Hello!

I have been a makeup artist for the past 15 years, but really, it has been a lifelong passion. I did both my 2 years of work experience in the makeup department of Channel 9 Sydney when I was 16 years old, and then continued to volunteer my services in school holidays and on the weekends, working on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, The Today Show, The Mike Walsh Show, 60 Minutes and many more. I loved it and couldn’t get enough of being in the environment and learning about something I adored.

After leaving school, being a makeup artists wasn’t the job it is now, and  I was encouraged to learn how to type and do shorthand.. When I was young, that was the one skill that could take you anywhere, and into any industry, and it was one I needed to learn. However, since it wasn’t makeup related, I disliked it immensely. It certainly was not what I wanted to do. So, my escape plan from typing school was to get a full time job. As being a Makeup Artist wasn’t a common job back when position vacant were advertised on a Saturday in the Sydney Morning Herald and of course we had no social media, I started working, using my typing skills, in the TV department of a huge International Advertising Agency. I enjoyed the ‘industry’ of TV so much and this was a great option. I eventually worked my way up to becoming a TV Production Manager and then a  Producer. While there were some things I loved about this job, it certainly wasn’t my dream and I continued to do makeup whenever I could. I did weddings and personal clients and always hung out with the makeup artists on all the jobs I was producing.

The turning point for me came when I was 35 and I had the opportunity to continue the path I was on, or follow my dream, so I followed my dream. I knew I had only one shot at it. I became a full time freelance makeup artist and I haven’t looked back. I seriously love my job.

When I first started freelancing, work was fairly slow. Everything I earned just went into my usual bank account. I sent out invoices using Microsoft word. It was all very basic. After a few years, when I had started to earn some good money, it all came crashing down. I hadn’t done my tax return for a couple of years and I now couldn’t put it off any more. I hadn’t kept any real records; receipts, mileage, etc. It was impossible to decipher my business expenses through the personal bank account I shared with my husband. It was all a mess. I got a hefty fine from the tax office for late returns. I hadn’t budgeted any of my work expenses so cash flow was a huge problem. It was such a weight on my mind and I needed to turn it around. I realised, then, that I wasn’t alone. Many makeup artists I spoke to were in similar positions. It was then that I knew I wanted to write this book. I wanted to help guide other artists through the minefield of setting up a freelance business. And so, Makeup Artists Inc. was born!