The third installment of our Professionals is Cassie Steward, http://www.cassiemakeup.com/ one of our super cool and talented makeup artists that we use for Aussie events. Read on for Cassie’s fabbo interview…

How did you get your first break in the industry?

There wasn’t really a definind moment per se – I’d worked really hard assisting and testing for a few years and slowly started building up my client base and as my reputation grew, the jobs became bigger.

Who or what inspired you to become a makeup artist?

Just like any girl, I’d always loved make-up and hair since I was very young. I used to steal my mum’s lipsticks and eyeshadows and give myself some disasterous make overs at age 3 or 4 – there’s lots of photo evidence to prove it! I suppose the fascination with it just never went away, so I enrolled on a basic make-up course at my local college at 16 and spent the next few years assisting… the rest is history!

What has been your most exciting assignment to date?

I’m not sure to be honest – there have been all sorts of weird and wonderful jobs. I think probably my proudest would have had to have been Triumph swimwear a few years ago as it was my first big campaign at that point and was very exciting for me at the time. The Federicci ice cream ads are always a bit surreal too – not often I find myself working in a chapel with models in full nun/priest outfits kissing!

Who’s been the best celebrity to work with?

Sophie Anderton – very inspiring as it’s so rare to see someone who you’ve seen so many photos of in magazines/newspapers be even more beautiful in real life. Also Peter Crouch was a good one – very funny, easygoing and down to earth.

Who or what has been your biggest disaster?

I haven’t had a single big disaster yet (touch wood) but for the first year or so of my fledgeling make-up career, my models certainly seemed to walk away from my chair with a mysterious orange ring around their face… when I look back at the photos it’s so cringe!

If you could pass on one Makeup artist / hair stylist secret, what would it be?

A good skincare reigime. No make-up can beat finding and using the right products/process on your skin – it’s absolutely priceless, vital to a beautiful make-up application and those who look after their skin not only product-wise but also with their diet, water intake etc will see the benefits for the rest of their life.

What are the key looks right now?

Pastels are a key trend at the moment, in clothes and in make-up. Make-up wise, I don’t find most of them very wearable, but I absolutely love a good coral lipstick – there is a shade of coral for everyone and whilst it’s on trend right now, it’s also quite classic.

What celebrities are really working the look this year?

One that really jumps out for me is Beyonce – her latest video is amazing and I think she always manages to get it spot on. She is always on trend but never looks like she’s trying too hard, and always keeps it quite classic with her wardrobe/make-up/hair, with flashes of colour to keep things on trend. Her make-up artist Francesca Tolot is amazing. Beyonce always looks fantastic. I also like the fact that she seems to embrace her body shape even though she’s not stick thin – I hate celebrities who endorse the size zero phenomena as for most girls it’s unrealistic and quite dangerous.

Which celebrity have you always wanted to work with?

I have two – Mariah Carey (don’t laugh) as I’ve loved her and her music since I was very young and I think her face is unique and gorgeous, and also Jennifer Love Hewitt – very classy, wears her clothes well and obviously looks after herself with her beautiful skin, hair and great features.

If you weren’t a makeup artist what would you be doing instead?

I think when/if I retire, my top choices are leaning towards washing dogs at a poodle parlour or working in a cupcake shop – sounds pretty stress free to me!