Beautiful Brides with Mia Connor

Back in March I had the opportunity to participate in Mia Connors masterclasses. I forgot to write a little blog about it! being the first time in about two years sitting in a class again learning about makeup was totally refreshing and revitalizing career wise.

Day one " beautiful brides" focused on a natural bridal makeup in the morning and a vintage inspired makeup in the afternoon. Not wanting to waste good makeup I got my fave hair stylist ( Kirri @ POSE hair artistry) to do the models hair prior to the workshop and a local photographer to take photos after each model was finished. looking forward to seeing some finished shots! 

Model: Ash Parker

The Danger of Counterfeits

It's no secret market leaders like MAC, Bobbi Brown and Urban Decay have knock-off/ sub-par counterfeits springing up online through mediums like eBay, strawberry net, ect . Some may also remember Target Australia selling counterfeit MAC a few years ago, and the huge lawsuit that followed. 

Anyway, the danger is in what these knock offs actually contain. With no governing body controlling what is put into these products, or the methods of production, there is the potential for serious damage to be caused to the consumer. Having samples of these counterfeit products testing positive for lead, and high levels of talc, and other heavy metals not safe on the skin, or for human consumption. Knowing many counterfeit products are more often then not produced in third world factories,  the reality check being , they may have no hygiene practice in place meaning, there is the potential use of unfiltered, bacteria ridden or contaminated water used as the base of your foundation, hair care or makeup.

With the use of these cheaper products/ lower standards of hygiene, lowering the cost of production, hence making the cheaper sale price online. Inclining the average consumer to choose an online third party seller over the official company website or in store.

Another potential problem posed from unofficial resellers is the sale of product past it's expiration date. This is a little easier to spot as it's often "special edition" ranges / colours, change on formula consistency ( separation) and smell. Unfortunately consumers cannot see these until it's already too late. Out of date products are also vulnerable to harmful bacteria build up.

From a makeup artists perspective, the potential that I could harm and damage my clients is completely unethical and dangerous, and in to way justifiable financially. In saying this I buy all my product directly from the brands official manufacturers, and keep proof of purchase for all high end/ professional quality products stocked in my kit for my own piece of mind.

I know budget can be a big issue for young people on particular when it comes to high end cosmetics or cult classics, especially in Australia with the consumer markup on cosmetics and beauty products. If this is the case, I recommend looking up "dupes" for the specific product your after and buying a similar product from another brand ( mac vs. rimmel), Or spending that extra $$$ on the original product, your faces are to precious to end up with permanent scarring or other inflammatory symptoms / infections.

Play safe!

What makes a Professional makeup artist, Professional?

 Lately I've been receiving this or similar questions so I thought I had better elaborate.

Unfortunately the terms " professional" and "qualified" makeup artist are thrown around a lot in this industry, literally any one can pick up a brush and call them self a makeup artist. Almost as if it's a guarantee of quality or skill level. so here is a quick list of ways to make sure you're hiring the right person for the job.

*disclaimer: this is in no way meant to offend, discredit or defame, only to serve as a loose guide for those unsure of what to ask / look for when booking a makeup artist, I have structured this from my previous experiences as a consumer/ client and as an makeup artist working in the bridal industry*

• Always ask your potential artists for some credentials or referees if they're not mentioned on their website, take a look at their social media pages for reviews, check out their portfolio, whatever you need to do to know you're in safe hands.
• Find out where they were trained?  There is a huge difference between a 4-12 week short course and a recognized certification, while there are institutions out there like napoleon perdis that offer " makeup artist" courses, they're not recognized as a qualification, also knowing that these artists are trained only in napoleon perdis cosmetics their skills are often limited to "smokey"  eyes.  Now, Beauty therapists, while yes they do a module of makeup artistry during their training, this does not cover facial analysis, correction, application, sanitation and maintenance. Now this isn't to say a self taught artist, beauty therapist, ect, are in any way inferior to a trained artist, I'm merely trying to give a loose guideline of what to look for in an artist. Ultimately it's your personal preference that counts.
• Business set up, do they have a website? do they have social media pages you can connect with?  business cards? Publications? Portfolio? these are all signs that the artist is serious about what  they do as a profession, as well as offering potential client like you ways to interact with your artist prior to booking/ service.
• Social Media following, this is where things get tricky, as on medias like facebook or instagram, you can buy likes for pay to advertise. so if you see someone with a tonne of likes, but only iPhone selfies of makeup they've done of themselves of friends, low quality portfolio shots or and this one really bugs me images of  another makeup artists work. you'll know something doesn't quite add up.
• OHS, find out what OHS measures are in place? whats the life expectancy of their products? how old are their brushes/ mascaras,ect? Most makeup artists are proud of their kits and love talking about what we stock and how we take care of our makeup.
• You're allowed to ask for our professional indemnity and public liability certificates. this is proof that we're insured meaning  ( touch wood) anything were to happen you're artist and you are covered, as well as the fact that the person your hiring not only considers themselves a professional, but cares about their owns and their clients safety.
• ask what they stock in their kit? now this can be tricky with the amount of counterfeit mac and other high end brands, as well as lower quality versions i.e. Napoleon Perdis vs. NP Set out there in the cosmetics market, so dig a little deeper if you feel worried at all, I myself order product direct from the manufacturers, ensuring my kit is not only fresh, but safe for clients. and keep all receipts and order invoices allowing proof of products legitimacy.
• Price, this is a huge indicator of quality and experience of your artist and the quality you should expect. we make our own rates, reflecting on our time in the industry, our training, our makeup kits quality, ect. 
• Dress. Now I'm just getting picky here but, the industry standard of dress code is plain black, nothing too revealing or bold. Remaining Well presented, comfortable and tidy but  also blending into the background and not stealing focus. This again comesdown the the artists personal preference, For me this isn't only a presentation issue, but wearing black ensures we do not have any colours bounce / reflect off what we're wearing and can cause colour miss matching. Myself when I'm working on collaborative photo shoots will dress more casually however still predominantly black, however when I'm on set (TVC, Bridal parties, look books ect) make sure I'm tidy, and dressed accordingly to the call sheet requirements if they differ from my standard plain black uniform.

All in all, if the artist is someone whose work you admire, fits your budget, and suit your events needs then book yourself in! and have a fabulous time :)