Japanese Hair and Beauty students visit celebrity make-up artist at CONEL
On 9 December, the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) welcomed a class of foreign-exchange make-up students and celebrity make-up artist Liz Martins to its Tottenham Centre in Seven Sisters.
As part of a recurring cultural exchange with the college, around 30 Japanese students were invited to explore the differences and similarities of the English teaching system.
With its industry-standard studio āThe Salonā and training workshops on-site, the college was the perfect place to start for our guests, who also benefited from a demonstration with celebrity make-up artist Liz Martins.
Lizās portfolio spans 20 years and has seen her working across a range of palettes and genres, including editorial, beauty, advertising and celebrity. Known for her work in fashion (including for fashion royalty Kate Moss, Helena Christensen and Eva Herzigova) and music, Liz demonstrated make-up in a western āmusic videoā style for the exchange students and a class of CONEL students, before she opened the floor to questions.
Liz said: āItās a hard industry to get into and one that takes a lot of work. I started in 1995, back when it was a very small industry. It was the dawn of the celebrity make-up artist ā people like Pat McGrath and Mary Greenwell ā but very undercurrent. Thatās what made me want to get into it.
āI was very into art. I loved to draw and wanted to get into graphic design. Itās hard to find a way to make money out of art. Computers and maths didnāt take me but I had an affinity with fashion.
āI took a short course and started assisting. If you want to get into fashion, itās imperative you go and assist. I started painting toenails. I hate feet. But it was anything to get on that Fashion Week team.
āFrom there I started working with the Spice Girls, and then Girls Aloud. Now I work with Rita Ora. In editorial I work with Vogue, which is very different to whatās expected from music. But it all started with assisting.ā
Lizās demonstration explored some of the differences between skin tones, face shape and trends, replicating some of the vibrant styles of this yearās London Fashion Week.
āItās important to develop your own style and have some fun with make-up. Relax. I try to collect references from everywhere. I took a lot of inspiration from David Bowieās make-up in the 1970s, but Iāll also read wildlife books and, of course, fashion magazines. Find what works for you and donāt be afraid to get creative.ā
As part of the visit, students later moved to the MAC flagship store on Carnaby Street where they found out more about the world of beauty.
CONELās Head of School for Hair and Beauty, Ann Atkin, said, āItās important that students have the opportunity to experience diversity of thought and practice in their studies. Our guests were interested to learn how to apply make-up on unfamiliar skin tones and saw a number of new, western practices. It is also important for our students to exchange ideas and understand the differences in training and client expectations in other countries. External relationships are vital in giving students a greater understanding of the wider industry.ā
Your future in hairdressing and beauty
The hairdressing and beauty workforce is projected to grow between now and 2024, creating 1,100 new jobs. In the same period, 35.3% of people working in beauty and related occupations are likely to retire, creating 32,300 job openings.
If you are wondering how much hairdressers and beauty therapists earn, completing a course at CONEL in Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy could land you a starter job in the following careers with these annual salaries:
Clinic/Salon Manager: Ā£22,880
Beauty Therapist: Ā£17,680
Hairdresser and Barber: Ā£16,120
Make-up artist: Ā£17,680
Nail Technician: Ā£17,680
However, itās the perfect industry for setting yourself up as a freelancer, and when youāre in control ā the skies the limit!
Responses