attended the International Make-Up Artist Tradeshow in Alexander Palace. I had a wonderful trip to London, delving into the many facets of the city…I spent some time wombling around the shopping mecca that is Oxford Street. Popped into MAC Pro in Soho, which is just around the corner. On the hunt for nautical inspired clothing for a friend, I delved into the alternative shopping destination that is Camden. They cater to every taste vintage, character, goth, neon madness and cheap/nasty.

Image courtesy of Rob Inh00d

Having recently given up dairy and being a vegetarian, I thoroughly enjoyed the delights of the vegan cafe InSpiral Lounge. They had really funky tunes playing on the Saturday evening and a really friendly atmosphere. I had a yummy Vegetable Bake with Nut Cream Sauce yum! If you are in London, check it out!

Photo courtesy of www.quarrygirl.com

I also went down to Southbank for the first time and met some friends in the British Film Institute, it was a hive of activity and is far superior to our little Irish Film Institute I just love the way that London has so many personalities, there is definitely something for everyone, from the hippy to the corporate type every taste, pocket and desire is catered for.

Image courtesy of theboybg

Anyway I have kind of gone off point there, as this isn’t a travel blog, back to the IMATS. I had a fantastic time and really shopped till I could no longer wedge anything else into my back pack and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make it home with the weight of the thing! I will do a different post about all the things that I bought. I really liked looking at the fantastic work of all the talennted sculpters, make-up artists, model makers in the SFX display. Here are some photos:

Ape Sculpture
I hate to be negative, but I was a bit disappointed with the IMATS this year. My main goal was to attend some talks and learn some new techniques and listen to people at the top of their game. All I can say is that the lectures were badly organised, I felt that there should have been more talks spread across the two days and that they should have repeated some of the classes that they knew would be popular.

Nightbreed:
Queued for half an hour only to be told that it was full. Was very disappointed.

Eve Pearl:
She was very funny, charismatic and seems like a genuinely nice person, but I felt that her make-up just wasn’t up to scratch. Maybe it was because I was watching everything on the blown up monitor (I was right at the back of the hall) her Make-Up was not very tidy, the blending was off and the lip line was all over the place. The model’s skin looked extremely shiny and the make-up looked like it was sliding off her face. I kept willing her to fix it, but she just kept missing all her flaws. In her defence, she did say a few times that she couldn’t really see what she was doing. It was very disappointing as I really wanted to learn something new from the “masters” but I felt like anyone could have done that make-up…if it was a lighting problem and she couldn’t see then IMATS should have fixed it for her…did they not do a practise run?? I felt sorry for her, because loads of people kept leaving her talk, if that was me I would have been really unnerved and I thought that it was a tad bit rude of people.

Tom Savini:
I made sure to queue extra early for this talk learning from earlier experiences. This was the saving grace of the whole trade show. I felt that it was so inspirational to hear about his journey and how he had become such a phenomenal artist in the slasher film genre. Tom brought up some excellent points in the discussion and one of them was that you should always have your portfolio with you…you just never know who you will meet, this lead to the prolific statement that kept ringing in my head after the talk…I think this will become my new motto in life:

“Success is about being in the right place at the right time and being ready.”

Some of the stalls were disappointing. Compared to 2006 which is the last time I attended the show, it is a lot bigger. However as the old adage goes, bigger isn’t always necessarily better. On alot of stalls the prices were not that good, in particular Charles Fox weren’t offering any discount on the day, which I thought was a bit crazy seeing as it was a “trade show”. I did have a great experience getting a few bits in MAC, even though they were crazy busy, I still got the personal attention from one of the artists who helped me get everything I needed, I just wished that I had gotten his name so I could thank him publicly. Also I got a fantastic deal in Mouldlife, where I got huge discounts and a couple of free products to try at home.

I bought a DVD of the World Bodypainting Festival whilst in the IMATS. I watched it the other day and it looks AMAZING. I think that it is the last time that I will attend IMATS London, next  trip I am off to the Boden for the Bodypainting Festival where it would seem spectacle and entertainment play a big part in the procession.

Anyway I would like to hear some other opinions on the Trade Show In the meantime here are some more photos of the event:

Photo courtesy of http://www.istoleyoursoulforthis.com/

Photo courtesy of http://www.istoleyoursoulforthis.com/

Photo courtesy of http://www.istoleyoursoulforthis.com/

Witch

Ok, so I managed to restrain myself a teensy bit, surprise surprise!

I went to the MAC Pro Store in London, which is located in the heart of West Soho. My visit happily co-incided with the Gay Pride Festival, so there was a fantastic buzz about the place. I really enjoyed the vibrant energy and taking a peek at the wild drag make-up. I managed to “drag” hehe myself away from the parade to pop into the store and buy a few bits and pieces.

I got me some pigments of course…soo hard to resist!

I bought Fuchsia, Neo-Orange and Gold. I am looking forward to using these bad boys! Have a photoshoot coming up which I think will be a good time to experiment, will post the photos later so keep your eyes peeled.

I also got a fantastic glitter pigment called Crystallized Lime, think this will be really cool with the Neo Orange pigment to create a neon raver look!

Of course I needed a medium for the pigments so I got the eyeliner mixing medium, because it is safe to use in the eye area and it has a nice thick consistancy, which I plan to use for some intense colour.

I was also loving their lipmixes, so picked up three of them, Burgandy, which I thought would be great to darken any of the lipcolours I already have. Crimson, because it is such a fantastic femme fatale red and Gold to go with the gold pigment I got…I feel a gold themed look coming up

And of course it wouldn’t be a MAC visit without getting some of the old faithful, face and body foundation. This is one of my favourite MAC products, I go through tons of this stuff. I tend to only use a bit of this in the summer as I like my skin to glow. Also alot of the models I work with have impeccable skin so I only have to use this with a teeny bit of concealer.

Ok it wouldn’t be a a MAC visit without getting a few brushes….hehe well you know what they say, a bad workman likes to blame his tools so I just make sure to arm myself with only the best. I picked up the 188 brush, which is very similar to the 187, but smaller.

This is great for the application of foundation, because its quite small it gives you more control and lets you get right into the inner eye etc, but with it’s duo fibre you are able to get that airbrushed effect and build layer upon layer if needed.

I also bought the 214 brush, this is a nifty little thing for applying eyeshadow without getting any fallout.

I love using it for intense colour and bulding darker shadows. Because of the short hairs you can use it for very controlled application which make it brilliant for applying shadow to the lashline and smudging for that sexy smokey look.

The 217 brush is another tool I added to my make-up belt, it is brilliant for applying creamy colour base and applying concealer under the eyes.

I use it to apply the Hush base that I bought in London and my old favourite Bobby Brown Concealer “Creamy Concealer Kit in Ivory”

I also bought the 219 Brush For precision shading on lid, this is absolutely awesome for any blending that you need to do.

I can’t reiterate enough how important good brushes are. When I first started out as a make-up artist I bought cheap brushes from eBay…they did the trick at the time, but all I can say is that I have really stepped my game up in the last few years because I have invested in good tools which certainly make the job easier.

I also bought some other bits and bobs, but there is no point going into everything. Thank goodness for my MAC Pro card is all I can say, because it all ended up coming to about £300 but with my discount it only cost me £200. Still a lot of money, but  a bargain in comparison. Was around €250 with all the conversions.