“I love that I am free to transform myself into different characters each time I create a new look but also to transform others.”
How would you introduce yourself to our readers? What sparked your interest in makeup artistry and body-painting? My name is Moth but I am known online as MothQueenMakeup. I have always had a love of makeup and body painting and ever since a young age I’ve always played around with creative looks inspired from films and theater but it wasn’t until a few years ago that i really started doing more advanced looks and more body painting, I loved being free to be creative so much and the excitement of being able to make myself into anything I wanted was an incredible feeling to me!
I am based in the South of England, I also model for a wig company called Lush Wigs as well as some jewerllery companies and I also take photos of various things.
In your own eyes, what is it about your style that sets you apart from other makeup artists? How would you describe your style? I think my style stands out from other artists because I add my own unique touches on each look but also make them easy for others to learn without loosing the complex image to each creative look.
I guess I would describe my style as unique and fun, I try to create looks that excite people with beautiful colours and textures.
What is it about makeup artistry that appeals to you? What do you love most about doing it? Makeup artistry has always been something i thought about doing, It appeals to me on so many levels. For me it’s a way of being able to express myself creatively while learning new skills and techniques, I love that I am free to transform myself into different characters each time I create a new look but also to transform others by helping them learn things that they maybe couldn’t do before or even just giving them a new outlook on themselves and a confidence boost.
My favourite thing about being a makeup artist is being able to transform knowing it washes off at the end of the day, It doesn’t matter if something doesn’t always go to plan or if i don’t like how i look because I can always try again.
The art you do is very creative. How do you experiment with your work? I love to experiment, It’s one of the beautiful things about makeup! I spend a lot of time looking up different textures, colours, shapes and techniques to play with.
I seek out different props to use which usually means I experiment more to create different looks with one prop or combining a few different techniques and props to create something I maybe hadn’t thought about before.
What is going on through your mind when you are applying makeup? What motivates you? When I am sat down creating a look I think about how I want the finished product to look, I often change ideas while I painting as the look comes together. My main motivator is being able to teach others how to do it by breaking it down as well as being able to put into practice new things I have leant.
What are some products that you can’t live without in your kit? Why? My kit has grown and grown over the years and over those years so have many products but there are some that have stuck around and I honestly don’t think i could be without!
One of those things is good quality brushes, I feel for me personally that I couldn’t create some of my looks without some good quality brushes, they make a lot of difference to texture and how product is applied.
Another product I can’t live without is GLITTER! I love glitter, it has become a huge part of my kit and it can be used it a lot of different ways (suprising as that may seem!) I have a few glitters but two of my favourites are by ohmyglitterOMG by Robyn McCattrall and they are called mermaid madness and unicorn lust, they are the most beautiful and unique colours and are so versatile!
And I think my final must have product is good quality face paints. I use GRIMAS, they aren’t the most expensive but they are great quality and beautifully pigmented water activated face paints and they are what upped my game with my creations.
Can you shortly describe a workflow? How long does it usually takes to finish one look? My workflow is pretty straightforward, I tend to have an idea in mind and gather props and products for the look I want to create. I then set up my backdrop, lights and camera and get out all of the products I need and lay them out on my station.
I then press record and away I go! I map out my look and then start filling it in with different colours, adding depth and texture where needed. Once i have created the desired look I finish it with a wig and my props and I am ready to photograph the finished creation.
It sometimes takes a while to finish a look but it really depends on what I am creating and how much I have planned how I want it to look. It can take anywhere from half an hour for a beauty look to 4-5 hours for a body painted look.
What is your #1 makeup tip you would like to share with our readers? My number one makeup tip I want to share is don’t be afraid to make mistakes and experiment. Makeup is meant to be fun, it doesn’t last forever so play with it! If you want to follow a tutorial but you’re afraid it won’t look how you want it to, just practice, have patience and take your time, experiment and make it fun!
Where do you find your inspiration for your makeup looks? Is it your own ideas or others that inspire you in this area? What’s the weirdest (funniest, most surprising) thing that inspires you? Inspiration is really important to artists, sometimes we have days where we just feel like nothing inspires us and we can’t create and other days it all just flows and you gather so many new ideas!
I find inspiration is so many different forms both from my own ideas and other people sharing their ideas with me. Sometimes I like to go for a walk, listen to music or browse the internet until something just clicks in my head and an idea is born, I then work on making it unique to me.
I think the strangest thing that inspires me is bugs! I used to photograph insects with macro photography and they never failed to inspire me, so sometimes when I am stuck for inspiration I look at macro images of insects for inspiration!
They are all so different and unique, some are dull looking with hidden bursts of colour and some are just full of colours and shapes and there are so many to look at!
What feedback do you usually get about your works? I get a lot of positive feedback about my work, both from people close to me and complete strangers. Sometimes I get messages on my facebook page, instagram or youtube from people saying that I’ve inspired them to play with makeup and others tag their friends to show them how “cool” or “awesome” a look is!
I often get my work shared across social media between groups and on pages which is really great to see so many people enjoying what I have put my time and love into making.
I am very grateful for the love and support I get surrounding my work.
What would be your dream makeup project? My dream makeup project would be to create a full mermaid makeup look on myself with a silicone tail and to have it photographed to add to my portfolio!
I am a mermaid at heart and to be able to fully transform myself into one for even just a day would be a dream come true!
Do you remember what was your first job as makeup artist? How did it go? My first job as a makeup artist was for a local photographer, I was going to watch to see how the other artists worked in the environment and requirements given but they were a makeup artist down and so I got asked to do the job.
It was terrifying and I was so nervous but the photographer is an amazing woman and so are her team and they reassured me I could do it. I worked with a few different models to create a beauty look. This was all done outside in the most beautiful lavender field! Honestly, it was a wonderful experience! Scary but so fun! I felt there were things I needed to improve on but it was a learning curve I embraced with open arms!
What’s the best advice you as a hair and makeup artist have ever gotten? I think the best piece of advice I was given was to never give up. Some days I have felt like i’m failing, like I would never be able to do something but sure enough I end up learning how to do it because I don’t give up on it! I am so glad I haven’t given up because I feel like as an artist I have progressed and grown so much.
If you could work with one person, alive or dead, who would it be? Do you have your icons? If i could work with any person in the world I think I’d love to work with the incredible Ve Neil. She is one hell of a makeup artist and a constant inspiration with her creations! I would love to learn with her and watch her at work and one day I hope to be half as good as she is!! Of course I have other icons too but perhaps too many to list!
What is the most exciting or challenging opportunity you have had as a freelance artist? What’s the project you are most proud of? The most exciting and challenging opportunity that i’ve had was being in the NYX 2nd annual UK face awards! It is the project I am most proud of because I didn’t think I stood a chance to even get into the competition! I made my entry and submitted it and waiting patiently for the top 20 to be announced, when I received a phonecall to tell me I was one of those 20 I cried with happiness and shock! Little did i know how challenging it would be with short deadlines, even shorter time restrictions on my challenge video lengths and competing with some absolutely outstanding artists!
I made it to the final 10 in the competion which was further than I thought i’d get and I pushed myself to a level I didn’t even know I could go at that point. It was fun, exciting and very challenging!!
What is something you haven’t achieved but hope to in the future? One thing I haven’t achieved that I hope to one day is to be recognized worldwide as a talented artist and to be able to fully support my family financially while doing something I love. They have supported me so much on my journey and I support them with their dreams and ambitions too but to be able to provide financial security is important to me so they have no worries about their futures and to be able to be recognised for all of my hard work as well would be a dream come true.
What role does social media play in developing your makeup business? What effect do you think the Internet has on the beauty industry? For me social media is really important in helping me with my business, it’s easier to get my name and creative looks out to people across the world as well as connecting with people who want to learn how to do makeup. The internet has really changed how the beauty industry has progressed in both a positive and negative way. I personally feel it has become easier to obtain tutorials and find new brands of beauty products as well as finding like minded creative people and connecting with potential clients and companies. However i also feel that it has put a lot of pressure on the younger generations to look a certain way which has a huge impact on body confidence with a lot of people.
What do you think are some of the keys to being a successful makeup artist? To be a successful makeup artist I think they key is patience and practice. Nothing happens overnight and you’ve got to work hard especially in such a competitive industry but if you are constatly pushing yourself to learn new things and trying new ideas and working hard to get to where you want to be then it will happen with time.
Where can we see more of your works and get connected with you? I have a few social media account people can find me where I share my work, I am on facebook www.facebook.com/mothqueenmakeup I am also on instagram under @mothqueenmakeup and I post regular tutorials on how I create my looks on my youtube channel www.youtube.com/c/mothqueenmakeup
I always try to interact with my followers and help them with any questions they may have.
What is the most important thing you want potential clients to know about you? The most important thing I want my potential clients to know about me is I am there to help!
I love what I do and if i can make your makeup dreams come true or help you learn how to apply makeup I will!
When I am applying makeup I go through each product and offer alternatives to suit them. I don’t want it to just be applying makeup and off you go, I want to be able to teach you something you didn’t know.
What superpower do you wish you had? Why? If i could have any superpower what would it be? Now this is a hard question! I have thought about this so many times but I can never fully decide!
I think if i could have any super power it would have to be being able to talk to animals! I’d love to be able to talk to animals because I am love animals although i’m sure the only thing my cats would say would be “ feed me human”.
Tell us one fact about yourself that our readers may find surprising. One fact about me that you may not know is I am secretly a mermaid! Just kidding, one fact about me that you may not know is that I have only been showcasing my makeup for a year and I am completely self taught. Before I was a makeup artist I was a photographer and I didn’t think anyone would ever be interested in seeing my makeup looks. Luckily for me my best friend encouraged me to open a facebook page and to start showing the world what I could do and I am so glad I did because I finally feel like I am on the right path in my life and I am loving my journey!
I have had so many amazing opportunities and I hope to have many more!
Thank you for this amazing opportunity, it has been amazing and I hope you’ve learnt a little bit about the journey of the MothQueen.
Thank you, Tania.
Published in 2016 November Volume III: BUY NOW
