Bringing the joy

WITH HIS AMAZING TALENT AND UNIQUE SENSE OF JOIE DE VIVRE, PAUL BEDGGOOD IS THE HAIR-AND-MAKEUP ARTIST YOU’LL WANT FOR YOUR WEDDING, CELEBRATION OR GIRLS’ GET-TOGETHER.

Paul (Paulie) Bedggood says he found “home” when he moved to the Blue Mountains four years ago. The son of a Ballarat publican, who pursued a career in hair and makeup artistry from the tender age of 15, made a name for himself in the bright lights of Sydney before embarking on a tree change to Katoomba, with partner Jason.

“I spent 11 years in Newtown and loved living and working there but, being a country boy, I needed to get back to nature,” Paulie says. The couple enjoyed a stint in Coalcliff, on the South Coast, which was still close enough to the city for work and play, but were often drawn to the Blue Mountains.

“We spent a lot of weekends in Leura and Katoomba, and every time we hit that freeway and started heading up the mountain it felt like coming home. I just knew that this was our place,” he adds. Words: Jacqueline Forster. Photos: Jennifer Leahy, Silversalt Photography.