Archive for the ‘Career in make-up’ Category

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LA Make-Up Academy Success Story- Kerri Evans

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Due to the huge demand for courses within the beauty industry, LA Make-Up Academy are responding by offering double the amount of training in Beauty Therapy and Make-Up Artistry. Director Lorraine O’Neill states “It is great to see so many people returning to education especially in such difficult times, and we are dedicated to providing the highest standards of tuition for make-up artists, beauty therapists and fashion stylists.”

With the success of their 1 Year Make-Up Specialist Course, LA Make-Up have now doubled the number the courses in this area.

As always, LA Make-Up love to hear from past students and follow their careers as they make a name for themselves in the competitive make-up industry.

One such student is Kerri Evans.

“I studied at LA Make Up Academy and had a great time there.  I met people who shared the same passion for make-up as me. I  was able to ask 1000 questions about everything and anything that I wanted to know about the industry and make up techniques.  The variety of teachers was amazing and each individual tutor gave me a personal insight into their make up techniques and how to begin my career once leaving LA Make Up.  The encouragement from LA Make-Up was incredible and this gave me the confidence to go out there alone and begin my career as a freelance artist.”

Since graduating Kerri has worked in New York as a Special Effects Make Up Artist teaching actors techniques to apply their own for stage and screen. She is currently based in Los Angeles as a freelance make-up artist specializing in High Fashion and Special Effects Make Up.  She loves her job and everday something new and exciting comes her way.
A day in the life of Kerri Evans is quite exciting and for anyone who is passionate about make-up, will understand how inspiring her story is. Kerri always wanted to be a make-up artist even when she didn’t know herself!

“I have always had a passion for make up, even when I didn’t realise I did, from my old days as a 14 year old goth to now where I love the chance to dress up and experiment with my own make-up”

Currently Kerri is working with singer/ songwriter Lynsey Shaw on themed events in Hollywood called “A night with Miss Lynsey and friends” where the make up, costume and performers reflect the theme. the next theme she is woerking on  is called the “Beautiful and the Damned” with the Porceline Twinz performing.  She also works on photo shoots regularly for promotional work, magazines and events.

“Los Angeles is an amazing place to work as a make-up artist as there is always an event going on, or a photo shoot and I really get the chance to be really creative.  It is a competitive industry but the demand here is so high that new make-up artists are really given a great head start here.”

Kerri in Los Angeles where she is now based!
“My advice for new make up artists is that nothing just comes to you.  You have to take every opportunity, email every possible contact, put your name on every website, blog, tweet, create a website and give your business card to anyone and everyone. Be in the frame of mind that this is what you want, and with enough passion and commitment the dream of living a career as a make-up artist will come true.”
For more information on our beauty therapy course please see www.lamakeupacademy.com/c-d-beauty-therapy-course-Dublin.php

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1 Year Make-Up Specialist Course

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

With the success of our 1 year course in 2011, the LA Team are proud to announce their next available ITEC accredited 1 year specialist make-up course will commence on 24th October 2011.

This unique and advanced level programme provides students with the most intensive and practical training in professional Make-Up Artistry. The course, which commences from a beginners level, focuses on working in the fashion, beauty, media, film and theatre sectors with classes consisting of practical based tuition. The full time course runs for the academic year Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm.

The course trains students in every aspect of make-up and this is something that no other course in Ireland offers. Students will learn everything from bridal and high fashion make-up to photographic make-up to the more specialist subjects such as Special FX, Prosethics, Air-Brushing and Character make-up. Students are also trained in barbering, hair styling for make-up artists and business and professional studies.

LA Make-Up Academy offers a “One Year Open Door Policy”. That is, a graduate may repeat a class or photo-shoot free of charge for up to one year after they have graduated. This policy is exclusive to LA Make-Up Academy.

For a make-up artist, an outstanding portfolio is essential and the students on this course will enjoy ongoing photo-shoots throughout the year with some of Ireland’s best photographers and they will receive a CD with their 24 image portfolio.

Work experience is integral to this course and our graduates have worked at events such as Dublin Fashion Festival, VIP Style Awards and Xpose and they have worked on shoots for Hotpress, TV Now, RTE Guide, Confetti and also a number of short films and TV shows. LA Make-Up Academy provide real life work experience to prepare their students to the highest standard for their careers as make-up artists.

Graduates of the 1 year course on during Dublin Fashion Festival with TV3′s Xpose Presenter Aisling O’Loughlin

Backstage creating looks for the Dublin Fashion Festival media launch

Our tutors bring a wealth of experience and a true passion for make-up artistry and aim to provide the highest standard of tuition for make-up artists.

The full investment of the course is €8995 with a deposit of €1500 required to secure a place on the course. This price includes all of the make-up required during class times, a professional 20 piece brush set, photo-shoot sessions and images.

As LA Make-Up Academy is not brand affiliated, tutors work with make-up products from a numbr of brands such as Inglot, MAC, Cinema Secrets, Bobbi Brown, Illamasqua and our own products, LA Make-Up Academy.

For more information, please see our website at www.lamakeupacademy.com or call 01-675 1999.

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Interview with stylist Courtney Smith

Monday, September 5th, 2011

It is the week that Dublin Fashion Festival commences! As we have been doing since last week, as the official Make-Up artists of DFF, we are bringing you interviews with some of Ireland’s most influential people in fashion! Today, we have an interview with Ireland’s hottest stylist, Courtney Smith!

How long have you been a fashion stylist?

Well I have been ordering my family to dress how I tell them to since I could talk! But professionally – Over 3 years!

So how did you become interested in Fashion? Did you study fashion styling?

I was always into fashion and being creative as a child – I got my first sewing machine aged 14 and used to make lots of my own outfits (even if they did start to fall apart). I studied fashion design in college and then went to do a post-grad in fashion styling and media in London College of Fashion.

What is it about Fashion that you really love?

How it is always changing. Okay yeah fashion trends can come around in cycles – but every season there is always something new and interesting, whether it be a fashion fad, designer, label or style icon. Keeps it interesting, and there is always more to learn.

What is the difference between someone who is stylish and someone who has what it takes to be a stylist?

Haha, well to me that question is the equivalent of saying to a chef – what’s the difference between someone who enjoys eating good food and a chef! The 2 aren’t automatically connected! There are so many stylish people around now, since highstreet is accessing all the biggest catwalk trends it’s so much easier for women and men to dress their best! But being a working stylist is a lot less glamorous than people think!

Where might people have seen your work?

I am a regular fashion contributor on TV3 shoes Xpose and Ireland AM so you may have seen my mug on there waffling about the latest trends and celebrity styles! But my editorial styling has been seen in GQ South Africa, Sunday Times STYLE, Sunday Independent LIFE Magazine, Social & Personal, U Magazine and lots of others.

Who is your favourite designer and why? Favourite Irish designer?
Ooooh too many to mention! I am good friends with one of the designers for Alexander Wang and have always been a massive fan of his luxe take on a sporty style. Vanessa Bruno is a recent favourite of mine. But season to season depending on the collections my opinions change! Obviously there are the classics like Chanel and Givenchy who are always iconic and inspiring.

Irish designers are leading the way as far as I am concerned and I love to buy Irish. Emma Manley who is stocked at Bow Boutique mixes leather and sheer fabrics with studding and is just amazing – I would happily have every piece in my wardrobe! I was fortunate enough to use a Simone Rocha look in a shoot in South Africa this year and the craftsmanship and beauty of her products is like no other – you can see she learned from a master! Averil Blakely is a friend and recent NCAD graduate who has set up a company called Sequins & Threads with fellow graduate Emmy Slattery, they make unique one-of-a-kind debs dresses and occasion wear on request which I think is something that young fashionable girls would love as they get a red-carpet look like no other! I recently came across Harlow and Harvey designer Sarah O’Neill in Galway and she is most definitely one to watch. There is actually too many talented Irish designers to mention really!

Who are your style inspirations?
My style inspirations for shoots come from so many different places and people. I adore the work of Emmanuelle Alt who is now editor-in-chief at French Vogue, her work can be quite cheeky! Mert and Marcus imagery is incredible, and I love the brassiness of internationally acclaimed Irish photographer Tony Kelly. Sally Matthews is an incredible editorial stylist and has worked for Harpers Bazaar among others. And of course the fabulous Grace Woodward – she is the perfect example of a catwalk / editorial & TV stylist doing it all superbly! Her early cover shoots and editorials for STYLE mag are some of my favs.

Who is your number one style icon?
In all honesty I don’t have ONE. If you’re creative you pull inspiration from a million different places – and I feel the same about my style!

Describe a typical day for you as a fashion stylist?
It’s becoming such a monotonous answer – but there really is NO such thing as atypical day! But since you are interested, I’m going to give you the really boring, realistic version of a day in the life of a stylist…

a) When shooting for Xpose: it involves much more than turning up to be on telly! I research looks, email PRs to schedule signing out stock, book
a model, liaise with producer and presenter for filming time, confirm location to film, if hair and makeup is needed book that and then go pull all the looks and film.(return all clothes after)

b) Shoots can take from a week or more to prep and plan. Usually involves numerous meetings with clients and editors. Lots of planning and
collaborating ideas with photographer, model castings, location or studio booking, emailing PRs and stock sign out scheduling, pulling clothes and creating outfit looks: Then on the day of the shoot – steaming clothes, directing hair & Makeup, taping shoes, pinning items, dressing model,
creative direction, re-tagging prices onto clothing and packing into bags, writing up credit list of items used for magazine, select chosen images with photographer. (the following day returning all clothing to stores in mint condition!)

Like I said – not as glamorous as it looks!

c) Somedays you may have 5 different things on, and also there is all the press days, fashion shows and brand launches where we see next seasons
stock so we are able to prepare for upcoming shoots before the stock even hits the shop floor!

What do you love most about your job?

The craziness! And the amazing people I have had the pleasure to work with, oh and being my own boss can be pretty awesome!

You spend your days styling others, but can you describe your personal style?

In one word – Eclectic! Like I said I take inspiration from everywhere.

What are your top 3 style tips for our readers?

1) Be true to your personal style (Just because ‘Rock-Chick’ may be on trend doesn’t mean you have to give into it!)
2) Buy less and buy well! (I have stopped my hoarding ways – buy smart from now on! This means, even if you’re in Penneys and you see a skirt for 15eur don’t buy it in 2 colours “just because”)
3) Emulate someone elses style who gets it right! (If you find shopping and wearing trends tricky, find a celebrity who has a similar shape and
style to you… pick their 10 best looks from day to night to red carpet and emulate their style…. It’s a great way to cheat having a personal stylist!
For example – if you work in an office and have an athletic physique – someone like Jessica Biel is a great option for you. She loves strong tailoring, great fitting bootcut jeans and knows how to show off her toned physique in the right way.

What are you most looking forward to during Dublin Fashion Festival?

I am looking forward to catching some of the fashion shows this year – and delighted Sonya Lennon is hosting it this year!, she is the perfect ambassador for an Irish Fashion event like this! I also love all the pop-up events that happen dotted all around the city, it really creates a great buzz!

What was your favourite shoot that you styled? What work are you most proud of?

Hmmmm, that’s like asking a mom to choose a favourite child! I love all my shoots – looking back at some of my earliest ones I feel I have grown a lot with my work and now have a specific style; which I guess is what my clients would come to me for. I love strong imagery and vibrancy. I am really proud of the shoots I recently did in South Africa – I had 6 shoots in 6 consecutive days and being in a country where you don’t have as many resources at your disposal made it very difficult to organize and very exhausting. But the results are gorgeous – in my completely unbiased opinion of course. ;)

If you could style on celebrity who would you most like to work with and why?

Probably someone like Rihanna – purely because she is a no-holds-barred kinda girl and I like that she takes risks! But mainly for a photoshoot – she doesn’t need my help for personal style she has that covered!

But if I could save anyones personal style I’d love to get my hands on Cheryl Cole – she can get it soooooo wrong sometimes, especially when it comes to her casual looks!

What advice would you give someone who wanted to embark on a fashion styling career?

Work your little butts off… and if that fails…. Work harder!

For more information check out Courtney’s website on www.courtneysmith.ie

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Interview with photographer Alex Hutchinson

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

Our second in our series of interviews with influential people in Ireland’s fashion industry, the LA Team interview one of Dublin’s freshest photographers, Alex Hutchinson.

Having taught himself the workings of his first camera, Alex has now done shoots for or RTÉ, TV3, Choice Cuts Entertainment, RSVP magazine, U Magazine, Hot Press, National Macho Society, Angel Landscaping, and SOULJACKER Productions. He also just happens to be one of LA Make-Up Academy’s favourite photographers.

So tell me how did you get into photography? Was it something you studied in college?

Photography has always been a passion – I got my first taste of it when I studied in IADT where I was studying computer science, but didn’t take it up until a few years later. I invested in a good camera and taught myself at the beginning, but I quickly realized that I wanted to do this professionally and not just as a hobby. At that point, I signed up for a one year photography course, and haven’t looked back since!

Where might our readers have seen your work?

I’ve been lucky enough to get some great breaks – you can see my work in Bella The Makeover Studio, LA Makeup Academy, iclothing.ie, skin.ie, deviantart.com, 500px.com all of whom I work with regularly. I’ve also had my work shown in RSVP, The Dubliner, U magazine, Hot Press etc and worked with The Chakras, The Rumor, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, and many more bands.

What has been your big break?

Luckily, I was hired by Bella while I was studying, which gave me the opportunity to get a lot of real life practice and access to a great studio with very talented people. It’s also opened up a lot of doors professionally from the contacts I’ve made. I find that this industry is a lot of hard work and getting yourself out there is important – it’s not necessarily about getting one big break – lots of little ones can also work to get you where you want to be!

What has been your favourite shoot to date or the work that you are most proud of?

I try to get as much personal shoots done as possible to add to my portfolio – I did a lot of work recently with the Inkettes, photographing a number of male and female tattooed models, with the aim of breaking the “rough” stereotype that revolves around these people. The concept behind the shoot was to show how beautiful body art can be and I was really happy with the result!

Who are your inspirations?

My Favorite photographer is Ryan McGinley whose work has a real freedom of expression behind it. Every time I see one of his photos I am blown away with the way that is is shot, the ease in which his models seem to be at and I have a great respect for his technical ability.

When you have reached a creative block, where do you look for inspiration?

There is so much out there today to take inspiration from: I find it on the streets, in people I know, the music I listen to, films I watch and the stories I hear. I also scour the internet regularly – there are so many amazingly talented photographers out there, whose blogs and online portfolios really help get the creative juices flowing! It’s very important to me that inspiration coming from these sources has its own sense of individuality – I don’t ever want to simply recreate another artists work, so any concept I ever see I try to explore it to see how to give it my own stamp.

What are your aspirations?

I want people to look at my work and think “wow”, and for my pictures to really embed themselves in peoples memory and inspire them. Even if I never earned a cent from this, it would be rewarding enough knowing my work could inspire another! Just once I would like for someone to see a photograph of mine (without my logo on it) and say, “that’s clearly an Alex Hutchinson Photograph”.

What would be your dream job?

I’m lucky that the job I have is one that I absolutely love. I guess in the future the dream would be for my work to be seen the world over. Working with one of the big fashion house or magazines would also be pretty sweet!

What is your favourite thing to shoot?

I really enjoy high fashion shoots where I get the chance to try something different make-up and clothing wise, which gives me the chance to work with some really creative people; however, my real love is street photography. There’s just something addictive about capturing real life fleeting moments that fashion photography can’t compete with. It’s also much more challenging and difficult to master, so I find it keeps me on my toes!

What is your favourite thing about photography?

Its always great to be pleased with the finished image, but a lot of what makes this job fun is the process that surrounds it. I get to work with a range of different individuals and mix things up all the time, so there’s never a dull moment. I really like the freedom it gives me.

What advice would you give to any aspiring photographers out there?

My advice would be just shoot, as much as you possibly can. Don’t be obsessed with the camera manual – the best way you can learn how to shoot is to play around with the camera. Online blogs and tutorials are also an excellent way of getting to know your way around also. I found that having done all my own research and learning prior to starting an actual course really helped me out.


For more information, check out Alex’s website www.alexhutchinsonphotography.com or drop him a line on his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alex-Hutchinson-Photography/8331601703



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Interview with Stellar’s Corina Gaffey

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

In the run up to Dublin Fashion Festival, we are interviewing some of Ireland’s most influential people in the fashion industry.

Today we are interviewing the stylish Corina Gaffey, the fashion editor for Stellar and KISS magazine. Corina talks about her love for fashion, her favourite designers and how she got into this competitive industry. The images are all from Corina’s portfolio.

How long have you worked with the Stellar/Kiss magazine?

I’ve been working on the two magazines for around 3 years now. I was hired to be Fashion Editor for both, Stellar launched in October 2008 so it was so exciting to have been there from the start and have seen it grow.

So how did you become interested in fashion? Did you study fashion?

I think I was always interested in fashion in some way or form. I worked in retail from the age of 16, I dedicated my thesis to fashion in college and I was always intrigued to the cultural politics of fashion. Although, my love for journalism kind of came first. It was just a natural progression that I combined my love of fashion and media. Really, working in a magazine is my perfect job!

I know the fashion industry is a tough business to break into, what was your big break?

I don’t really know what you would define as a big break. I think it differs from person to person. The first shoot I ever did got published so I guess that could be my big break and I just worked from there. Getting the job in Stellar and Kiss, could also be considered a big break, as I worked freelance for a couple of years. All my hard work and dedication paid off as I snagged the job of my dreams!

How does a fashion editor fit into the process of creating a fashion spread?

I work on all the fashion editorials for the magazine as well as the fashion pages. So, I come up with the concept of a shoot, pitch to my editor and then go from there. I book hair, make-up, models, source location and pull all the clothes. So from the beginning it’s a really hands-on, busy process. On the day of the shoot, I would style it, direct the models, shots and really bring my vision to life. Then when the photographer sends in the shots, I would usually choose them with the Art Director or the editor.

It’s similar with the fashion pages, where I would come up with a concept or my Editor does. I source the images, celebrity shots, trends and I would pass it on the Art Director who would work their magic and design up the page.

What is it about fashion that you really love?

There is so many aspects of fashion that I love. I just love clothes in general and drool over them and the amazing work designs, as cheesy as that might sound. I generally get really excited to use these amazing clothes in a shoot and I always get a kick of it when people say they styled their look a certain way or both a certain outfit because they saw it in Stellar or KISS.

Who is your favourite designer and why?  Favourite Irish designer?

With each season, naturally, I get crushes on certain collections. I do probably have a hundred favourite designers, the list would be way too long! I do get inspired by a lot of Scandinavian designers at the moment. I visited Copenhagen recently and fell in love with the city. I would love to check out Copenhagen and Stockholm fashion weeks, as i think they are really interested. I also think Australia has so amazing designers and they will definitely think Australia will be ones to watch in the next couple of years design-wise.

With regards to Irish design, there are so many up-and-coming talents and established names that are flying the flag for Irish fashion. I love going to the graduate shows of Design schools and seeing the latest talent emerge. Personally, I love Emma Manley’s gorgeous soft, studded leather pieces, Merle O’Grady’s amazing jewels, and SImone Rocha’s layered chiffon dresses and shirts.

What do you think about the Irish fashion industry?

I think the Irish fashion industry is progressively becoming stronger and stronger. It’s amazing to see and be a part of it. Between, the demand for Irish design internationally and the general acceptance of the the talent in Ireland. It is deadly. So many talented people are making waves in the fashion industry, not only design but production, photography and styling. This can only really strengthen the Irish fashion industry as a whole. I’m so glad that i can work for an Irish publication where I can feature the wonderful work of all the Irish fashion industry has to offer.

Describe a typical day at work for you.

No day is the same! I totally suits me as I love the mix of being in the office, prepping or on a shoot. I don’t think I’m a typical 9 – 5er and my job goes way beyond that most of the time. On a shoot, we could be starting really early in the morning or late in the evening. I could be running around the shops or in the office, having go-sees, doing the fashion pages! It really is so varied, that’s what’s so great!

What do you love most about your job?

Working with amazing people, creating brilliant shoots that I can be really proud of to see in print or just creating a product that people love to read and enjoy!

If you could pick 3 fashion must haves that every woman should own, what would they be?

3 is difficult but if I have to be strict…

1. An amazing leather jacket

2. A knock-them-dead dress

3. A basic-but-sexy-as-hell white tee

What’s a great fashion tip that you can share with our readers?

Your underwear should cost more than your outfit. Well, most of the time anyway! If you don’t have the right foundation, nothing is going to look good. Boring or obvious as it sounds. It’s a tip I will always stick to!

What are you most looking forward to during Dublin Fashion Festival?

Looking forward to checking out Fashion by Night. I would never get sick of shopping even at night and sounds like there are loads of fun fashion themed events around the city!

Who are your inspirations?

I get inspired by loads of beautiful things. From people, to blogs, to films and music. I think you can find inspiration in the most random of places.

If you had to work with one model or celebrity, who would it be and why?

Again, like my favorite designer. This changes pretty regularly, At the moment. I would love to shoot with Freja Beha Erichsen. I love her versatility from her super-high fashion to her totally commercial-ablity and her model-off-duty style is pretty amazing too.

What has been your favourite shoot to date or what work you are most proud of professionally?

You’re never going to be 100% happy with ever shoot you do. There is always stuff you can improve on etc. But there are a few shoots that I would be so proud to have in my book!

Have you any advice for any of our readers who want to begin a career as a fashion editor?

If you want to work in fashion, just get out there and start doing it! Get to know photographers just keeping doing tests, build up your portfolios. Get together with people and get creative. You’re gonna work hard long hours for little or no money. You’ll soon figure it out if it’s for you or not. It’s not as glamourous as it seems and you need to have really strong determination and organisation to get far, oh and having an amazing flair for fashion helps! Don’t think, that just because you can dress well and are stylish, it will make you a stylist. It’s way more than that!

Rachael & Amy-Louise from the LA team with Corina Gaffey @ DFF launch

We hope you enjoyed this and picked up some helpful tips and advice!


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