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The Makeup Insider: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Vanessa Barney
The Makeup Insider is a weekly one-on-one podcast diving into the real life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance MUA Vanessa Barney.Finding your community of fellow creatives (talkative, adaptable, obsessed with colour) can feel daunting. Where do you even start?This podcast builds that community. Real conversations that grow your confidence, your connections and your career.New to the industry or years deep, tune in, check the show notes for key takeaways and subscribe so you never miss an episode.Find Vanessa: @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider
Latest Episodes
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- 2 weeks ago16 min
The Beliefs That Held Me Back For Decades
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 annoyingWhy 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 thing3 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 NeighboursMy 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 okayWhat 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
- 3 weeks ago1h 49m
From the Opera House to Viral TikTok: Ask Ellen on Building a Beauty Career That Actually Lasts
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 metricsWhy "creative careers choose you," and Ellen's double life as an opera singerThe real earnings gap between male and female influencers in AustraliaWhy "natural" is the most useless brief a client can give youHer first ever wedding, done via six buses and a train with a metal fold-out kitGetting hired at Mac at 20 with no formal training and having to prove herselfHer hot take that 80% of artists can't colour match properlyThe real history of underpainting, and why she thinks a whole generation of artists were taught it wrongThe 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 storiesHow COVID, a redundancy, and a full year of flopping led to her actual careerHer current kit favourites, from an underrated blush trio to a foundation for mature, textured skin.
- Sep 1, 202659 min
A Full Face, Live: Every Product Michael Brown Reached For. Watch on Youtube.
Send us Fan MailMichael 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 alternativeTarte's new mattifying ball primer, used just in the centre of the faceCharlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter as a glow and blur step, used under the eyes, above the lip, and down the centre of the faceTrying the brand new Make Up For Ever HD Foundation live for the first time, in shade 222N Neutral, applied with an Hourglass foundation brushWhy Michael's whole kit runs neutral shades, and how that compares to Hung Vanngo's all-neutral foundation rangeA rundown of the long-wear foundations Michael rates: Double Wear back in the day, NARS Longwear, and YSL All Hours on his to-try listConcealer with Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless, applied sparingly with a tiny Kitology spongeContour with a Westman Atelier stick (shade Truffle) and why Michael's placing contour higher for lift rather than lower for sculptingBronzer with Haus Labs (no shimmer, ever) and the one spot everyone forgets: the neckBlush with the Haus Labs Glassy Blush Balm in Ginger, used high on the orbital bone as a blush-highlighter hybridEyes with three of the Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes sticks: Cashmere Sculpt, Mink Sculpt and Ballet QuartzTight lining with Fenty eyeliner, and why Michael's doing more tight line and less top eyeliner these daysTaking the look from day to night with Make Up For Ever's Limitless Brown liner along the lash lineBrows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills ArchiBrow pencil and Brow Freeze WaxThe Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish as a final brightening step under the eyesLips with the Make Up For Ever Artist Pencil in Anywhere Caffeine, buffed out with an eyeshadow brush, topped with the new Haus Labs Lip LacquerSetting 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 dupeThe Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
- Aug 24, 202634 min
Inside Michael Brown's Kit: Charlotte Tilbury, House Labs And A $4 Amazon Find.
Send us Fan MailMichael Brown is back on The Insider Edit for round two. He's a freelance makeup artist with 25 years in the industry, he started out on retail counters for the Lauder Group, then moved in-house at L'Oréal, and he's been freelance for the last 12 years, mostly doing event and red carpet work. We kick off talking about the reality of PR gifting (15 to 20 deliveries a week is his average) before going full kit rundown, complexion through to tools. We're also trialling a new segment where we'll put some of these products on a model's face in real time.Watch on Youtube. What we covered:Michael's system for sorting through 15 to 20 PR gifts a week: straight to kit, a gift for someone else, or "I'll see how it goes"Why he only posts about a gift when it's genuinely new, like Tarte's primers with roller balls built inBrands trusting him with pre-launch samples, including lab samples that aren't even in packaging yetAll products are Listed on the blog. The Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
- Aug 17, 202614 min
Growth Wins And Gifting: My Instagram Update Plus A 5-Step Checklist to Gifting
Send us Fan MailIt's just me this episode. I'm giving you an update on the last couple of weeks in my world, where Project 10K is really at, and a full five-step checklist for makeup artists trying to get gifting from brands.What I cover:Why it's finally busy again in the Sydney makeup world after a slow, quiet stretchMy last two weeks on the tools: five days of shoots, grooming Shep Rose from a US reality show, and grooming for the LogiesMy Project 10K update: I'm sitting at 5,500 followers, up around 500 in the last week aloneThe one reel that's driving most of my growth, and why I keep reposting it instead of chasing new contentThe five-step gifting checklist: write your wish list, optimise your page, find the contact, write your pitch, follow upWhy knowing someone's name matters before you pitch themHow to track your outreach, and why persistence is the whole game (I've had people respond after five follow-ups)"Shoot Your Shot Wednesday" and the 100 Rejections challengeA possible workshop on gifting, if you're interested, DM meGrab the checklist: download my free 5-step gifting checklist here.The Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
- Aug 10, 202656 min
Rejection, Reinvention And Taking Back Your Career
Send us Fan MailBlog post Adam Garland is back on The Insider Diary for episode 116. He's a UK-based session hairstylist who spent five years as the face of global brand Authentic Beauty Concept. These days he's building his own path: mentoring other artists, shooting his own images, and working with heritage beauty brands he actually believes in. His first episode with us got such a good response we're turning this into a monthly chat.This episode was sparked by a listener question from Australia about brand loyalty, so we went deep on trust, rejection, and how to stop taking it personally when a client doesn't rebook you.What we covered:A listener's question about brand loyalty: a client took a whole team interstate for a shoot and left the makeup artist behindWhy a first option is never a confirmed booking, especially during fashion weekThe idea of "reducing uncertainty": clients don't book the best artist, they book the one they know won't cause complicationsVanessa's own story about brand loyalty, and never getting booked againWhy rejection in this industry is rarely personal, even when it feels like itThe Guido example: why a top hairstylist still gets ticked for a job before the shoot even startsWorking from your own essence instead of chasing what you think will get seenHairstylists and makeup artists building their own image worlds instead of waiting on brands: Mustafa Yanas, Joey George, Benjamin Mueller and Anataka HashiAdam's own move into photography, shooting his own models at Workroom Studios in Limehouse, London, with his mentee ZoranWhy heritage brands hit different: Isles Formula, Keune and Gisou, and what makes their stories genuineWhy asking for help is harder than it should be, for both of usThe Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
- Aug 3, 20261h 18m
From Sephora to Touring with Kesha: Alana Lucky on Building a Career in Makeup
Send us Fan MailLink to blog - all products mentioned linked. Watch on YoutubeAlana has been doing makeup for 12 years. She started fresh out of high school, worked the floor at Sephora's Broadway store, moved to London at 21 with zero plan and a backpack full of kit, built a career doing campaigns for Jaded London, came back to Australia during COVID, assisted the incredible Gillian Campbell, and has most recently been touring the world with Kesha.Oh, and she's now signed with a talent agency for her content. The girl moves.In this episode we get into:Why working retail at Sephora is the best foundation you'll ever get (and why it's also exhausting as hell)What it's actually like to do hair and makeup in London for an Uber-style beauty appThe Jaded London campaign that changed everythingCOVID killing her momentum right when things were starting to move — and coming back from thatAssisting Gillian Campbell and why feeling valued on set matters more than people admitWhat a day on tour with Kesha actually looks like (spoiler: you can't poo on the bus)The longevity routine she used to make Kesha's base last through a full concertHow a TikTok she almost didn't post got her 27,000 followers in a monthWhy people don't care who you are on TikTok — they just want to learn somethingEverything being an exchange and why that's not a bad thingWhat's next: Europe, Canada, America and a product line in the worksWebsite Talent The Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
- Jul 27, 202652 min
Inside Edit with Katie Moore's Kit: Merit, Westman Atelier and more.
Send us Fan MailAll products mentioned linked in blog. Watch on YoutubeThis week I'm joined by Sydney makeup artist Katie Moore. If you follow her work you'll know her style straight away, soft, skin focused, never overdone. We talked career, bridal work, and how she keeps things running without burning out. Then we did what we always do and pulled apart our kits.Katie Moore is a Sydney-based makeup artist, trained in New Zealand about 17 years ago at a four month full time makeup course focused on film and TV.She started out on the MECCA Cosmetica counter in Ponsonby, Auckland, then freelanced on music videos and worked on the TV series Spartacus in New Zealand.She moved to Australia in 2014 and broke into TV commercials after meeting a fashion stylist while waitressing in a Surry Hills cafe.Her work now spans fashion campaigns, lookbooks, e-com shoots, special events and bridal.Bridal work really kicked off for her after she had her son, and she's represented by an agent Kellie from The Future Mrs who handles her wedding bookings, trials and admin.Most of her work comes through referrals and word of mouth, plus Instagram, which she treats as an unofficial portfolio.She doesn't set hard goals, she calls it "manifesting" instead, and this year that included a wedding that landed in Vogue.July is her quiet month. She uses it for admin, taxes and catching up with other makeup artists before things pick back up around October with regional weddings.Her advice for makeup artists starting out: stay connected to your network, ask questions, say yes to hard jobs, and know there's no union for makeup artists so open conversations between artists matter.Katie and Vanessa go through their kit favourites, kit tools and personal skincare and haircare picks. Full list with notes in the blog post.The Hair Edit Waitlist Weekly Newsletter Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTokThe Gifting Checklist
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About The Makeup Insider
The Makeup Insider is a weekly one-on-one podcast diving into the real life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance MUA Vanessa Barney.Finding your community of fellow creatives (talkative, adaptable, obsessed with colour) can feel daunting. Where do you even start?This podcast builds that community. Real conversations that grow your confidence, your connections and your career.New to the industry or years deep, tune in, check the show notes for key takeaways and subscribe so you never miss an episode.Find Vanessa: @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider
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