The Makeup Insider

Episodes Blog Post
Nicola Johnson has done makeup for 23 years, and she's worked in beauty her whole working life. She started as a beauty therapist in England at 16, worked a health farm, a resort spa in Turkey and a cruise ship, trained in makeup in London, then moved to Australia and built a freelance career across TV commercials, magazines, tourism campaigns and bridal. She's worked with Emma (yes, Emma from The Wiggles) for ten years, and she now has an agent at Vivien Creative.

What we covered:
Makeup school in London in 2003, where working artists taught the classes and took calls from their agents mid-lesson
Cold calling photographers from a sheet of paper to book her first tests
Falling into TV through a family friend, including Grand Designs
Ten months on a cruise ship out of LA with no wage, only tips and commission
Ten years with Emma, and negotiating an eight-hour day on a three-month TV series so she could make school pickup
The agency that told her to come back in six months, and why she never did
How she books weddings: a separate bridal website and Instagram, ads when she needs bookings, and an automated Dubsado setup
Signing with Vivien's, and the goal she's putting out there: a Vogue cover
Content creation at 44, no filters, and the pro-age niche she sees
Her advice for newer artists: back yourself, and ask for the two minutes

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Follow Nicola: @nicolajohnsonmakeup | @nicolajohnsonbridal | www.sydneymakeupartist.com

Episode Blog Post
Makeup artist's Vanessa Barney and Nicola Johnson share the products they reach for in their personal routines and professional kits, and how they use them.From skin prep and foundation to blush, concealer, lip combinations, powders, and tools, this is an in-depth chat packed with product favourites and practical insights for makeup artists and beauty lovers. They discuss products from brands including Dermalogica, By Terry, Hourglass, Fenty Beauty, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Tower 28, Merit, and MAC.Hear how Nicola preps skin for makeup. Vanessa and Nicola also share their thoughts on texture, finish, coverage, and what makes a product useful in a kit.Whether you’re refreshing your professional kit or looking for new ideas for your own routine, this conversation is full of beauty recommendations and firsthand tips.

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⁠@vanessabarney⁠
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This month's Insider Diary is just me. I'm talking about the limiting beliefs that held me back in my career for decades, and what shifted for me.
In this episode:
The 3 limiting beliefs that held me back for at least 13 years: fear of rejection, waiting to be "discovered," and not wanting to be annoying
Why people rarely actually say no to you. Most of the time they just don't get back to you, and that's not the same thing
3 quotes from past guests that changed how I think about rejection and follow-up (linked below)
The Facebook message that sat unread in someone's "other" folder for weeks, and how it ended up leading to a job on Neighbours
My rejection challenge: trying to get to 100 no's (I made it to 33)
Why following up isn't annoying, and how often is actually okay
What I'd tell my younger self, who was doing weddings on the weekends and had no idea how to make this career work.

Guests quoted in this episode :
Ava Bell
Harriet Hatfield, Harry Makes It Up
Nicole Thompson, Pinky

Ellen's Blog Post 
From the Opera House to Viral TikTok, with Ask Ellen.
This week I sat down with Ellen Malone — makeup artist, beauty content creator, and reigning Australian and New Zealand Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year. She's also, quietly, a trained opera singer who's performed at the Sydney Opera House and played the lead in Carmen. Yes, really.
We got into everything. Her start on a Mac counter at 20, the year she completely flopped online before anything took off, the real numbers behind influencer pay, and the makeup technique she thinks the whole industry has been teaching wrong.
We cover:
Winning Creator of the Year and why the win itself hit different to the metrics
Why "creative careers choose you," and Ellen's double life as an opera singer
The real earnings gap between male and female influencers in Australia
Why "natural" is the most useless brief a client can give you
Her first ever wedding, done via six buses and a train with a metal fold-out kit
Getting hired at Mac at 20 with no formal training and having to prove herself
Her hot take that 80% of artists can't colour match properly
The real history of underpainting, and why she thinks a whole generation of artists were taught it wrong
The wedding that got called off mid-makeup (and why it had nothing to do with the makeup)
Why she'll never tell you her best client stories
How COVID, a redundancy, and a full year of flopping led to her actual career
Her current kit favourites, from an underrated blush trio to a foundation for mature, textured skin.

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Michael Brown is back on The Insider Edit, and this time it's not a chat, it's a full face, live, start to finish. Michael's been in the industry since the early 2000s (he started at Estée Lauder back in 2000), trained under Gucci Westman during her years as Lancôme's creative director, and now works mostly red carpet and event glam: Melbourne Cup, the Logies, Farmer Wants A Wife, Today Show appearances, and a week of 6am glams at Royal Ascot in London. In this episode he puts a full face on our model Kate and talks through every product and every step as he goes. 
To watch this episode head to Youtube. 
Head to The Makeup Insider Blog for a full list and links to all products used. 
What we covered:
Skin prep with the reformulated Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (peptides and niacinamides now in the formula, built not to pill under foundation), plus Naturium as a lighter, no-actives alternative
Tarte's new mattifying ball primer, used just in the centre of the face
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter as a glow and blur step, used under the eyes, above the lip, and down the centre of the face
Trying the brand new Make Up For Ever HD Foundation live for the first time, in shade 222N Neutral, applied with an Hourglass foundation brush
Why Michael's whole kit runs neutral shades, and how that compares to Hung Vanngo's all-neutral foundation range
A rundown of the long-wear foundations Michael rates: Double Wear back in the day, NARS Longwear, and YSL All Hours on his to-try list
Concealer with Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless, applied sparingly with a tiny Kitology sponge
Contour with a Westman Atelier stick (shade Truffle) and why Michael's placing contour higher for lift rather than lower for sculpting
Bronzer with Haus Labs (no shimmer, ever) and the one spot everyone forgets: the neck
Blush with the Haus Labs Glassy Blush Balm in Ginger, used high on the orbital bone as a blush-highlighter hybrid
Eyes with three of the Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes sticks: Cashmere Sculpt, Mink Sculpt and Ballet Quartz
Tight lining with Fenty eyeliner, and why Michael's doing more tight line and less top eyeliner these days
Taking the look from day to night with Make Up For Ever's Limitless Brown liner along the lash line
Brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills ArchiBrow pencil and Brow Freeze Wax
The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish as a final brightening step under the eyes
Lips with the Make Up For Ever Artist Pencil in Anywhere Caffeine, buffed out with an eyeshadow brush, topped with the new Haus Labs Lip Lacquer
Setting the whole look with a touch of Fenty powder and MCo Beauty's brand new All Day-a spray, an official Skindinavia collaboration built on the original All-Nighter formula, not a dupe
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