Expert of the Month: Antonia Rudebeck

Up-and-coming makeup artist Antonia has worked at catwalk shows around the globe, with magazines including Vogue and Glamour and has made-up celebrities including Paloma Faith, Cat Deeley and Daisy Lowe. She shares some of her backstage secrets with Max Factor fans.

How can aspiring makeup artists break into the industry?
Apply to do a good course. I went to Glauca Rossi in London, which is an excellent school with alumni including Hannah Murray, Jemma Kidd and Charlotte Tilbury. You should then invest in getting a book of your work together, before approaching makeup artistry agencies for jobs. Apply to assist on fashion shows and try to work with lots of makeup artists. If you work well with the head makeup artist and are in the right place at the right time you can sometimes become a first assistant.

What is good about being a first assistant?
It exposes you to all aspects of makeup artistry and you can work on everything from editorial shoots for the glossies, to designer shows to television programmes. You get to meet lots of people along the way, so it’s a great way to build your contacts and if you have the same vision as the person that you are assisting it can be hugely inspiring and a really great collaborative process.

What does it take to be a great makeup artist?
You need an artistic eye and you need to be able to get on well with people. Applying someone’s makeup is quite intimate, so you need to be able to put your subject at ease.

What is your personal favourite backstage beauty tip?
Prepping the skin is key to creating a flawless look. I love to use facial oils to massage the skin wherever possible. I also spend time using exfoliators, serums and moisturisers.

If you could work with any model or celebrity, for any show, who would it be and why?
Kate Moss – she has a fantastic reputation within the industry and has an iconic look, but is also really versatile.

Which S/S11 trends will you be wearing this season?
A punchy statement pout is the must-have look this season. Bright red is a bold look. As a general rule, blue toned reds look better on paler skin, whilst orangey shades suit darker tones. Play around and experiment though until you find a shade that suits you. Fuchsia is also fab and is very wearable, no matter what your skin tone is.

Where do you get the inspiration for your make up looks?
I love flicking through Dazed, 10, I-D, Pop and V. Italian Vogue is amazing for inspiration. Films such as Black Swan can also give you ideas and I love going to the V and A book shop to peruse the pages of photographic books.

What is your beauty philosophy?
Make the most of what you’ve got. If your eyes are your best features, accentuate them. If you’ve got great lips, don’t be afraid to go for a bold pout. Put extra effort into looking after your skin because your makeup will look so much better if your base is flawless.

There are lots of fab examples of Antonia's work below. To see more visit www.antoniarudebeck.com.