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International editorial makeup artist Jennifer Ellis, who lives in Australia
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Q: You talked of a pivotal moment when you left a stable
paycheck to pursue makeup artistry full-time. Many warned you this wasn't the logical thing to do. How did you tune out the voices of others and
what made you just go for it?
Ellis: “I had started to feel very stifled in
my career, and felt like all the extra hours I worked could have been
spending working on my own business. I’ve never been one to stick to the the
typical 9-5 hours, so to me it made sense that I should channel all that effort
into a business of my own. I’d studied makeup for many years prior, and it had
always lingered in the back of my mind. It was also during a time when our
company was going through a restructure and a lot of people are being laid off.
Seeing colleagues leaving after dedicating decades of their life to the company
really made me realize that even a so-called steady job is not a guarantee. So if you
can lose everything doing something you hate or doing something you love, you
may as well do something you love. That realization sparked a fire within, and
I decided to leave my position and do all I could to make my dream a
reality.
I’m also the type of person that will continue
to fight and will never give up, which is what you need in business. If you are truly passionate about makeup artistry being
your full-time work, I actually recommend leaving your
job completely, rather than trying to work both. There really is nothing like
having to pay your mortgage or put food on your table to motivate you to find
work. I think if I didn’t leave that corporate job, I probably wouldn’t have got
my business off the ground as quickly as I did.”
Q: When did you know this was passion you
wanted to pursue? Some makeup artists came out say they knew from a very young age. Was that
the case for you?
Ellis: “I have always been fascinated with makeup, and not long
out of school I was hired as part of the management team for an Australian
beauty retailer. I used to love helping the customers with their purchases. I
think a pivotal moment for me was when I helped an elderly lady who was trying
to return all the products she’d purchased because she didn't know how to use
any of it. I showed her how and she became quite emotional when she saw the
final look, which then of course got me choked up. She sent flowers and a hand written letter thanking me for helping her feel the most beautiful she
had felt. It was so rewarding to help someone
who hadn’t ever really felt that way about themselves, for so much of their
life. That was the point I first realized I wanted to pursue makeup artistry as
a career and make as many women feel beautiful as I could. It’s so true that
women struggle with self esteem and confidence, and even the most beautiful
models will have something that they feel insecure about. So if I can help them
overcome those insecurities and feel better about themselves, that’s what I am
going to do. Some people think makeup is just playing with color, but it
really is a powerful job, with a massive impact on how women feel about
themselves.”
Q: How does the Australian makeup industry
and aesthetic differ from the American or are they very similar?
Ellis: “They are very similar. Australia tends to follow
America’s lead in a lot of ways, not just the beauty industry. The
difference I have noticed is that in America - California is where I was based
- everyone wore a fair amount of makeup. In Australia there is a
mix of people who wear zero makeup to people that wear heavy makeup. But
in terms of what we consider to be the epitome of beauty, our standards are the
same.”
Q: What is your biggest advice for someone
embarking on a career in the makeup industry?
Ellis: “My biggest advice sounds cliche, but it
is so true. It’s all about who you know, but when you’re just starting, most of
the time you don’t know anyone. So get out there and network. Do charity
events. Do test shoots. Google meet-ups in your area and go to them. Find creatives
in your area on social media. And keep doing it. You can never know
enough people. And once people start to know your name and your work, you will
start getting referrals and repeat business from clients. You have to put
yourself out there.
But more than that, you have to remember that
you have something of value to offer. You can’t forget that when you don’t land
your dream gig straight away. No one starts working with Vogue in their first
year. You have to be realistic and know that it takes a lot of hard work, but
if you keep at it, and don’t let anything hold you down for too long, then you
will reach your goals. It is possible. All the artists that are where you want to be - they were
once where you are now. They’ve just failed more than you, got rejected more
than you, and continued despite all the knock backs for longer than you.
There’s a quote that I love, 'A master has failed more times than a beginner
has even tried.' It really is true. Tenacity will always win.”
Q: It's critical for a makeup artist, no
matter how established, to continue to hone his/her skills and find their
footprint/style. How have you continued to do this?
Ellis: “It absolutely is. My style is very much to enhance
the beauty of anyone that sits in my chair. I don’t think that will ever
change. But how I incorporate the current trends into that is what will change
and evolve. I am constantly researching new technologies, techniques and
products on the market. I will test, and when I do, I will always utilize the
test to really learn and grow my knowledge. There is no one on earth that knows
everything, and the best way to expand your skill set is through trial and
error. You have to be willing to make a mistake in order to learn and grow.
Otherwise, you’re destined to be stuck in the same place you currently are.”
Q: What has been your biggest challenge and
how did you overcome it?
Ellis: “There are so many challenges in
running your own business. Fear is a massive one. I think creative people are
often a mix of passion and crippling self doubt. Particularly when you
first venture into makeup and you are surrounded by artists producing amazing
work and you wonder if you can ever get to that level. A lot of
entrepreneurs face this. But what it comes down to is that if you don’t try,
the answer is always no, and you will continue to wish your
life away. You might get 50 no’s before you get that yes. But all you need
is that one yes to start proving your worth. You can’t let your fear dictate
your life. So many people miss out on huge opportunities because they are too
afraid.
Another big challenge is time management. When
you first start out with your own business, it feels like you have all the time
in the world, but you very quickly realize that you have so many tasks that it
can be really overwhelming to even know where to start. Particularly someone
like me that has so many goals and ideas, it can be challenging to even know
where to begin. I have found that making a detailed goal list for what you want
to accomplish short term and long term helps with priorities, and then chipping
away at each item at a time, rather than trying to start everything at once.
Otherwise you’re going to continue feeling overwhelmed, and won’t get to
experience the satisfaction of crossing things off your to do list.”
Some of Ellis' work featured below (Images used with the artist's permission):
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