Where are you right now? In an exciting position, I know where my skills fit into the industry as a make-up artist and I also have a make-up product business called JT Makeup Studio which is enabling me to develop more skills as a business woman. My products are sold at ScreenFace, PAM, Love-Makeup, Illusion Magazine and The Face Painting Shop and early next year they will be available in America. Due to running a product business I work mainly as adaily make-up artist on productions as this allows me time to support the development of my product range. I am very focused and hardworking, always busy which is overwhelming sometimes but I’ve learnt to be super organised. When did you decide to become a make-up artist? When I was 14 years old during the summer holidays at my Grandmas in Cornwall I was reading a copy of her Vogue magazine. The front cover featured Margaux Hemmingway, a model in the 1970’s and I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. That image then inspired me to learn about make-up. I think Margaux Hemmingway set the style for future natural beauty icons such as Brooke Shields in the ‘80s and Cindy Crawford in the ‘90s. Are you self-taught or did you train somewhere? When I left school I initially trained in hairdressing and beauty therapy. I moved to London when I was 18 years old and joined in with the New Romantic Movement. This was my initial beginnings in make-up as I used to do my friends hair and make-up before going out to the Blitz Club in Covent Garden. I realised then that I needed more training and while working as a technician at the London College of Fashion I completed my training. I am a believer in good training. Which other make-up artist(s) helped you along the way? Many people have inspired and supported me. When I was working at LCF two of my managers Liz McLafferty and Jo Dingemanns opened my mind into the research areas of fashion and film while always encouraging me to develop my skills. My career started off in the fashion industry as a make-up and body artist but over the last 10 years I have worked more in film and television.
PHOTO
VOGUE SEPTEMBER 1976
The front cover featured Margaux Hemmingway, a model in the 1970s and I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. That image then inspired me to learn about make-up.