Interview: Lynne Mills, make-up artist

WE WERE all at school with one. Girls whose make-up was flawless, who emerged from double PE still looking red carpet ready and had a queue of pals begging them to do their faces for the school disco.

What happens to those girls and where do they go when they grow up? In Lynne Mills' case, they become a top make-up artist in the running for one of the Oscars of the beauty industry, to be announced tonight in London.

"At school I loved doing my friends' make-up. It started when I was seven or eight and my mum would give me the boxes from her make-up, then I started stealing her lipsticks. Make-up would start appearing on my Christmas list and by 15 I was obsessed. I was the sort of person who went to school with perfect make-up. Even now, I wouldn't go out for milk without make-up on. My appearance is very important because it's my job. I have to look the part and prove that I can do it for others."

Originally from Stirling and now based in Edinburgh, Mills set up Eye Candy Professional Make-Up Scotland in 2005. With a core team of eight artists, the business does fashion shoots, weddings and makeovers and was being tipped in beauty bible Vogue last summer as a top make-up provider.

Nominated for the third year in a row in the 2011 Professional Beauty Awards, known as the Oscars of the industry, Mills is satisfied she has given it her best shot to carry off the Make-up Specialist of the Year category.

"I'm hoping it'll be third time lucky. To be nominated for such a prestigious national award is a real honour. It is fantastic that a national awards body is recognising the work we are doing in Scotland. It is a very exciting time for the company."

Mills trained as an actress and in between theatre work temped to pay the bills. One such office job prompted her to make a go of her long-running interest and she bundled up her brushes and headed for Manchester to study with celebrity make-up artist Elaine Jones, who has worked her magic on David Beckham, Kate Winslet and Kate Moss.

"I was working in an office and doing theatre work on the side, and decided I wanted to train in make-up and set up my own business. It was great to work with someone who had red carpet skills and tips," she says.

After training, Mills headed back to Edinburgh and got cracking with her website. "It took off faster than I thought and within 18 months it was full time. I just pushed myself to get out there and make connections and contacts."

So is the world of fashion shoots and red carpet events as glamorous as it sounds? "It can be. Lots of make-up artists are on location and we get to the most amazing locations – castles, country estates ..."

Mills has done her share of Miss Scotlands and WAGs but prefers the wow factor that a touch of make-up can impart on the average Joe and Joan Bloggs, especially when it's for their wedding day, one of the major parts of her business.

"Models aren't that interested in cosmetics. A lot of them are so beautiful anyway they don't bother with it themselves away from work, but an everyday person gets a real buzz from it and the job satisfaction comes from making them look good. There's nothing better than that. It's a real high."

Mills has noticed an increase in our demand for make-up and her services as we expect to have access to the techniques and products previously only available to celebrities. Her clients think nothing of asking for a Dannii Minogue or Cheryl Cole look and are happy to treat themselves to a makeover, so they can hang the photographs on their bedroom wall.

"We're all wearing a lot more make-up and people are becoming brand aware, spending much more on our appearance than ever before and being more image conscious. We think, 'Why shouldn't I have that too?' If it's good enough for celebs it's good enough for everyone."

And it's not just women who are stocking up on cosmetics; men are wearing their fair share too, says Mills.

"Men are definitely catching up; they're using tinted moisturiser, concealer, bronzer, lip balm, exfoliator, eye wrinkle cream. And why not?"

Why not indeed? Perhaps they'll be as interested in Mills' next project as her female clients, a top secret product she's keeping her glossy lips sealed over until she's secured finance but she will reveal it's something that makes applying make-up easier. "I'll know very shortly if it's going ahead and if it's a success, I'd love to set up my own brand and introduce more products. Do a Jemma Kidd."

Given that her mantra is "If you set your mind to it, you can do it," we suggest it's time to watch this face. n

www.eyecandyscotland.co.uk

This article was first published in Scotland On Sunday, 27 February, 2011