Q&A

INSPIRING NEW TALENT

Session makeup artist, Glow Up judge and Mac's director of makeup artistry Dominic Skinner shares his advice for aspiring MUAs looking to make a name for themselves

What sets successful makeup artists apart from those who struggle?

“You don’t have to be the best makeup artist. I know incredible makeup artists but no one knows who they are because they have the skill, but they don’t have the will. If you do not have the will to put your hand up higher, shout out louder, make that extra phone call, send that extra email, then you won’t stand out. The moment you say, 'well, that's enough, I've sent my three emails today'. Well, the fourth person you were going email is probably the one that wants to book you.”

How important is adaptability and embracing change?

“When I studied makeup, there was a thing called the internet but, boy, did it take forever to load. The world has changed in the last 25 years. We’ve got AI, we’ve got all this technology, and I always find it interesting when I talk to my peers; they’re often dismissive of things like social media but you can’t get away from it. So, I’ve always adapted to technology. It keeps you relevant.”

How do you advise MUAs to handle feedback and failure?

“I'm always learning from everybody – you will always learn something. If you stop learning because you think you’re the best and you’ve done it all then, well, what’s the point in carrying on?

“During Glow Up, we wanted to make sure that every single artist taking part got specific clear feedback – a reason why it didn’t work or how they could have introduced another shade or a different tone; that’s constructive feedback.

“Often, if someone doesn’t like your work they’ll just never call you back. If they do like it, they’ll book you again, but you won’t know why. So it is really important, if you can, to get feedback, because that’s the only way you’re going to learn – and also understand, to take the emotion out of it.”

What advice do you have for MUAs struggling with self-doubt?

“Don’t look at the fact that you are younger or less experienced as a reason to feel you can’t do something. I learned probably about 10 years ago that everyone's got imposter syndrome. It was that moment of realisation that changed everything for me. It changed my career perspective and my trajectory. I suddenly had confidence because I realised no one was worrying about what I was doing. They were worrying what they were doing.”

How can MUAs work out which specialisms are right for them?

“I work really well under pressure, so for me, Fashion Week is like ‘bring it on’. In that moment, I feel like I’m 10-feet tall, whereas sometimes if it’s just me and the model, I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. You’ve got to be kind to yourself and understand how you work as an artist.”

What’s one “beauty rule” you think artists should break?

“Stop listening to other people’s opinions. Other people's opinions don't mean anything unless…well, like Ru Paul says, ‘if they ain’t paying your bills, pay them no mind’. So, for me, it's all about doing what you want to do because you've got one chance at this. Enjoy your life and stop worrying what other people are thinking.”

Don’t miss our podcast with Skinner – search The Pro Beauty Pod on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.