Ellie Balfe has been one of Ireland's leading professional makeup artist for 17 years. Her teenage dream of becoming a makeup artist became a reality when she was accepted into the prestigious Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design in 1993 and trained intensively for two full years in makeup skills for film, TV, theatre and fashion.She started her career in the film and television industry working in the makeup rooms of RTE TV, The Abbey Theatre and Ardmore Studios before moving into fashion where her first shoots were published in the popular DSide and Hot Press magazines.

After a year as head artist for Bobbi Brown, Ellie moved to London where she had the pleasure of training with Laura Mercier herself. After returning from London, she led the makeup team for the MTV Music Awards in Dublin personally working on Geri Halliwell, Alicia Silverstone and Iggy Pop to name a few. Her freelance clients include RTE's Off The Rails, IMAGE magazine, VIP magazine as well as Social & Personal and Tatler magazines.

She also taken up beauty writing for various magazine and websites. Her own blog called Ellie loves has become extremely popular with people searching for  style and makeup inspiration and she was voted Best Irish Blogger 2011 by the leading review website Entertainment  Ireland.

One half of Boylan & Balfe, Ellie & Ken Boylan taught young aspiring make-up artists and now Ellie is returning to her passion for teaching with LA Make-Up Academy.

Ellie’s beauty philosophy is a simple one; she believes in taking it back to basics; really looking at your skin, your lifestyle and your personal tastes and designing a look that is beautiful and polished and that enhances who you are.