Interview with professional Deaf make-up artist Kellie Moody

Hi Kellie! So first of all, how did you become a make up artist and why?

WOW…It has always been inside me, my passion for make up was there even when I was a little girl.

I used to love sitting in the bathroom watching my mum put on her make up (so I guess she was my first inspiration!) I can still remember how she used her lipstick as a blusher to give her cheeks a healthy glow and the smell of her hairspray as she got ready.

Then at 13, I got hooked on a cheesy 😉 TV soap called Sunset Beach and was wowed by the glamorous make up. When I was a bit older films like Batman Forever (The Penguin & Poison Ivy), Hook and Mrs Doubtfire really made me want to try more creative make up techniques, (I even later re-created a Poison Ivy look for an exam!)

In secondary school however, and like many young Deaf people, I was told that I could not pursue this dream job because of my deafness and ‘difficulties with communication’, so I was encouraged to pursue a career with minimal contact with the public.

But because I still wanted to explore my creativity, I enrolled at Leicester College on a HND Surface Pattern course, possibly to pursue something in graphic art.

Here, one amazingly supportive art teacher encouraged me to follow my dreams and gave me the confidence to believe in myself. So, after graduating, still determined to pursue my long-term passion of makeup artistry I took an educational step back (in terms of level) and enrolled on a further 2 years of study on the Artistic Make Up and Special Effects course, again at Leicester College.

I had a couple of really supportive people around me then; Marisol (my teacher) who treated me as equal to every other student, and Rachel (my lovely and encouraging CSW). Having these people who believed in me and said things like ”one day I will see your name on the credits of TV/film” was SO important, and although a lower level than my HND I loved it, I was awarded Student of the Year for both of my study years and from this stepping stone I never looked back!

Wow! I’m glad you had those encouragers behind you. What were the biggest challenges then?

My first hurdle was convincing some people that this route was the best thing for me. I took a two year side step by doing my HND course. Although it was useful in lots of ways, after this I was back to square 1 trying to convince people that the make up course was the best route for me…especially as it was at a lower level than my HND.

Are there many Deaf make up artists? If so – is it a supportive community?

As far as I know I was the first Deaf Make Up Artist (MUAs) in the UK (but if I am wrong I would love to meet them!)I have since worked alongside/in skills development with 3 others and have now also seen 2 of my own Deaf students go off and pursue make up / and hair as a career.

There is not a specific Deaf MUA community, but there is a strong community of MUA’s that I regularly link up with through on-line forums, and I have a small circle of artists that I work with regularly.

I think there are not more Deaf MUA’s because of the ongoing communication barriers thrown up. Being a make up artist is hard for hearing people and even more-so for Deaf. It is all about networking and building contacts.

I still find it a challenge as I am there to do a job to a high standard and so I cannot get distracted by having to look away to communicate. A hearing person can do this at the same time as working; chatting about jobs, who they have worked for, what they have done etc, this remains a big challenge.

The fast pace and quick-changing nature of the business can also be off-putting for a budding MUA unless you are very confident and I am afraid there can be unnecessary barriers by employers especially when working on TV or film sets.

The importance of building a 1-2-1 rapport with make up clients (such as my bridal clients) who LOVE to chat about and find out more about products and application techniques is crucial for ‘word of mouth’ recommendations. As I have shown there are loads of ways to workaround things but it can still be a challenge.

Can you describe an average day at work for you?

There is no such thing. Just in these last couple of weeks I have covered over 1000 miles by car, worked from Bath to London and Leicester and then back to Bristol, have made up brides, party goers, professional TV presenters and friends….

I have planned workshops and liaised with business advisers over setting up a studio base, and suppliers regarding products…

And one of my most important tasks is managing 100’s of text, Whatsapp messages, website and email inquiries, to ensure I am there for the most important people; my clients….all of this plus maintaining my Instagram (kelliemoodymakeupartist) and Facebook feeds. An average day is a constant prioritisation task!

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

Probably working at the BAFTA’s, I would love to do more of that, I love the buzz of a big event. Also currently working on BBC TV’s See Hear is a-mazing. The team are incredible, so lovely to work with, and very professional, as too are the Magic Hands, Small World and Deaf Funny crews.

I have been lucky enough to work with all these teams and it is wonderful to have all those barriers just melt way when working with a Deaf team.

Recently I also worked again with the very talented and beautiful India Morse; Deaf Fitness Blooger/Instructor and Deaf advocate though ASOS magazine. I really have been incredibly lucky to meet and work with these people.

Who would you love to do make up for? Deaf and hearing?

No one person comes to mind that I would love to make up, but one thing I would love to do is to be able to work alongside some of the great make up artists like Ve Neill, and see how they do things; how they plan their kits and what little tips and tricks they can share.

What would you like to learn next?

I believe that your education never stops and I always love learning new things, I think it is really important. I am hungry for information and to learn the next thing.

Specific things I would like to learn include more in-depth eyelash techniques as this is very relevant for my bridal make up clients, possibly more in depth or new eyebrow skills such as micro blading. My primary aim now however is to set up a base site/studio. Then I can take on more 1-2-1 teaching clients and offer in-house, rather than mobile trials.

What would you say to someone who was deaf and wanted to train in make up but didn’t know how to start?

Start by having fun with make up yourself, on yourself and friends and family. As you get better and learn more sophisticated techniques and applications start to build a pictorial portfolio, things like Instagram are great for this.

Then for more experience of working with the public (as this is the main part if taking it up as a career) apply for, or volunteer for, make up positions i.e. on make up counters in department stores as this is also a great way to see what new products are out there.

I worked my way up by firstly working for Pizza Hut for a year. I learned customer care and even sales skills which I could then use as examples for my first make up interview with MAC.

At MAC and with Charlotte Tilbury I worked on make up counters again building my customer care and communication skills, plus I gained amazing experiences as I was offered work through them at high profile events like VIP Festivals, at The BRITS and for Nivia.

But something I would say to everyone (not just those interested in make up) is do what you enjoy and feel passionate about, as then you are better equipped to deal with the challenges and barriers before you.

Do you have any courses or workshops you can tell our readers about?

Names are also being taken for courses and workshops, so please email me (info@kelliemoody.com) or leave your name with BAMM (office@bammakeup.com) for news and updates!

Kellie Moody is a professional Make Up Artist based in Bath who travels nationwide for her work. You can follow her on Instagram @kelliemoodymakeupartist