Phoebe Dawson Professional Fashion Make-up Artist Interview
Q: Tell a little about yourself personally and if you attended school or you are a self taught makeup artist?
A: I moved to Australia when I was 17 and studied at The Makeup Technicians in Sydney, Then assisted some amazing Celebrity Makeup Artist in LA and I continue to learn and grow every single day. I love to try new techniques and do things that scare me!
Q: Do you think going to school for make-up artistry is important to excel in the business later on?
A: No I don’t, a lot of the people in my school aren’t even doing Makeup now, its up to the individual, their drive and love for what they do. Never give up! But school is really helpful to learn the basics, build a kit & foundation.
Q: Did you always wanted to be an artist, or did you stumble upon your talent by chance? Who or what inspired you to become a makeup artist?
A: Yes I always wanted to do something adventurous where I could travel the world, be creative, help others, make some great money & meet some amazing people. I love to do new things & be challenged everyday. I have always been addicted to music, art, magazines, movies, entertainment & travel.
Q: What is your favorite or most exciting aspect about your job?
A: I could name many but being about to work with and meet people who are really succeeding and fearless is pretty amazing. There are so many exciting aspects, I love it!
Q: What surprises you most about working as a makeup artist?
A: Its a constant hustle, even if you are the absolute best in the world, you still don’t know where you will be next year, you just have to have faith that people will keep hiring you! Also its not as glamorous as it seems, hours are long and you have to work hard & be on top of it!
Q: Describe your “Classic Approach to Beauty.” how do you define beauty?
A: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, every single person has a different idea of what is beautiful and what is not. I see beauty everywhere. I also believe beauty comes from within!
Q: What individual products and brands you’re “addicted” to at the moment and you use on a daily basis?
A: Stila Convertible color Creme blush is amazing, looks good on everyone! Lashes will always, always be in my kit and used a LOT! (The eyes are the window to the soul ;). I also LOVE Inglot lip gloss pots, the last forever and the colors look & smell like heaven.
Q: What are some of the most basic but effective skin care tips in general that you have, that are really important?
A: Beauty comes from within, there is truly no magical product. Its all from within! Drink plenty of water, don’t stress, go with the flow ;), exercise, eat clean (lots of fruit & veggies.)
Q: Have you had an extreme, crazy or bad experience with a skin care product or during a makeup session? If so, what happened?
A: No this has never happened thank god! But I always ask if my client has allergies etc.
Q: What do you find to be the most common mistakes women make with makeup? What’s the worst thing a woman can do to her skin?
A: Wear too much makeup & not let her natural beauty shine through. Also always take Makeup off at night,remember everything we put on our skin goes into our bodies.
Q: What do you think are best/worst trends in the makeup / skin care industry right now?
A: I think everything in life is perspective and how you look at it, the trends are always flowing & changing. I find new looks I love often.
Q: Do teenage girls need to splurge on high-priced makeup products, or are drugstore items are just as satisfactory?
A: There are some excellent affordable Makeup brands that I would highly recommend including E.L.F which is cruelty free mineral makeup. (Their pigments & lip glosses are great.), Revlon colorstay foundations are great. I love Ardel Lashes.
Q: What feature(s) do you love to accentuate and why?
A: I love to accentuate eyes, they are the place someone looks at most on the face. Strong, beautiful, Defined eyes are captivating! :)
Q: What are your steps for the perfect, flawless, natural look?
A: Always start with a clean faced and plucked brows as they frame the face, a good natural moisturizer, foundation (Makeup sure to blend really well around the edges for a seamless finish, powder, cream blush, a sweep of a pretty shadow of your choice, mascara, liner if needed, some lipgloss and your good to go. There are many other steps depending on the individual.
Q: What is a really quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
A: You can bring a small ziplock bag in your purse with some black kohl liner, lip gloss, blush, concealer and 1-3 darker eye shadow colors to blend along the outer corner of the eyes and make a sexy smokey eye.
Q: What are the differences between applying makeup on models and on real women?
A: Models are very easy they are used to getting their makeup done, trust me and just sit back and let me do my thing. Real women usually don’t really know much about Makeup and have a lot of questions, its very different.
Q: In terms of eyeliner, if you had to choose between a pencil, liquid, or creme/gel based, which one would you choose? Why?
A: I really like gel liner & using black or brown shadow.
Q: Lip gloss or Lipstick. Which product is best? Why?
A: I’m a big lip gloss fan, I love eyes to be the main pop, and lip stick can be a little messy, whereas lip gloss gives a beautiful natural glow and is easier to maintain.
Q: What should a client consider before deciding to try permanent makeup? What is the difference between permanent and semi-permanent makeup?
A: Do your thorough research, ask for pictures, really think it over because it can be a disaster and can look really weird when it fades. I am not a big fan of permanent makeup.
Q: What brand/type of concealer is your favorite for covering up the after effects of a late night out i.e. under-eye circles, blemishes?
A: cle de peau concealer.
Q: How about airbrush spray makeup trend? Are these products better or easier to use than standard sponge or finger application? If yes when would you recommend using them?
A: I think air-brush can be fantastic, flawless and you can do some really amazing effects with an airbrush also. But for everyday people they probably don’t need one and can still do flawless makeup with other tools.
Q: What do your clients think of you? What are some individual testimonials?
A: Please see the testimonials section on my website www.phoebedawson.weebly.com :)
Q: Would you share some of your future goals, your life motto, any words of wisdom that get you by in life and professional career?
A: I would love to do some more traveling,go on tour, bring more awareness to using cruelty free products with green & natural ingredients! Hmm my life motto I don’t know just to have as much fun as possible and do my best!
Q: What tips and advice do you have for aspiring makeup artists just starting out?
A: DO your research, study your idols & makeup artists that inspire you. What did they do? etc. If you truly want something you can make it happen, just never give up! Be prepared, always do your best and give every job your 100%!!
Connect with Phoebe via her makeup artist website and make-up artist blog.
