5. What is the creative process you follow when developing a new makeup collection or look? Whenever I am inspired I immediately start drawing on a face chart because I don’t want to let the idea disappear. Then I always have a stock of looks to choose from. Research is a never ending process for a make-up artist, you always need to be on track with new collections and trends. I am always questioning who is designing the trends and if it’s necessary to fully follow them. I prefer to add a lot of my personal touches and transform the trend into my own unique creation.
6. If you had to pick one, which would it be: doing make-up for fashion week, photo shoots, movies or theater? Hmm…I think I feel the same as if someone would ask a parent to pick a favorite child. (Laughing)
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Fashion weeks are so dynamic, there is so much preparation and creative teamwork. Photo shoots in studios are completely different, they can be very intimate and quiet, but sometimes you travel to a certain location just to get one great photo, freezing a moment in time. Movies are probably the most complex, sometimes taking over a year to com-
8. Do you have any friends or family that helped lead you to become an artist? plete production. Theater has a certain romantic feel to it and was one of the first fields where make-up artistry became a profession. It is impossible for me to choose one, but I can admit that my strongest one is creating new looks and working on photo shoots.
7. What music do you play while you are working? Besides being a make-up artist, music is probably one of the most important elements of my life. It really depends on a situation, sometimes there is already music playing and there is not much to choose from. If I am the one choosing the music I always adapt it to the mood of the make-up, similar to how a soundtrack is chosen for a movie. I never get enough of Shirley Bassey, Chet Baker, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Massive Attack and Air.
My grandfather was a painter, but unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet him so I must have inherited (or stolen) some of his genes. I also always enjoyed watching my mother do her make-up, so I need to thank her because I was never really interested in make-up or any other girly thing at the time. She did my make-up for my prom and nobody recognized me; I instantly felt the magic of make-up, which was probably my breakthrough moment.
9. Who inspires you the most in life? It will probably sound cliché, but my life is my inspiration, along with my friends and the people I work with. You don’t search for creativity, you simply live it!
10. What makes you really happy? There are a lot of things that bring joy and happiness to my life, but it comes down to, simply waking up in the morning knowing that there is a whole new day full of surprises waiting for me!
11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
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My life, as a make-up artist, is full of constant changes. Meeting new people on a daily basis, changing work locations, traveling and diving into new cultures is what I love and why I chose to do this in the first place. I’m always creating, teaching and learning, so I hope in 5 years it will be the same…same, but different.