I’ve wanted to be a Make Up Artist for as long as I can remember. I’m 42 and I’m not a Make Up Artist. Sure I’ve done courses, started to put some shots together and amass a good Kit, but I’m not a Make Up Artist.

There are a lot of people just like me. Like me in the sense that they are taking steps toward working as an MUA. However the vast majority are very different from me ie young, and either female or gay.

The female factor I’m not so worried about. It makes being served at a cosmetics counter a little painful as I’m often not looked at as a serious sale and therefore given little attention. However there are so many great MUA’s out there who are men that it’s not really a big deal.

The gay factor isn’t such a big deal either. I don’t care that people initially assume I am gay just because I’m working with make up. I am thankful that gay men have established such a strong male presence in the industry.

The age factor may be another story. It’s not so much that people think I’m too old to be an MUA. As has been proven, it is a job that can be done your whole working life, if you keep up with fashion. The fact that almost half of my working life has passed without any involvement with make up, however, is a concern to me.

Anyone who has thought they would like to be an MUA and gone out to make it happen will know that you don’t just get a Diploma and then a full time job as an MUA. You could count on your two hands the number of people that are that lucky. Even then they would tell you it didn’t happen overnight.

An aspiring MUA needs to go through lean times, just like anyone working in the arts, with the knowledge that making it to the top, or simply making it at all as a career, is reserved for the few.

Having a young family, a mortgage and two ravenous dogs makes going through years of artistic poverty not an option. I’m not shying away from paying my dues. I have done many a freebie for photographers both starting out and established. What I do wish to avoid is doing that sort of ‘work’ any longer. It is a great way to gain experience, but not a great portfolio.

So that is why this blog is so important to me. I see it as my way to, literally and figuratively, make up for lost time. I am putting the call out there to the worlds of fashion, beauty, editorial, theatre and T.V. to allow me to immerse myself in the amazing world of make up. I want to dive in over my head and access all areas. It’s way past time and I plan to report back to all who are interested in make up in all it’s incarnations and hopefully share some wonderful experiences.