“Add some brains to your beauty and you’ll be able to achieve that polished look you love” 

Lillybeth Melmoth is Tauranga’s young mobile makeup artist and makeup coach specialising in interactive lessons & pro makeup services. Her work centers around interactive makeup lessons and helping professional, smart and curious women become their own beauty experts. While studying Fashion & Photographic Makeup through the School of Makeup Art Technology in central Tauranga, Lillybeth launched her own business A Beautiful Education in 2008.

The business was created with the aim of giving local Tauranga women unbiased beauty advice without the expectation to purchase, “it makes me feel uncomfortable to know so many women are getting beauty advice that is commercially motivated” says Lillybeth.

Lillybeth’s services include small group and private consultations and lessons, professional application, and personal product advice with recommendations. You can also get Lilly in as a guest speaker to empower your audience with insights into the intriguing world of colour, confidence and beauty.

What is it about makeup that inspires you to do it full time?

It’s not just inspiration that fuels my career as a dedicated makeup artist, but logic too. I’m a practical girl and some things just make sense! A career as a makeup artist appealed to me because it fulfills my desire to be in business for myself, makes use of my personal experiences with makeup and is something I can use to create my own little empire. I’m a ‘star’ personality so whatever I do has to have the potential to earn a little fame.

But on the creative side, makeup never gets boring. Every face is different. Makeup holds so many challenges and possibilities, both technically and professionally. On a technical level, I think each makeup job is like a Pick-A-Path adventure book. On the face, every feature can be made up a million different ways – there are so many decisions to make! Skin, eyes, colours, textures, lips, cheeks, lashes…what I choose at each ‘fork in the road’ determines the end result and impacts on final look and feel of the makeup. Then professionally, there are opportunities with makeup in the world of commercial advertising, print, film/tv, fashion and the usual makeup for weddings, balls and special occasions – so many areas a makeup artist could specialise in.

When and why did you decide to start your own business?

I started A Beautiful Education in March 2008, with the main service being interactive makeup consultations (lessons). At the time I was cringing whenever I heard a cosmetic retailer offer ‘free shade recommendations’ because I knew those recommendations would be from within the one (overpriced) makeup range they were retailing and aimed at making a sale. And though that’s what business is all about, it makes me feel uncomfortable to know so many women are getting beauty advice that is commercially motivated. I started ‘A Beautiful Education’ so women could get just that: unbiased, professional advice to develop ‘the smarts to use cosmetics with confidence’ and become their own beauty experts. Add some brains to your beauty and you’ll be able to achieve that polished look you love, without wasting the time, energy and money so many women do.

What was involved in the set up?

I’m exclusively mobile so that took premises (and larger overheads) out of the equation. For the set up I concentrated on creating the format of my personal makeup consultations and developing the Beauty Profile Smarts Swatch tool. After experiencing A Beautiful Education, a customer receives her own beauty profile in a portable Smarts Swatch – a stack of cute cards on a ring containing suggestions for eye and lip colours and diagrams so she can recreate her professional look anytime. At my first consultation booking there were 21 cards available (Each customer receives a set of 7 or 8 cards). There are now 29, including the latest card on how to coordinate makeup with your outfit.

In the first year of my business I enrolled in a small business certificate course and, incidentally, a makeup diploma as I hadn’t formally studied makeup.

Do you have a favourite cosmetic range you like to use and why?

I don’t rely on ONE brand simply because no one brand does it all. I like to choose what I put in my kit based on the recommendations of Paula Begoun, also known as the Cosmetics Cop. She and her team have rated thousands of products from hundreds of brands over the last couple of decades and compiled them in a searchable database at www.beautypedia.com. (These reviews also make up her book, “Don’t Go To The Cosmetic Counter Without Me.”)

When I have a gap in my kit or am looking for a new product, I choose products that have the ‘tick’ from the Cosmetics Cop. They’re listed in handy ‘best of’ product lists so I can see what has the best finish, longest staying power etc. From my point of view, using a ‘cult favourite’ product just because it’s popular, or an expensive product because it looks impressive is a true fail. A kiwi uses whatever is practical to get the job done. If it doesn’t work, it won’t be in my kit.

I do love the mineral makeup range from Mary Kay Cosmetics and use a lot of their makeup in my work. The colours are gorgeous, the brand is easy to use and they have the best little magnetic compacts for personal use that fit eye colours, cheek colour, applicators plus lipstick or gloss all in one. Plus much of this range gets the tick from the Cosmetic Cop.

What are some of the bigger projects that you have worked on?

Watch this space! My goal this Winter is to secure more commercial work in the local advertising industry and fashion scene. So far, the biggest name I’ve worked for is Zespri. I did makeup for 6 actors involved in shooting a production to be used on Zespri’s international websites. The filming took place in Te Puke by local media company Braincell Creative and followed 3 generations of a kiwifruit growing family. Ironically, I would have failed at my job if my work were obvious on camera as the brief was for natural, healthy-looking makeup.

Do you have any inspirational or interesting work stories you would like to share?

I’m always impressed by makeup’s creative power and its role in self-restoration. Last year I assisted as a volunteer in a local workshop with the charitable organisation ‘Look Good, Feel Better’, who offer free makeup workshops to help women overcome the image-related side effects of cancer treatment. These workshops aren’t fail-proof as they use sometimes less-than-ideal donated products (I bit my tongue as they gave out blue eye shadow and alcohol-laden toners) but they are a wonderful way to boost the self-confidence of female cancer sufferers. It’s said that generation X, and Y especially, love to be part of something bigger than themselves and to give back to others. I’d encourage every business person to get to know and ‘own’ the power of their service or product, then find someone who really needs it and give it away. Like wearing your underwear straight out of the washing machine, it makes you feel ALIVE!

Where do you see yourself going in the next three years?

In three years I see myself as the preferred makeup artist for all occasions within the Bay of Plenty, dominating the fashion and commercial makeup market while maintaining a strong presence in the wedding and personal makeup scene. Plus, I am putting together some elite packages for professional women who want to master their best makeup looks once and for alI!  I have no plans to move to a bigger city so in three years I’ll probably still be working hard for my little slice of fame, but that’s all part of the fun!

For more information visit www.abeautifuleducation.co.nz