Entering a competition can be quite challenging and stressful, you never know who you are up against or if your idea is interesting enough. This year the pressure was immense as I (a student) was actually up against a professional make-up artist, with my friends and family all there watching.
Make-up is something I am extremely passionate about; therefore when it comes to these competitions I always feel a huge adrenaline rush. During the competition, you have famous make-up artists walking around observing your work, asking questions and judging you; for example, this year I had Dominic Skinner (judge on BBC's Glow Up) and Carly Utting (a MAC Cosmetics Senior Artist).
Dominic called me a genius and told me he loved my work, and Carly filmed my work and posted it on her story, then asked me if I wanted to come and work for MAC Cosmetics. I had around three different judges come up to me and ask if I was a professional artist and I had to tell them I was only a student, which they seemed very surprised about, and told me my work is amazing.
The make-up industry can be really challenging to get your foot in the door, as it’s not always about what you know but who you know, and that is exactly why I enter these competitions. Not necessarily because I am a competitive person, but mainly because you can receive so many great opportunities.
My
advice for these competitions is to go as far as you can with it. Once you come
up with a concept, push it as far as you can, be so open-minded and try
not to copy looks off of the internet. You need to remember that they have seen it
all before; give them something new and exciting to look at. Make your own
prosthetic pieces and do not buy them as they are not a fan of this; make your
mood board big and bold as you will need one, and make sure it explains your idea
well. During the competition, focus on what you are doing and do not look around
at the other MUAs, as this can really discourage you and make
you panic. Work quickly as you have a time limit against you and smile, be
confident and deliver a happy persona, as this will make you more approachable
and encourage the judges to come and speak to you.
The inspiration behind the look I created was a far-fetched futuristic idea in which humans can use AI to program dead souls back to life to solve unanswered questions and unsolved crimes. A revolution for humanity and their safety.
The theme I was given for the competition was to choose a 1960s icon and make it sci-fi. I decided to choose Sharon Tate, whose murder case has a lot of conspiracies and unanswered questions. I wanted to deliver a dead body with parts of machinery implemented into it, which were there to track muscle movement in the brain and attempt to reach areas of it that can be brought back.
This idea came to me straight after reading the brief, so I started sculpting prosthetics for it and looking up relevant inspiration pictures for some guidance. This was something I did off my own back and not through the University; however, as I was there I was representing Arts University Bournemouth the entire time.
The making process for this look was hard to imagine at first, but I have a very visual mind and I will picture ideas once I get started on making the pieces. Sometimes I have to do things the opposite way – I will draw my designs after I have tested and trialled every practical limit.
The BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance course at AUB was chosen after very careful consideration. I was torn between AUB and UAL, so I decided to do more research. I spoke to students who went to UAL and they did not say many great things about the course in regards to help from teachers and learning resources. Everyone I spoke to about AUB had very positive things to say, and after comparing the students work from AUB and other universities I could see a significant difference.
I ended up going with AUB and I do not regret it. The teachers are lovely and understanding and their main focus is to teach you and make sure you get it right. Even if you get it wrong over and over, they do not give up on you or lose their patience.
AUB gives you many opportunities in regards to work and collaborations to build up your portfolio and get your work out there.
My advice to anyone looking to study a make-up course is to remember you are there to learn and not to be the best. I see too many people become too competitive during lessons – this will exhaust you and put you in such a negative mindset.
There will be people who are much better than you at certain things, and this does not make you a bad make-up artist. My advice is to make as many mistakes as you possibly can, let things go wrong so you can learn what to avoid and what to do right next time. Don’t get upset when things don’t go the way you planned; laugh it off and figure out the problem and solution, and become passionately obsessed with what you are doing, because that will win over talent always. See lessons as experiments rather than competitions.
Any further questions about competitions or studying BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance at AUB don't hesitate to contact me on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin, or by email.
Sophie is a two-time winner in the Professional Beauty Make-up competition, by Professional Beauty London, having entered and won previously in 2024.
