Name: Rosie von Spreckelsen
Occupation: Make-up artist, represented by Jackie Gibbs
Training: NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy

What is your background and when did you first discover an interest in the industry?

I was always interested in art, and following on from art A-level, I did a degree in fashion illustration. From here I began working towards being an illustrator, but also doing fashion styling now and then. I soon found that neither of these really suited me, so I took up an NVQ Level 2 Beauty Therapy in my spare time. I had done Biology A-Level and the body had always interested me, but not wanting to be a doctor, I had never known how to pursue this interest. It was while on this course that I realised what I wanted to do. I already had a background in illustration and fashion, and now I had a thorough knowledge of skin, hair, nails and the beauty industry. Make-up fulfilled all my interests and I began building my portfolio before I even finished the course.

How did you get into your current occupation as a freelance make-up artist?

Fortunately, I had contacts in fashion already from my degree and friends who were photographers. This meant that I had opportunities to create images without having any paid jobs. I made contacts wherever I could, working for free on short films and testing with new photographers, in order to build a book. Once I had a reasonable collection of work in my book, I took it to agencies and was taken on by my current agent, Jackie Gibbs.

What kinds of projects have you worked on?

Since being with Jackie Gibbs, I have worked for the BBC, for catalogues, for magazines, for fashion websites and the best thing is that no two days are ever the same. The variety is one of the things that I love about the job. However, there are periods when you won’t have any work for a while, especially to begin with. You do need to spend a lot of time going on appointments to meet clients, many of which will not immediately lead to any work. So you have to have a thick skin to keep going.

What do you think are important traits/skills for this job?

It might seem obvious, but it is really important to be aware of the world around you. Books, films, magazines, music. It all influences the culture of the moment, which you need to instinctively incorporate into your work. It's also important to know the history of style. You need to be able to identify and reference different eras (eg '20s, '50s or '70s). Everything in fashion is cyclic and looks come round again and again. But I would say that above all, you should understand the skin. It's all very well to know all the different products available, but if you don't assess the skin of the individual you are working on, that knowledge is worthless. Many models I work with complain of sensitive skin, because of rough treatment by make-up artists. The skin itself is beautiful, so try to enhance it, not cover it up. Allow it to breathe and shine through. Make-up should be about the person, not the products.

Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring make-up artists?

The most important advice is to be persistent, and be
sure that this is what you want to do. If not, you will waste a lot of time, money and energy because it will not come quickly or easily. But it is a great job and well worth the effort.

Try to start testing as soon as possible. Ask around, you may have a friend of a friend who is a photographer and needs a make-up artist. This will help you to find your own style. It is important to know who you are artistically, as clients will book you on the basis of this. Get some images together, so that you can hit the ground running when you qualify. In the beginning, it’s all about keeping up the momentum. You never know what's around the corner so you just have to keep going! There's nothing that I would rather be doing.

The images on the left and within the article show some of Rosie's work.