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Interview with Makeup Artist Zydre Zilinskaite

“It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel!” – makeup artist Zydre Zilinskaite.


Makeup artist Zydre ZilinskaiteZydre, can you tell us a bit about yourself please and how did you discover a love for makeup? How did your career begin in the world of beauty? I have been fascinated with creative arts and beauty of a human since I can remember and I was drown to makeup since I started entering my teenage years. It took a good while until I realized that makeup could be a possible profession, but I always felt that this is what I want to do. I actually studied advertising and cinema management prior to starting makeup career; I tried different jobs before taking a makeup brush in my hand and started painting someone else’s face that I felt right in my life. I was born and grew up in Vilnius, Lithuania and my learning process started there, but not long after I moved to London and dived in fully into makeup world.

Do you like creating really out-there looks, or do you prefer something classically beautiful? Why? Would you have your signature look? I have to admit something. I really hate routine. It’s something that drives me crazy. I found myself doing different types of makeup jobs daily and never getting bored. I might do something utterly artistic and crazy one day and a barely there look next day and be excited doing both. I do have a soft spot for fresh and flawless esthetics but I enjoy the whole process of creating the out-there look equally.

What is your beauty philosophy? I see beauty in everyone and everything. It cannot really be described in just few words. It’s not just the pretty makeup and sexy dress. I can find beauty when I hear birds singing early morning or watching thunderstorm at midnight. It’s not just what we see, it’s what we feel. When it comes to the beauty of a woman, the most beautiful thing is confidence. And I always want to give that to my models or clients when I’m working with them.

Makeup Artist Zydre Zilinskaite

How do you keep up with all the new trends and styles? What are your sources of inspiration for makeup looks? I do have a bit of a magazine obsession; I look through them every week just to keep up to what’s new. I find it much more enjoyable to have a paper print in my hands and flip through the pages. I also get invited to attend the new products releases and seminars by makeup brands, which is a great way to quickly get up to date with trends. For creating makeup looks I get inspired by anything really. I am a person that observes everything that’s around me, smallest random detail can give me an idea. People and nature are the greatest inspirations to me.

What do you think are some of the keys to being a successful makeup artist? It’s a very complex profession, there is no one gold rule (or if there is, please tell me!) to become successful. Good communication with people is definitely the key for success, but also it’s very important not to stop developing as an artist, generate new ideas. And stay true to yourself.

In your opinion what is the toughest thing about being a makeup artist? What would you say is the most challenging part of this business? Well it’s not the toughest thing but it’s something I absolutely hate doing… All the paper work! When you are a freelancer, you have to keep up with all invoices and receipts … For me personally, nothing can be more boring than this!

What is the most exciting/memorable opportunity you have had as a freelance artist? Honestly it’s hard to just distinguish only one exciting opportunity, there are way too many!!! I always get super excited to work with people who have achieved so much in their lives.

Does everyone look better with make-up? Are there any old makeup myths that people should throw out the window? It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel! If you feel like million dollars with no makeup on, then you are stunning! I do though obviously really love makeup, and at least few drops of this and that can make miracles! There are loads of myths, but this one is on top of my head ‘for applying the blush, first smile, and then apply blush on your cheeks’… Yes sure if you’re 16 and you have a baby skin, fine! But gravity does its job and our skin becomes loose in time. So when you smile, your cheeks are much higher then when you relax the face, and you end up having blush where you shouldn’t!

If you turn up at a show/shoot and the model has terrible skin, what do you do? Skin preparation is essential for creating a beautiful look. I always cleanse the skin prior the makeup with micellar water (Bioderma has an amazing one, it also calms the skin down and hydrates) no matter what skin conditions are. If the skin is very dry or irritated, I also like to apply Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrè because it has an amazing hydrating and soothing properties. If there is extra time I would apply a calming mask prior the cream too and let it sit on the skin but usually the reality is that everything has to be extra fast!

What are your tips for maintaining a youthful appearance? Any advice on how to keep your routine simple? Well I hear this all the time from my clients ‘I bought this very expensive cream and I use it sometimes…’. Sometimes is not going to cut it! It’s not about how expensive the skin care products are, but how efficiently you are looking after your skin. Cleansing routine for morning and nigh are essential and makes a huge difference. No matter what your age is or what skin type you have, moisturizing should also be an everyday routine. It’s important to find products that works for your skin, so make sure to find out what skin type you have (dry, normal, combination, oily) and look for products dedicated for your type of skin.

What are some products that you couldn’t live without while working on set? Apart of Bioderma Micellar water and Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrè, I also always have Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, it works magic on any dry patches on the skin and also works amazing as a gloss and Make Up For Ever ‘Flash Palette’ because it’s so universal that if there were and emergency, I could probably do full face of makeup only using that.

How do you get a “natural” look when you’re doing your make-up? Any tips/tricks? For ‘natural’ makeup looks skin prep is extra important! I also love using a bit of cream blush: I just tap it with my fingers, because the warmth of the hands will help the product melt on the skin and look like there is no product on just a healthy flush.

Would you have any advices for keeping makeup looking fresh and pretty on set during a hot summer day? Great primer, silky smooth translucent powder and makeup setting spray!

In terms of traveling, what is some advice you can give someone that is about to travel with their kit? For traveling pack only those products which are great multitaskers! Don’t forget that most of the makeup products can be used on various places, like blush on the eyes (unless it starts otherwise on the package!) or lipstick as a cheek color. Have white and dark cream mixing product so you could create custom shades (Illamasqua just brought a great one called Skin Base Mixer, it’s made for mixing with foundations, but if you need to lighten a cream/liquid blusher than why not?)

makeup by Zydre Zilinskaite

What effect do you think the Internet will have/has had on the beauty industry? Internet has its pluses and minuses. Nowadays it’s super easy to find any information, but also you can get mistaken with false statements. Some people are trying to reach fame by doing silly things like contouring using spoons, but it’s not necessarily right. It’s important to learn how to filter what’s relevant. On the other hand, you can connect with people in a very easy way; find similar minded people would be very hard if Interned did not exist.

Zydre, why is having a makeup artist essential to a photographer? What can you provide to help a photographers images stand out? I think having a great team is essential in general. Generating ideas with a group of people is much more efficient then trying to do everything alone. Makeup artist has a slightly different vision to a photographer, although it’s all very relatable. For example I would use a highlighter on the cheekbones for them to stand out, photographer would try to do the same using his lighting equipment. But we see the face slightly different, and makeup artist know straight away what changes needs to be made to make the eye color to stand out, hide those dark under eye circles, and etc. When it comes to creative work, it’s really important to work together and discuss the ideas prior the shoot, so the makeup artwork could take the result to the whole new level.

interview with makeup artist Zydre Zilinskaite

What advice would you give to makeup artists starting out and trying to find photographers to work with? Always look at photographer’s portfolios! Even if you are just starting out, always know that the photographer can either capture your creation beautifully or really screw it over… If the photographer has only done landscape photography and you are planning a beauty shoot, then well, the chances are that you might not get the result you wanted. You want your images to stand out, so find people who have the same mentality and understanding of a beauty.

How do you feel about digital manipulation and post processing to help makeup artists to represent their works? Unfortunately nowadays there is almost nothing real. And when I hear some makeup artists says ‘it’s alright, photographer can fix this’ my blood boils. We: makeup artists should always seek to do the best as we can. Slight enhancements on post production are fine, but the portfolio should never be unrealistic. The true skills come out really quickly when you are hired.

What would you tell some one who has a burning desire to start as a freelance makeup artist. Is there a good opportunity in the industry? I would say you should always try to do what you are dream of. It is a very hard job and not everybody expects it to be. But if it’s something that you’re dreaming of morning to night, then do it! You’ll never know if you don’t try.

makeup by Zydre Zilinskaite

Where can our readers keep up with your work and get connected with you? You can find my work on my website www.zydrezi.com, I update my Instagram www.instagram.com/zydrezi/ and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ZyZiMakeUp constantly. For makeup lessons and random bits from my life check my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/ZydreZi-MakeupArtist .

What do you love most about doing makeup? I love creativity, meeting new people, colors…. Everything! It’s a whole different world to me, where I can escape from anything.

Tell us one thing about Zydre Zilinskaite people might find surprising. Some people find it very weird when I tell them that I sleep with socks. Well I do no matter what season and how hot it is! Do you think it’s crazy?

Thank you, Zydre.

Published in 2016 July Volume I: BUY NOW


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