Widely considered one of Australia’s foremost authorities on fashion makeup, Rae Morris has contoured the faces of celebrities like Kelly Rowland, P!nk, and Cyndi Lauper.
Rae’s passion for educating other artists will see her hold two sessions at Beauty Expo Melbourne, including an exclusive, never-before-offered opportunity for artists to ask Rae questions and advice in her Intimate Date with Rae workshop. Here, Rae candidly reveals some of her biggest lessons, her favourite things about the industry, and what defines fashion makeup artistry.
What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned during your time as a makeup artist?
Being a good makeup artist is only part of it – there’s so much more to the business. It’s not all about you. In the Instagram world it’s all about you because people are going there for you, but in what I do, I’m one piece of a big puzzle – you’ve got hairdressers, you’ve got stylists, you have clients, you have magazines… sometimes I’ve got to know when to take a real step back and when to step up to the plate.
What do you love about being a makeup artist?
I love that every day is so different – there’s no time to get bored. Even though some makeup jobs can be repetitive, mine is so extreme; I’m teaching, running around with a celebrity or doing really detailed makeup that could take 12 hours, so it’s never boring.
You’ll be teaching a session, Inside the World of Fashion Makeup at Beauty Expo Melbourne.
What are the main differences that set fashion makeup apart from other makeup styles?
So much – it’s such a good time to talk about it, you need to separate your style a little bit because you do get identified and put into one basket. So many want-to-be fashion makeup artists are not projecting themselves as that, so they’re making it even harder [to achieve their goals].
The differences… retouching is very different, keeping skin looking like skin (baked, heavy foundation doesn’t have a place in the fashion world, unless it’s a theatrical kind of look); it’s about creating an image that you’re part of – where the other world can be just about the makeup you do, fashion is about what makes the model look the most beautiful; what’s going to sell the product the most; what’s going to make the client or the person respond to that image.
I’m going to be teaching [at Expo] that once you get that right on social media, there’s so much work out there in the fashion world. Not many people understand it, so the door’s being closed before they even start – I’m going to really open that door and show that it’s really easy to do.
For the first time, during your Intimate Date with Rae session at Beauty Expo Melbourne, you’ll be sharing your expertise with just 10 people. What do you think is the main takeaway that people will gain from the session?
They’re going to be able to ask me anything they want to and I’ll be able to answer them from the heart; I’m not contracted and don’t get anything out of plugging something, so it’s going to be honest.
I know people get a bit nervous asking me questions but this will be a personal thing. I’ll talk probably a little bit more about the struggles with the industry, because I think that’s maybe what people don’t tend to talk a lot about. I’m going to make it their forum. Write down your questions if you’re nervous!
You often travel to teach and speak at various events around the world. What do you enjoy about educating other makeup professionals?
It’s an honour, because you know there are a lot of very talented people in the room. I like being around other makeup artists, because in my job it’s a very one-man show – you’re not around other artists, you don’t often get to bounce ideas off other people.
I really enjoy the enthusiasm and how great our industry is that there’s so many people who not only want to teach, but also want to learn something different. The amount of artists who I’ve seen in a crowd that I know personally but who are there learning something from me, and vice versa… it’s a great place to be.
Rae Morris will lead two professional skills sessions at Beauty Expo Melbourne, 25-26 March 2017 at the MCEC. Details and tickets can be found on the Beauty Expo Melbourne website.
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