Best Makeup Artist
Leah_hair_mua
Leah Leonard
Beauty | Best Makeup Artist
Hi guys! I would absolutely love to win this award as it would be my biggest achievement to date ! It has been a goal to win under my own name. I’m truly passionate about make up and making ladies of all ages feel beautiful for their special occasions ! Seeing their reactions in the mirror never gets old , especially when they share their own personal struggles/ stories which makes it magical to make them feel confident and beautiful . I moved down to Offaly 3 years ago and to build a new clientele from scratch was tough but I made it my mission to be the best I could be! Now I tutor during the week and do makeovers and bridal parties at the weekend ! I truly would love to win, even to be shortlisted was a dream! Thanks so much !
Pretty Beautiful by Sara
Sara Ashmore Kehoe
Beauty | Best Makeup Artist
I am passionate about all things beauty and makeup. I am a qualified makeup artist and beauty therapist for the last twenty years, with internationally recognized qualifications. I have been fortunate that I am now teaching my passion. I am programme coordinator of the makeup course.
I love creative makeup, SFX and bridal makeup. I worked as a freelance bridal makeup artist before I went into teaching full time. I have a loyal client base focusing on bridal and debs makeup.
I have a small loyal following on my social media channels and blog. My blog is www.Prettybeautifulbysara.com. I have a regular makeup and beauty column with the Nationalist newspaper and I decided to create my blog with the feedback from my readers. I have won National and international makeup awards. I won two Irish Beauty Awards IBI for makeup artistry and SFX in 2018 and 2019. I was a semi-finalist in 2020. I was third in the creative makeup category in 2020. I recently won best blogger in The Irish Makeup Awards.
Blog: www.Prettybeautifulbysara.com
Instagram: Prettybeautifulbysara
Facebook: Prettybeautifulbysara
Tanya Quigley Make-up Artist
Tanya Quigley
Beauty | Best Makeup Artist
I am still relatively new within the bridal Makeup industry but each year I’m growing my business and my experience to give my Brides the best possible experience on their special day. I would love to win this, as a recognition to myself that I belong here and I’m just as worthy and hard working as anyone else.
Collette Kavanagh Salon
Collette Kavanagh
Beauty | Best Makeup Artist
The reason that I would like to win the best Makeup Artist in Laois/Offaly is
19 years ago this month, I left my career as a consultant engineer and traded my beloved Subaru in for a Mitsubishi Carisma ( which I detested), to free up money to take over a salon lease. With no government grants or ever working in a beauty salon before.
I had just finished studying Beauty Therapy and Makeup in the Marie Therese Burke, Portlaoise College of Beauty therapy, parttime purely for my own interest , but coming from a family of self-employed parents and siblings it was a challenge I guess I had to fulfil too.
As a child I have always loved Art and was lucky enough to be offered a place in the National College of Art & Design , but headed for Galway instead to study Engineering .
So, I guess that might explain my love of makeup artistry and I’m blessed with having the pleasure of working on many thousands of beautiful faces through the years . And that’s where the real joy and payoff is for me When I get to reveal to the client in the mirror, her beauty highlighted , which sometimes brings tears of joy on their faces and a new found pep in their step, leaving the salon.
I resumed my studies a few years ago and did a Master’s of Science in Quality Management and MBB in Lean Six Sigma . (Lean Six Sigma is all about reduce waste and making processes more efficient in manufacturing using various tools and statistical modelling ). I rewrote my learning to make it applicable to the salon industry and did my thesis on Introducing Lean Six Sigma to a Beauty Salon, this was never done before.
This made me think how could I apply this knowledge to makeup so I managed to combine both my engineering and artistry skills and created a new makeup method and designed a set of brushes around this method, which enables clients to complete their full face of makeup in 10 mins . I teach this method in my makeup studio in the salon , hosting both private client lessons and group workshops.
I have never entered a competition or I guess really put myself out there so to have been nominated and shortlisted for the Brian Cunningham , Hair, Style and Beauty Awards was truly fantastic and well to win would just be such an honour .
Thank you all so very much .
Collette Kavanagh
Make-Up & Hair by Catherine Hickey
Catherine Hickey
Beauty | Best Makeup Artist
Thank you so much for considering me for this amazing award! It’s such an honour to be once again nominated by all my beautiful past & future brides! Weddings is what I love doing & being apart of a brides big day is why I love my job so much. It’s just fantastic & so humbling to be recognised for the all the hard work my team & I have put in over the years.
I started out free Lance from my house 11 years ago & now I own one of the busiest studios in limerick for make – up & hair with 10 staff! We specialise in weddings but also have a range of services like tan , nails , waxing etc all under one roof! Its been a tough few years but so rewarding & we have got through covid & remained the best around. I would like to once again thank you for this amazing opportunity & I would dedicate this award to all my hardworking team.
Thanks so much
Catherine & Team xx
