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From Bedroom Studio to Global Glam: Serena Wyllie’s Journey to Becoming the ‘Queen of Glow’.
Description
The Makeup Insider is a weekly one-on-one podcast exploring the life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance mua Vanessa Barney. This week: getting personal with Serena Wyllie, makeup artist, Sydney-sider and ‘Queen of Glow’.
Growing up in a small country town, Serena established her business from her bedroom-turned-studio at the age of 16. From watching Chloe Morello on YouTube to travelling to the UK to complete a hair and makeup course. From completing Mia Connor’s mua masterclass, to Shannon William’s hair masterclass. And working her a$$ off travelling to remote locations in far North Queensland for gigs in between.
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time, tune in now, check out Serena’s key takeaways and subscribe for future podcasts below.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
BEING A SELF-STARTER.
Replacing her bed with a lounge in her bedroom-turned-studio at the age of 16, Serena charged $30pp for makeup appointments. Using makeup from Woolworths and a purple eyeshadow palette (which she somehow made to work for everyone), she didn’t let her location stop her from turning her passion into a career.
Using her full-time job to fund higher-end products for her Kit, Serena began working on bridal clients during her weekends - with one wedding leading to another. Building her portfolio of clients and work, she officially launched her career as a full-time mua on her 18th birthday.
A lot of perseverance in the face of rejection and setbacks, and a whole lot of initiative is what you need as an artist to make it.
“I took a leap of faith and I never looked back.”
Serena Wyllie
HOW DIFFERENT STYLES FIT.
Not every brief is going to be the same, nor every client you work with. Understanding how to make a style work for you and how styles can be universally different across countries, is super important.
For Serena, she completed her mua course in the UK in London. Where blow drys, ‘no-makeup’ makeup and red lips were the beauty standard. Fast forward to her time back in Australia, she quickly learnt that beachy waves (that ‘undone’ look) and bronzed cheeks were what everyone wanted.
“That’s the thing with the industry. It’s like, you can never stop learning. Education is the best investment, try every six months to learn something new.”
Serena Wyllie
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS.
What are some of your highlights as an artist? Is it your favourite gig, your biggest client, your first real break?
Serena’s includes a wedding she worked on in Beirut, Lebanon. With her mum born there, it was really special to be flown over by her client for their incredible wedding, where she got to spend time meeting family and cousins, some of which for the first time.
She also proudly states that working with Zoe Foster Blake at the age of 20 changed her career. Opening her eyes to a whole new world of fashion, celebrities and makeup - Zoe continues to be an incredible mentor for Serena, helping with her business over the years.