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The makeup industry in Australia is ridiculously competitive and it can seem like an impossible feat to break into the scene and make a name for yourself. From going to makeup school to learning on your own and building your portfolio from the ground up, it can be difficult to decide what the best way to go is. We’ve looked to some of the biggest names in the industry for help on how to build a career as a makeup artist.
Chantelle Baker
Chantelle Baker is one of Melbourne’s most sought after makeup artist. She has dolled up some of the biggest personalities including Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Hawkins, Delta Goodrem, and Dita Von Teese. Chantelle believes making a successful career in the makeup industry is all about networking. She’s all about working hard, even working for free if you’re just starting out. Also part of the equation is making yourself available. One job leads you to another one, and that’s how you keep building your professional circle.
Chantelle’s big break came when she was hired to do a certain lady’s makeup for her engagement party. The client worked in PR and was working with Jennifer Hawkins at the time. She forwarded Chantelle’s name to Hawkins and they ended up working together and building a lasting working relationship. Chantelle emphasises that it is crucial to be likeable and easy going. If there hadn’t been a connection with Hawkins, who knows how things would have turned out?
Victoria Baron
Victoria Baron gave up her career in horse riding to become a makeup artist. She became the first Australian makeup ambassador for Chanel in 2014 and has worked with big shots like Rihanna, Ruby Rose, Chanel Iman, Lara Worthington, Bella Hadid, Jessica Mauboy, and countless others. Her work is often featured on the covers of well-known magazines including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and Elle. Also, she has been the makeup director for runway shows including Bianca Spender, Ginger & Smart, and Alice McCall.
Her impressive career started when a friend convinced her to go to makeup school. Attending a good makeup school, like the ones you can find on www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com, was only the first step for Victoria, and a much needed one too, since she was essentially a tomboy. While she first learnt makeup in school, she learnt makeup mostly on set. When she was just starting out, she assisted Muriel Vancauvan and Rae Morris for a few years.
Tobi Henney
Tobi Henney is the Makeup Director for L’Oréal Paris in Australia and transformed the faces of the likes of Jessie J, Ashley Green, Georgia Fowler, Shanina Shaik, Zoe Foster-Blake, and Megan Gale. She has worked on international campaigns for Nike, Witchery, Estée Lauder, and many others. Her work has been featured in leading magazines including Grazia, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, and Vogue, as well as TV shows such as Australia’s Next Top Model and
The Voice.
Tobi believes on of the best ways to learn and grow in the industry is to assist an artist you admire. Like Victoria, she did a makeup course and worked for many years assisting many of Australia’s top artists while working as a freelance makeup artist. She believes her years of assisting were pivotal and never fails to recommend the same approach to most newbies she meets. She recommends that new artists get some work experience to see if they like the industry. It’s important to sacrifice loads of time to build a portfolio for free and assist for free sometimes.