It’s the most wonderful time of year: our birthday and Halloween
Introduction
Every makeup artist’s favourite time of year, Halloween is a chance to flex creativity and be bold. Frankie McKernon, head of professional development, celebrates how this time of year is rife with creativity and inspiration.
Halloween is such an incredible time for makeup artists, to push creativity to new heights and inspire each other to try new things. We have been blown away by the levels of artistry of our makeup artists, students and partners, and wanted to showcase this in this month’s newsletter.
“Illamasqua’s no nonsense approach to creating industry-standard products with unbeatable pigment pay off is showcased at this time of year when we see all of the amazing work shared across our social platforms. We love being tagged and seeing all your incredible work!”
Treat yourself to these limited edition collections today.
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Let’s Talk Halloween
FRIGHT or ENTICE? You decide.
Whatever your desire, we had two looks that were sure to captivate this Halloween. Pablo Rodriguez, director of artistry, created two looks to highlight the different sides of the Halloween spectrum.
We caught up with Alice Dickson, professional makeup artist and educator at GlamCandy UK, to talk about her 30 days of Halloween series on Instagram. GlamCandy has been an Illamasqua partner for more than five years, and their artists are a huge inspiration to us. With five colleges across Scotland, they offer a wide variety of makeup courses across different topics.
Alice is a 21-year-old makeup artist from Edinburgh with specialities in creative and glam makeup. Halloween is a time she really pushes her creativity.
“My two short years in the makeup industry have taught me so much as I have worked my way up from a student to a tutor. There’s no other career that would bring me this much excitement.”
Why did you become a makeup artist?
I’ve always had a passion for art and, being creative from a young age, I’ve always made sure I had an outlet to create. This started with drawing and painting when I was younger, and as soon as I was old enough to use makeup, I can remember spending all my money on building my collection and creating looks. It was a natural progression when it came to deciding what I wanted to do as a career.
How did you get involved with GlamCandy?
I had my place ready at university to go and study Film and English. Even though this is something I am passionate about, I couldn’t see a career in it. I searched online for makeup colleges not expecting to find anything other than places I could study beauty therapy. I had never heard of a school that specialised in just makeup so I applied that same night and, after an intense six-month course, I applied for a position as a retail makeup artist and have worked my way up to become a tutor.
Tell us about your 30 days of Halloween Makeup challenge and where you get your inspiration.
My 30 days of Halloween series is a chance for me to showcase my skills in a more artistic way. Halloween was the time of year I started taking makeup more seriously, so every year I get excited for this time to be able to create as much as I can. I feel as though Halloween is a type of makeup everyone can appreciate. It creates a buzz around my looks, knowing there’s going to be a new one everyday. I try to keep my content fresh and exciting without being the same as everyone else. I, of course, take inspiration from other makeup artists but it’s important to also look to nature, movies and books so I’m stepping out of the box with my looks.
What advice would you give anyone wanting to pursue a career as a makeup artist?
My advice would be to find your style and niche. Not every makeup artist is going to be as amazing at glam as they are editorial, SFX, etc., and that’s okay. Try everything but know your audience, and create your brand and image so people know exactly why they’re going to you. Don’t try to be someone else or copy another makeup artists skills exactly, be yourself and you’ll stand out.
What are your top 3 favourite Illamasqua products?
My three favourite products have to be: Beyond Powder in OMG. I honestly don’t feel complete without this. I use it for eye looks as well as the skin, it suits every skin tone.
The Precision Gel Liner in infinity is a must-have in my kit. It’s what I use if I’m ever needing a black for Halloween looks, but it’s also amazing as a liner or a base for a smoky eye. Such an essential product.
My third favourite product has to be the Eye Brow Cake in thunder. This suits so many colours of brow if you just change the pressure of the brush, and it also works amazing as a soft brown eyeliner.
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Virtual Consultations
The Illamasqua Studio has gone virtual – book in now for a beauty consultation or make-up lesson with one one of our professional makeup artists!
When I’m not writing or perusing the beauty section, I'm usually applying skincare or trying a new eyeliner. Most confident in minimal makeup with a bold lip, I invite you to join me on my journey to find the perfect mascara and red lipstick!
