and do some pretty smoky eyes. I tend to like drawing attention to my eyes more than my lips, and am much more likely to rock a dark eye than any kind of lipstick.
Do you like creating out-there looks or do you prefer something classically beautiful?
I get really excited about the crazy avant-garde looks, but I appreciate the classically beautiful looks for the skill and time that goes into them.
Most clients end up wanting classic, natural beauty so when I am given free rein in a test shoot I tend to go for the out-there stuff because it’s a nice change and I get to be really creative and experiment, which is what got me excited about doing make-up in the first place.
What sets you apart from other makeup artists?
Hmm, I would have to say that the crazy creative stuff is what makes me stand out from the crowd.
When you study make-up there is a lot of emphasis on clean, wearable looks - as there is demand for that of course. And it’s really difficult to teach people how to do avant-garde make-up and come up with unusual concepts and styles – you either have a “feel” for it, or you don’t.
I like to think I have a “feel” for it, and that’s when I’m in my happy place.
I try to bring all of that experimentation and all of those skills to bear on my clean beauty make-up too, so no matter how straightforward the brief is, I strive to elevate it in some way.
What beauty advice can you give our readers?
Don’t sleep with make-up on! Seriously, don’t do it.
Your skin needs to breathe and
renew itself at night, and your
crusty all-day-old make-up does
not help that process.
Nobody expects you to buy that R3000 diamond-infused face serum,
but washing your face before you
go to bed – every night, mind you – is not unreasonable.
Wear sunblock. It’s one of the cheapest things you can do to take care of your skin. We live in South Africa, people, the sun here is hardcore. Slather on that sunblock.
Cleanse, tone, moisturise. The products do not need to be expensive.
Any effort is better than no effort at all.
If you do those three things for your skin, doing your make-up will be a breeze.
It’s always nicer to enhance lovely fresh skin with a bit of tinted moisturizer than it is to plaster on the foundation to cover up blemishes and uneven skin tone.
Oh, and drink lots of water. It’s good for you.
What are some common beauty mistakes women make?
I think that the beauty mistakes I often see all boil down to a lack of knowledge and experimentation.
People wearing the wrong shade of foundation, or foundation that is clearly the wrong consistency for their skin type; people applying blush in unflattering places and colours; people wearing lip liner darker than their lipstick (but seriously, sies, don’t ever do that, it makes you look like you have a moustache); people walking around with solid lines of black eyeliner all the way around the eye.
The best advice I
can give you
is to book
a one-
on-one lesson with an artist if you are unwilling or unable to experiment with and research the make-up you’re buying and using.
We are so happy to help show you how to use what you already have, or to go shopping with you for the right items, and teach you how to apply your
make-up on your face in a way that suits you, your tastes, and your routine.
One lesson can make all the difference to your skills and your confidence.
Does everyone look better with makeup?
Yes. It evens out your skin, hides little imperfections, makes your eyes look bigger and more alert, makes your cheeks and lips look a healthy pink...it does make you look better.
You are not ugly without make-up, and you do not need make-up to be beautiful.
But make-up can give you a great confidence boost, and it gives you permission to play around with different aspects of your personality.
It is not vital, it is fun. It is not a requirement, it is a tool.
Use it (or don’t) in whatever way suits you. And enjoy the experience!