Brissy MUA Gemma Elaine talks about curating your perfect kit and confidence building.

Send us Fan MailThis week: getting personal with @Gemma Elaine, one of Brisbane’s top mua’s who has been working in the industry for over 16 years.PUT YOUR HANDS UP IF YOUR MAKEUP KIT CONTAINS… sounds like the start of a drinking game, right? But curating your kit is one of the key ingredients to success as a makeup artist. We got the low-down from Gemma on what she puts in her kit, the questions to ask ahead of time and what she really loves about her job.Gemma says at the end of the day, we all just have to see each other as a community, as opposed to competition. So if you can help another artist out, you’re actually doing yourself a favour in the long run. One of the best things about being a mua is the people you get to meet and friendships that you form. If you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time, tune in now, check out the key takeaways and subscribe for future updates below.KEY TAKEAWAYS:BUILDING CONFIDENCE.When Gemma first started out as a mua, she had little confidence. ‘I felt like I could do the makeup, but then when a 16-year old tells you they hate what you’ve done, your confidence is crushed’. Her biggest struggle was trying to get people to like what she’d done – until she learnt the human element: how to interpret people and understand their end-goal (oh and a sh*t load of experience too). “People would bring in a photo of Miranda Kerr, and say make me look like this… It took me years of experience and learning to read people to know that they don’t actually want to look like her – they want to feel as good as she looks. It’s tricky to break down what makeup translates to different people and understand what they actually want to look like. But once you have the experience, your confidence grows.”Gemma ElainePRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.As a mua, we look at every client/job as an opportunity to learn. Whether you’re working retail, have an agent or are freelancing. You need to practice, practice, practice until your skills are perfect (or damn near close!). Learning how to work on different skin types and eye shapes, across different ages and very different personalities too – is largely beneficial for your career. Learning in a team environment is always really good for education, because you can see how other people do things, pick up tips and ask questions along the way.If you’re happy and kind to work with, everything flows better. Gemma is a big believer in putting positive vibes into the universe and getting them back. So, she always looks at things as an opportunity to learn. “I learnt how to do makeup on everyone. On kids, on models, on me. You just have to learn that whoever sits in front of you, you’re there to make them happy, to make them look beautiful.”The Hair Edit Waitlist Follow TMI on IG Follow Vanessa on IGThe Makeup Insider Blog The Makeup Insider TikTok