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Episodes Blog Post Nicola Johnson has done makeup for 23 years, and she's worked in beauty her whole working life. She started as a beauty therapist in England at 16, worked a health farm, a resort spa in Turkey and a cruise ship, trained in makeup in London, then moved to Australia and built a freelance career across TV commercials, magazines, tourism campaigns and bridal. She's worked with Emma (yes, Emma from The Wiggles) for ten years, and she now has an agent at Vivien Creative. What we covered: Makeup school in London in 2003, where working artists taught the classes and took calls from their agents mid-lessonCold calling photographers from a sheet of paper to book her first testsFalling into TV through a family friend, including Grand DesignsTen months on a cruise ship out of LA with no wage, only tips and commissionTen years with Emma, and negotiating an eight-hour day on a three-month TV series so she could make school pickupThe agency that told her to come back in six months, and why she never didHow she books weddings: a separate bridal website and Instagram, ads when she needs bookings, and an automated Dubsado setupSigning with Vivien's, and the goal she's putting out there: a Vogue coverContent creation at 44, no filters, and the pro-age niche she seesHer advice for newer artists: back yourself, and ask for the two minutes @the.makeupinsider @vanessabarney The Makeup Insider Weekly Newsletter Follow Nicola: @nicolajohnsonmakeup | @nicolajohnsonbridal | www.sydneymakeupartist.com

Episode Blog Post Makeup artist's Vanessa Barney and Nicola Johnson share the products they reach for in their personal routines and professional kits, and how they use them.From skin prep and foundation to blush, concealer, lip combinations, powders, and tools, this is an in-depth chat packed with product favourites and practical insights for makeup artists and beauty lovers. They discuss products from brands including Dermalogica, By Terry, Hourglass, Fenty Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Tower 28, Merit, and MAC.Hear how Nicola preps skin for makeup. Vanessa and Nicola also share their thoughts on texture, finish, coverage, and what makes a product useful in a kit.Whether you’re refreshing your professional kit or looking for new ideas for your own routine, this conversation is full of beauty recommendations and firsthand tips. ⁠@the.makeupinsider⁠ ⁠@vanessabarney⁠ ⁠The Makeup Insider ⁠ ⁠Weekly Newsletter ⁠

This month's Insider Diary is just me. I'm talking about the limiting beliefs that held me back in my career for decades, and what shifted for me. In this episode: The 3 limiting beliefs that held me back for at least 13 years: fear of rejection, waiting to be "discovered," and not wanting to be annoyingWhy people rarely actually say no to you. Most of the time they just don't get back to you, and that's not the same thing3 quotes from past guests that changed how I think about rejection and follow-up (linked below)The Facebook message that sat unread in someone's "other" folder for weeks, and how it ended up leading to a job on NeighboursMy rejection challenge: trying to get to 100 no's (I made it to 33)Why following up isn't annoying, and how often is actually okayWhat I'd tell my younger self, who was doing weddings on the weekends and had no idea how to make this career work. Guests quoted in this episode : Ava Bell Harriet Hatfield, Harry Makes It Up Nicole Thompson, Pinky

Ellen's Blog Post From the Opera House to Viral TikTok, with Ask Ellen. This week I sat down with Ellen Malone — makeup artist, beauty content creator, and reigning Australian and New Zealand Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year. She's also, quietly, a trained opera singer who's performed at the Sydney Opera House and played the lead in Carmen. Yes, really. We got into everything. Her start on a Mac counter at 20, the year she completely flopped online before anything took off, the real numbers behind influencer pay, and the makeup technique she thinks the whole industry has been teaching wrong. We cover: Winning Creator of the Year and why the win itself hit different to the metricsWhy "creative careers choose you," and Ellen's double life as an opera singerThe real earnings gap between male and female influencers in AustraliaWhy "natural" is the most useless brief a client can give youHer first ever wedding, done via six buses and a train with a metal fold-out kitGetting hired at Mac at 20 with no formal training and having to prove herselfHer hot take that 80% of artists can't colour match properlyThe real history of underpainting, and why she thinks a whole generation of artists were taught it wrongThe wedding that got called off mid-makeup (and why it had nothing to do with the makeup)Why she'll never tell you her best client storiesHow COVID, a redundancy, and a full year of flopping led to her actual careerHer current kit favourites, from an underrated blush trio to a foundation for mature, textured skin.

Send us Fan Mail Michael Brown is back on The Insider Edit, and this time it's not a chat, it's a full face, live, start to finish. Michael's been in the industry since the early 2000s (he started at Estée Lauder back in 2000), trained under Gucci Westman during her years as Lancôme's creative director, and now works mostly red carpet and event glam: Melbourne Cup, the Logies, Farmer Wants A Wife, Today Show appearances, and a week of 6am glams at Royal Ascot in London. In this episode he puts a full face on our model Kate and talks through every product and every step as he goes.  To watch this episode head to Youtube.  Head to The Makeup Insider Blog for a full list and links to all products used.  What we covered: Skin prep with the reformulated Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (peptides and niacinamides now in the formula, built not to pill under foundation), plus Naturium as a lighter, no-actives alternativeTarte's new mattifying ball primer, used just in the centre of the faceCharlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter as a glow and blur step, used under the eyes, above the lip, and down the centre of the faceTrying the brand new Make Up For Ever HD Foundation live for the first time, in shade 222N Neutral, applied with an Hourglass foundation brushWhy Michael's whole kit runs neutral shades, and how that compares to Hung Vanngo's all-neutral foundation rangeA rundown of the long-wear foundations Michael rates: Double Wear back in the day, NARS Longwear, and YSL All Hours on his to-try listConcealer with Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless, applied sparingly with a tiny Kitology spongeContour with a Westman Atelier stick (shade Truffle) and why Michael's placing contour higher for lift rather than lower for sculptingBronzer with Haus Labs (no shimmer, ever) and the one spot everyone forgets: the neckBlush with the Haus Labs Glassy Blush Balm in Ginger, used high on the orbital bone as a blush-highlighter hybridEyes with three of the Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes sticks: Cashmere Sculpt, Mink Sculpt and Ballet QuartzTight lining with Fenty eyeliner, and why Michael's doing more tight line and less top eyeliner these daysTaking the look from day to night with Make Up For Ever's Limitless Brown liner along the lash lineBrows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills ArchiBrow pencil and Brow Freeze WaxThe Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish as a final brightening step under the eyesLips with the Make Up For Ever Artist Pencil in Anywhere Caffeine, buffed out with an eyeshadow brush, topped with the new Haus Labs Lip LacquerSetting the whole look with a touch of Fenty powder and MCo Beauty's brand new All Day-a spray, an official Skindinavia collaboration built on the original All-Nighter formula, not a dupeThe Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail Michael Brown is back on The Insider Edit for round two. He's a freelance makeup artist with 25 years in the industry, he started out on retail counters for the Lauder Group, then moved in-house at L'Oréal, and he's been freelance for the last 12 years, mostly doing event and red carpet work. We kick off talking about the reality of PR gifting (15 to 20 deliveries a week is his average) before going full kit rundown, complexion through to tools. We're also trialling a new segment where we'll put some of these products on a model's face in real time. Watch on Youtube.  What we covered: Michael's system for sorting through 15 to 20 PR gifts a week: straight to kit, a gift for someone else, or "I'll see how it goes"Why he only posts about a gift when it's genuinely new, like Tarte's primers with roller balls built inBrands trusting him with pre-launch samples, including lab samples that aren't even in packaging yetAll products are Listed on the blog.  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail It's just me this episode. I'm giving you an update on the last couple of weeks in my world, where Project 10K is really at, and a full five-step checklist for makeup artists trying to get gifting from brands. What I cover: Why it's finally busy again in the Sydney makeup world after a slow, quiet stretchMy last two weeks on the tools: five days of shoots, grooming Shep Rose from a US reality show, and grooming for the LogiesMy Project 10K update: I'm sitting at 5,500 followers, up around 500 in the last week aloneThe one reel that's driving most of my growth, and why I keep reposting it instead of chasing new contentThe five-step gifting checklist: write your wish list, optimise your page, find the contact, write your pitch, follow upWhy knowing someone's name matters before you pitch themHow to track your outreach, and why persistence is the whole game (I've had people respond after five follow-ups)"Shoot Your Shot Wednesday" and the 100 Rejections challengeA possible workshop on gifting, if you're interested, DM meGrab the checklist: download my free 5-step gifting checklist here. The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail Blog post  Adam Garland is back on The Insider Diary for episode 116. He's a UK-based session hairstylist who spent five years as the face of global brand Authentic Beauty Concept. These days he's building his own path: mentoring other artists, shooting his own images, and working with heritage beauty brands he actually believes in. His first episode with us got such a good response we're turning this into a monthly chat. This episode was sparked by a listener question from Australia about brand loyalty, so we went deep on trust, rejection, and how to stop taking it personally when a client doesn't rebook you. What we covered: A listener's question about brand loyalty: a client took a whole team interstate for a shoot and left the makeup artist behindWhy a first option is never a confirmed booking, especially during fashion weekThe idea of "reducing uncertainty": clients don't book the best artist, they book the one they know won't cause complicationsVanessa's own story about brand loyalty, and never getting booked againWhy rejection in this industry is rarely personal, even when it feels like itThe Guido example: why a top hairstylist still gets ticked for a job before the shoot even startsWorking from your own essence instead of chasing what you think will get seenHairstylists and makeup artists building their own image worlds instead of waiting on brands: Mustafa Yanas, Joey George, Benjamin Mueller and Anataka HashiAdam's own move into photography, shooting his own models at Workroom Studios in Limehouse, London, with his mentee ZoranWhy heritage brands hit different: Isles Formula, Keune and Gisou, and what makes their stories genuineWhy asking for help is harder than it should be, for both of us The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail Link to blog - all products mentioned linked.  Watch on Youtube Alana has been doing makeup for 12 years. She started fresh out of high school, worked the floor at Sephora's Broadway store, moved to London at 21 with zero plan and a backpack full of kit, built a career doing campaigns for Jaded London, came back to Australia during COVID, assisted the incredible Gillian Campbell, and has most recently been touring the world with Kesha. Oh, and she's now signed with a talent agency for her content. The girl moves. In this episode we get into: Why working retail at Sephora is the best foundation you'll ever get (and why it's also exhausting as hell)What it's actually like to do hair and makeup in London for an Uber-style beauty appThe Jaded London campaign that changed everythingCOVID killing her momentum right when things were starting to move — and coming back from thatAssisting Gillian Campbell and why feeling valued on set matters more than people admitWhat a day on tour with Kesha actually looks like (spoiler: you can't poo on the bus)The longevity routine she used to make Kesha's base last through a full concertHow a TikTok she almost didn't post got her 27,000 followers in a monthWhy people don't care who you are on TikTok — they just want to learn somethingEverything being an exchange and why that's not a bad thingWhat's next: Europe, Canada, America and a product line in the worksWebsite  Talent  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail All products mentioned linked in blog.  Watch on Youtube This week I'm joined by Sydney makeup artist Katie Moore. If you follow her work you'll know her style straight away, soft, skin focused, never overdone. We talked career, bridal work, and how she keeps things running without burning out. Then we did what we always do and pulled apart our kits. Katie Moore is a Sydney-based makeup artist, trained in New Zealand about 17 years ago at a four month full time makeup course focused on film and TV.She started out on the MECCA Cosmetica counter in Ponsonby, Auckland, then freelanced on music videos and worked on the TV series Spartacus in New Zealand.She moved to Australia in 2014 and broke into TV commercials after meeting a fashion stylist while waitressing in a Surry Hills cafe.Her work now spans fashion campaigns, lookbooks, e-com shoots, special events and bridal.Bridal work really kicked off for her after she had her son, and she's represented by an agent Kellie from The Future Mrs who handles her wedding bookings, trials and admin.Most of her work comes through referrals and word of mouth, plus Instagram, which she treats as an unofficial portfolio.She doesn't set hard goals, she calls it "manifesting" instead, and this year that included a wedding that landed in Vogue.July is her quiet month. She uses it for admin, taxes and catching up with other makeup artists before things pick back up around October with regional weddings.Her advice for makeup artists starting out: stay connected to your network, ask questions, say yes to hard jobs, and know there's no union for makeup artists so open conversations between artists matter.Katie and Vanessa go through their kit favourites, kit tools and personal skincare and haircare picks. Full list with notes in the blog post.The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail From Mac OG to Agency Founder with Heidi Scarlett King This week I sat down with Sydney-based makeup artist and King Co Creative founder Heidi Scarlett King — and yes. Heidi has one of those careers that sounds like fiction. She started at Mac in Sydney when the brand had just launched, assisting Fashion Week shows a season. Then she packed up and moved to London with no plan, started again from scratch, ended up at the Mac Pro Store in Soho, ended up on ITV This Morning as a beauty expert, got on Pat McGrath's runway team in Paris, and came home in 2014 to build an agency with 45 artists on the books. This one covers the full arc. The exciting bits, the lonely bits, and the hard-won truths that only come from doing this for a really long time. We cover: Starting at Mac in the 2000s and what Australian Fashion Week looked like at its peakAssisting legend Dottie and why those early years were the making of herStarting over in London and what six years there taught her about resilienceGetting onto Pat McGrath's team at Paris Fashion Week and what that world is really likeAccidentally becoming a TV beauty expert on ITV This MorningWhy she moved back to Sydney in 2014 and how hard it was to restart — againHow the industry shifted post-Instagram and why events became where the money wentDirecting Australian Idol and The Voice — and how that gave birth to King Co CreativeManaging 45 artists: what she values more than talent, and why integrity can't be taughtThe Cartier Opera House event: 63 hair and makeup artists across 10 Sydney hotelsThe best advice she has for artists just starting outPlus Heidi shares her current kit favourites — the By Terry powder she's been using for 15 years, her new Tarte tubing mascara obsession, and why the Half Percent lip liner is her ride or die right now. The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Insider Diary, I give a personal update on how work and content creation have been going. The main focus is my Instagram growth, I've picked up almost 2,000 followers in five weeks by posting reels daily, and I break down exactly which reels worked, which ones flopped, and the workflow behind it all. I also cover my content days and open the waitlist for my upcoming hair masterclass. Started posting reels daily from 18 March this year. Nearly 2,000 new followers in about five weeks.Biggest lesson from the whole run: people only watch for 7 to 13 seconds. The hook decides whether they stay.My workflow: uses ChatGPT to help with captions, hooks and on-screen prompts, edits everything in the Edits app, posts to Instagram first, pulls the original file from Edits (not a re-download from Instagram) to post on TikTok, then reposts from TikTok to YouTube Shorts.Next move: repost her best performers again with a reworked hook, using ChatGPT to help tweak them.Advice for anyone starting out: just start. Mistakes are part of it. You'll find your style along the way. Collaboration helps (like her episode with Max) but isn't essential.Announcement: the waitlist is open for her hair masterclass. Format isn't locked in yet (leaning look-and-learn), and it'll be offered virtually too, so it's not just for Sydney or Australia.The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail Adam Garland has worked backstage, assisted Sam McKnight, and had two shots at getting onto Guido Palau's team. Right now he's in his dad's garage in Somerset, UK, building a hair education platform from scratch. In this episode we talk about how he broke into session work (Model Mayhem, zero plan), the real cost of working for free, imposter syndrome, addiction and recovery, why chasing the agency dream was holding him back, and what changed when he finally let it go. He also shares the products he genuinely uses on set and why the humble ponytail elastic deserves way more respect than it gets. How Adam fell into hairdressing at 14 and went from a village salon to Vidal Sassoon, Tony & Guy, and eventually session workFinding his way into editorial around 2008-2010 via Model Mayhem, testing before he even knew testing was a thingAssisting Sam McKnight backstage at Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld and Kendall Jenner in the chairWhat nobody tells you about walking into those environments for the first time when you're from a small townThe industry language nobody teaches you: options, confirms, releases, pencils, hard outsThe pay debate: why working for free is not a free university, it's one day of universityHis experience on Guido Palau's team, twice, and why it didn't work out either timeAddiction, recovery, and how starting his recovery journey around 2018 changed everythingWhy Sam McKnight's team stood by him for five years through the hard stuffAI in the creative industry and why "AI slop" is the wrong responseLetting go of the agency dream and what happened to his career when he didBuilding sessionhair.com: 1:1 mentoring, a free initial consult, and an education platform coming soonArchive research and why knowing your references is how you find your visual identityProducts covered in this episode: Bedhead TIGI Queen for a Day thickening sprayKeune Get a Grip texturiserKeune Sea FoamSam McKnight Modern HairspraySession Kit elastics (sessionkit.co.uk)Connect with Adam  Instagram  YouTube Session Hair  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail This week I sat down with Sydney makeup artist Max May. Nearly 30 years in the industry, self-taught, Armani Australia ambassador, Charlotte Tilbury Glow Squad, and one of the first artists in this country to build a blog and digital presence when the industry told him it would ruin his career. In this episode we cover: How Max got started — growing up in the country, moving to Sydney, falling into hairdressing by accident and discovering makeup on setWhy he never did formal training and why he still thinks assisting is the best way to learn this industryWhat it was actually like to assist in those early days — it was tough, the industry was different, and he got on a bus to pick up dog poop for the person he worked underHis years doing fashion weeks in Paris, New York and MilanBeing the Australian Armani ambassador and what that role actually looked likeDirecting fashion shows in Australia for ten years straightWorking with Jennifer Hawkins, Laura Bingle, Sarah Murdoch, Cheyenne Tozzi, Miranda Kerr and Mel B on The Masked SingerWhy he finds editorial more creatively satisfying than TVBeing one of the first Australian makeup artists to go digital — he lost work and friends over it and did it anywayHis social media formula: how many times he posts a week and what the algorithm actually wants right nowWhy he has zero interest in TikTok and is not sorry about itHis thoughts on AI and staying relevant in a changing industryFull list of products mentioned over on The Makeup Insider.  Max May  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist

Send us Fan Mail 3. The Inside Edit  Tannia T has been doing this for over two decades. She started at the Napoleon Perdis counter and worked her way to global artistry — training staff, creating content, and travelling to LA and New York for major industry events. Today she runs her own home studio, takes one-on-one clients, does bridal work, and has some clients who have been with her for over ten years. In this episode, we get into what that kind of longevity actually looks like. The kit, the tools, the booking system, the products she keeps coming back to, and the real talk about social media as a working artist. We cover: How Tannia went from Napoleon Perdis retail to global artistryTraining staff and creating content for a major brandTravelling to LA and New York for industry eventsBuilding and running her own home studioBalancing bridal work, one-on-one clients, and being a mumHer Surratt eyelash curler obsession (and why it's worth it)Sonya G brushes — quality over quantityBy Terry CC Brightening and Benefit Brow GlazeHer honest take on social media as a business toolHow she manages bookings: manual tracking meets Google CalendarThe Hair Edit Waitlist  Weekly Newsletter  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok The Gifting Checklist