When you get the opportunity to interview on of Australia's leading make up artists, you can't say no. I was lucky enough to get to ask Nicole Thompson, aka Pinky, a few questions leading up to her workshop this week.
Makeup artist Nicole Thompson, aptly nicknamed Pinky due to her signature bright pink hair, knows her makeup. She knows all the latest techniques and trends, and is a pro at creating any look imaginable – from the subtle ‘no makeup’ makeup trend to bold and colourful looks inspired by those seen first-hand by Nicole backstage at all the international fashion week shows.
For anyone in Canberra, Nicole is running a master class in the Canberra Centre this week. For more information and tickets, head here. Alternatively you can head over to my Instagram and enter my giveaway to win a double pass!
But without further adieu, let's kick off the interview!
How did you get into doing make up?
I
was doing Visual Merchandising and decorating for a few years and felt a little
stale, it was after a quick quip from my then Boyfriend about loving
makeup, why didn’t I think of that for a career? That I quickly
looked into the idea of makeup artistry.
At
that time Makeup was not as big as a career choice and I couldn’t believe that
I could get paid to paint faces! Impulsive
nature kicked in and I quit my job and enrolled at The Australian
College of Makeup and special effects immediately and never looked
back!
I know you like to do things a little bit differently, but where do you get your inspiration from? Do you have a make up artist that you look up to or always look to for inspiration?
Yes, my all-time makeup HERO is Val Garland!
Val is a makeup maestro. Not only for the
sheer skill and beyond creative concepts she comes up with on the spot, but it’s
all about the way she makes a person feel. I have worked with her for 10 years
at Fashion Weeks overseas and other events and it doesn’t matter if we are
doing Vivienne Westwood paint splattered makeup, or makeup that looks like
nothing at all – I always leave feeling high on life! She has a way of
empowering you with confidence to create. It’s very inspiring, her no rules
aesthetic is a reason we get along so well, and why she was the perfect fit to
write the forward for my book!
Congrats on the new book coming out next month, that is super exciting!! I know all of my MUA friends will be buying it, but for my every day readers, why should they be picking it up?
I really don’t believe that beauty should
be complicated whether you are a professional or not. I also believe that even
when you think you have learned everything you need to know, you will see
another way of doing things – you never stop learning.
I wanted this to be a beauty book for
makeup LOVERS. Professionals will be inspired by the complete looks, colour
combinations and stunning photography, and everyday readers will be surprised
that they CAN actually create these looks with a few simple steps.
It is the type of book that you can flick
through and pick up a look to try or a little tip with how to use your brush,
or you can read cover to cover of my witty banter and feel like you are now a
fearless makeup maverick!
It’s a lot of fun and doesn’t take itself
too seriously, and thank god – there is wayyy too much of that right now.
Halloween is quickly approaching. What make up look will you be doing?
Halloween! Makeup artists’ Christmas!
Funny you ask that as I am currently prepping a giant Halloween Editorial photo
shoot for PAPER magazine I am doing this weekend! 11 different characters!
Everything from thick glossed faces, veiny boys, ghosts in jewellery, prosthetics
– the lot! I think after this and the other Halloween content I have been
creating recently for MAC PRO I will actually be exhausted by the time the day
rolls around!
You have been spending a lot of time recently at fashion shows and I know your talk at the Canberra Centre will be talking about some of the exciting techniques and trends that you are seeing making a rise. Can you let us in on one of the trends you are most excited to see come into the mainstream world soon?
Ah, Fashion week – where the madness is,
and the trend start – I was recently in Paris for Couture Fashion week and it
was a bucket list item ticked off!
I feel like I was up to my eye balls in
eye liner. Black, jet black, delicate and fine detailed liner or fat drama
liner, and I loved it.
Liner is not a new idea, but what I really
loved this season as that the liner was THE statement. When you take the time
and get the perfect flick, you don’t need to bury it in bronze shadow and cut
creases – let it SHINE.
I really like layering different types of
liners to get the cleanest edge and the BLACKEST black. I like to get the shape
of my liner on using a Crème gel liner as they take a little longer to dry
which means you have a few minutes to perfect that flick while also taking a
breath. Then once I have sketched this on, I use a super black liquid liner and
trace the shape. It will ALWAYS be better the second coat, and when you layer
the products it will last twice as long – winning!
Pinky's fave liners include:
CREAM
GEL LINER – MAC Blacktrack Fluidline
BLACK
LIQUID LINER – Estee Lauder Little Black Liner
You do so many amazing experiments with colour, breaking all the rules! What looks have been your favourite to create so far?
Oh, so tricky to pick one! I feel like I
have really built that reputation of being the makeup artist in Sydney who is
not afraid of weird makeup briefs, so I have had some amazing also hilarious
makeup concepts thrown at me!
One that was really special a few years
back was being asked to create a Makeup Art piece for a Fashion Label through a
stylist friend of mine. It was part of an Exhibition called “Beneath the
Surface” challenging different creative on their idea of beauty.
I was so flattered to be asked to take
part in this sort of project and excited that I was able to take it anywhere I
wanted – which is quite unusual! No restrictions!
I wanted to combine my love of painting
with my love of painting the face – as makeup is just another art form in my
mind.
I turned two people into real life oil
paintings, and my friend Kane Skennar photographed them beautifully. It was a
dream come true.
To finish off, the burning question on all my readers lips - if you were on the run and could only take one product with you, what would it be?
One again? Ghad! I love a FULL FACE of
makeup!
My favourite Pink Lipstick – MAC St
Germain. As I could use it with a heavy hand on my lips like usual, but also
pat onto my cheekbones lightly to colour up my pasty face and then tap onto my
eye lids for a little eye colour!
It was so lovely getting to know Nicole a little bit more and hear her talk about her work with such passion. I know for a fact that her workshop this weekend will be amazing and if you don't have tickets, it's not too late to grab them now!
Workshop details:
When: Saturday 27th October 12pm - 1pm
Where: Beauty Precinct Monaro Mall, Canberra Centre
Tickets: $20 Click here to get yours.
Don't forget you can still win tickets! Head over to my Instagram and enter my giveaway to win a double pass.
Comments
Post a comment