The Makeup Insider
The Makeup Insider is a weekly one-on-one podcast diving into the real life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance MUA Vanessa Barney. Finding your community of fellow creatives (talkative, adaptable, obsessed with colour) can feel daunting. Where do you even start? This podcast builds that community. Real conversations that grow your confidence, your connections and your career. New to the industry or years deep, tune in, check the show notes for key takeaways and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Find Vanessa: @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider
Episodes
Nicola Johnson has done makeup for 23 years, and she's worked in beauty her whole working life. She started as a beauty therapist in England at 16, worked a health farm, a resort spa in Turkey and a cruise ship, trained in makeup in London, then moved to Australia and built a freelance career across TV commercials, magazines, tourism campaigns and bridal. She's worked with Emma (yes, Emma from The Wiggles) for te...
Makeup artist's Vanessa Barney and Nicola Johnson share the products they reach for in their personal routines and professional kits, and how they use them.From skin prep and foundation to blush, concealer, lip combinations, powders, and tools, this is an in-depth chat packed with product favourites and practical insights for makeup artists and beauty lovers. They discuss products from brands including Dermalogica...
This month's Insider Diary is just me. I'm talking about the limiting beliefs that held me back in my career for decades, and what shifted for me.
In this episode:
- The 3 limiting beliefs that held me back for at least 13 years: fear of rejection, waiting to be "discovered," and not wanting to be annoying
- Why people rarely actually say no to you. Most of the time they just don't get back to you, and that's not the same thing
- 3 quote...
Ellen's Blog Post
From the Opera House to Viral TikTok, with Ask Ellen.
This week I sat down with Ellen Malone — makeup artist, beauty content creator, and reigning Australian and New Zealand Beauty and Fashion Creator of the Year. She's also, quietly, a trained opera singer who's performed at the Sydney Opera House and played the lead in Carmen. Yes, really.
We got into everything. Her start on a Mac co...
Michael Brown is back on The Insider Edit, and this time it's not a chat, it's a full face, live, start to finish. Michael's been in the industry since the early 2000s (he started at Estée Lauder back in 2000), trained under Gucci Westman during her years as Lancôme's creative director, and now works mostly red carpet and event glam: Melbourne Cup, the Logies, Farmer Wants A Wife, Today Show appearances, and a week ...
Michael Brown is back on The Insider Edit for round two. He's a freelance makeup artist with 25 years in the industry, he started out on retail counters for the Lauder Group, then moved in-house at L'Oréal, and he's been freelance for the last 12 years, mostly doing event and red carpet work. We kick off talking about the reality of PR gifting (15 to 20 deliveries a week is his average) before going full kit rundown...
It's just me this episode. I'm giving you an update on the last couple of weeks in my world, where Project 10K is really at, and a full five-step checklist for makeup artists trying to get gifting from brands.
What I cover:
- Why it's finally busy again in the Sydney makeup world after a slow, quiet stretch
- My last two weeks on the tools: five days of shoots, grooming Shep Rose from a US reality show, and grooming fo...
Adam Garland is back on The Insider Diary for episode 116. He's a UK-based session hairstylist who spent five years as the face of global brand Authentic Beauty Concept. These days he's building his own path: mentoring other artists, shooting his own images, and working with heritage beauty brands he actually believes in. His first episode with us got such a good response we're turning this into a mon...
Link to blog - all products mentioned linked.
Alana has been doing makeup for 12 years. She started fresh out of high school, worked the floor at Sephora's Broadway store, moved to London at 21 with zero plan and a backpack full of kit, built a career doing campaigns for Jaded London, came back to Australia during COVID, assisted the incredible Gillian Campbell, and has most recently been tourin...
All products mentioned linked in blog.
This week I'm joined by Sydney makeup artist Katie Moore. If you follow her work you'll know her style straight away, soft, skin focused, never overdone. We talked career, bridal work, and how she keeps things running without burning out. Then we did what we always do and pulled apart our kits.
- Katie Moore is a Sydney-based makeup artist, trained in New ...
From Mac OG to Agency Founder with Heidi Scarlett King
This week I sat down with Sydney-based makeup artist and King Co Creative founder Heidi Scarlett King — and yes.
Heidi has one of those careers that sounds like fiction. She started at Mac in Sydney when the brand had just launched, assisting Fashion Week shows a season. Then she packed up and moved to London with no plan, started again from scratch, end...
In this episode of The Insider Diary, I give a personal update on how work and content creation have been going. The main focus is my Instagram growth, I've picked up almost 2,000 followers in five weeks by posting reels daily, and I break down exactly which reels worked, which ones flopped, and the workflow behind it all. I also cover my content days and open the waitlist for my upcoming hair masterclass.
- Starte...
Adam Garland has worked backstage, assisted Sam McKnight, and had two shots at getting onto Guido Palau's team. Right now he's in his dad's garage in Somerset, UK, building a hair education platform from scratch. In this episode we talk about how he broke into session work (Model Mayhem, zero plan), the real cost of working for free, imposter syndrome, addiction and recovery, why chasing the agency dream was holding...
This week I sat down with Sydney makeup artist Max May. Nearly 30 years in the industry, self-taught, Armani Australia ambassador, Charlotte Tilbury Glow Squad, and one of the first artists in this country to build a blog and digital presence when the industry told him it would ruin his career.
In this episode we cover:
- How Max got started — growing up in the country, moving to Sydney, falling into hairdress...
3. The Inside Edit
Tannia T has been doing this for over two decades. She started at the Napoleon Perdis counter and worked her way to global artistry — training staff, creating content, and travelling to LA and New York for major industry events.
Today she runs her own home studio, takes one-on-one clients, does bridal work, and has some clients who have been with her for over ten years.
In this episode, w...
Kiana has been in and around the makeup industry for 13 years. But her path wasn't straight. She started on the Mecca counters, stepped away to work in disability support, and came back in 2022 through The Iconic's e-commerce team.
Since then? Sydney, Milan, Paris Fashion Weeks. A freelance career built on cold calls, genuine connections, and trusting her own eye.
In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes ...
What A Stylist Actually Does with Kate Lauren Harper
Recently week I sat down with Sydney-based stylist Kate Lauren Harper for a refreshingly honest conversation about what stylists really do and what that means for us as hair and makeup artists on set.
If you have ever wondered what the stylist is actually doing while you are in kit, or how to build a better working relationship with styling, this episode is for you.
...
Episode 2 of The Insider Edit | The Makeup Insider
It's just me this week — and I'm bringing you 10 products I genuinely can't live without. Five from my kit, five I use on myself every day. Plus a quick chat about PR gifting, asking for what you want, and why a 'no' is never the end of the story.
Also in This Episode
- How Vanessa gets PR gifting (hint: she asks for it)
- Overcomi...
Welcome to The Insider Diaries.
This is the first of a new monthly segment where I sit down solo and chat through what is going on in my world, in the industry, and the conversations I think we should be having as makeup artists.
In this episode I am pulling the curtain back on the last six months, sharing why I went quiet, and unpacking two big topics: visibility, and the Yana and Perth makeup artist situation.
What w...
This week on The Makeup Insider, I sit down with Sydney based makeup artist Molly Warkentin for a chat that covers more than two decades in the beauty industry.
Molly takes us from her UK beginnings at Chichester College, through her time at Mac and the tight knit crew she calls the Makeup Mafia, all the way to the moment she chose to step back from bridal work to make space for family.
We talk about taste level, the ...
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