In this month’s issue TYG talks to makeup artist Mia Dockerty as part of our Q&A section. Mia talks us through the recent cover shoot ‘In Bloom’ and her own business she has started up with photographer Molly Hall.
Interview date: 1st December 2023TYG: How long have you been a makeup artist?
Mia: I have been a qualified makeup artist since I turned 16 at the end of 2019 and have absolutely loved my journey ever since. I always loved to play around with makeup since a young age and was constantly experimenting with different products and styles.
TYG: How did you get started / train to be an MUA?
Mia: I started out attempting to recreate different makeup looks that I’d see on YouTube tutorials or Instagram on myself at around the age of 13. This then led to family and friends allowing me to practice on them. The transition from working on my own face to multiple people’s faces is what made me start to realise how many different elements there are to makeup artistry. This also made me realise how much I loved to see the end result of how happy and confident I could make someone feel by simply sharing my talent and passion with them. When my parents started to realise how serious I was becoming about starting my journey as a makeup artist, they surprised me by booking me on to a 12 week artistry course ran by a makeup artist named Kate Hayes. Starting on this course really pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the confidence to start sharing my work on Instagram and putting myself out there. I think being around so many amazing women on the course who had the same passion as me and who were constantly there to support my work even on the weeks when I didn’t feel as if I’d done myself as proud as normal really helped me to gain more confidence and want to encourage others the same way they encouraged me. I will forever be so grateful for my parents being able to give me that opportunity and all of the astounding people that have helped to get me where I am today. I know there’s still so far to go but being grateful for how far I’ve come already will always be so important to me.
TYG: Tell us the idea behind the “in Bloom” cover feature.
Mia: When creating the ‘In Bloom’ images, the team were eager to capture and promote natural beauty coincided with some elements of man made beauty. We believed that to achieve this we should juxtapose the more natural surroundings of the greenery at our location with the beautiful satin dresses and polished makeup look on our model. We did this by choosing to do the shoot in a local park which has an old man made structure that has been overrun by nature, the building is now full of beautiful evergreen plants and also has floral plants in the warmer months. When composing the images, we positioned our model amongst the foliage whilst she wore elegant gowns and had a very well polished complexion. I believe that this made it possible for us to get images which included both of these elements which, in theory, should contrast one another as one is man made and the other is natural, but when you see the final images the two elements blend together seamlessly to produce the fairytale like results that we were after.
TYG: What was the team like to work with? Did you plan the ideas for the shoot together?
Mia: The team for the ‘In Bloom’ shoot were an absolute pleasure to work beside. We worked so well together and constantly bounced ideas off one another to help create the perfect shots. Molly and myself (the HD Creatives team) came together to create the ideas for the shoot. From the outfits to the mood and style of the shoot to the poses, we worked together to curate the perfect combinations which looked the best with the location we decided on and our model. We shared these ideas with our amazing model, Jade, who executed them perfectly and really helped to bring our visions to life on the day! Working with such a small and close knit team is such a privilege to me as it is a safe space where everyone’s ideas are honoured and respected so that everyone gets a chance to experiment with their creativity. Working in this way has proven for us that some of the best shots captured are ones that everyone has worked together to create.
“…we have lots of big plans, one of which being to start offering our services to aspiring models…”
TYG: Are there any certain types of looks you prefer to create?
Mia: Although I absolutely love to create any type of makeup look, I’d say my absolute favourite type of look to create is that which enhances my clients natural features, making them feel the most confident version of themselves. This can involve multiple different looks but the first idea I always seem to gravitate towards is a look with more neutral tones which have been carefully selected to work with my clients eye colour, hair colour and skin tone. I love this type of look because it really allows me to get to know my client and gain an in depth understanding of their personal likes and dislikes when it comes down to how they like their makeup. I believe this is so important as a makeup artist as it is a way of using your listening and practical skills to achieve a look that pleases not only the client, but also yourself when you see how you’ve brought them to feel even more confident in themselves through your work. It is very noticeable when someone is not 100% comfortable in their makeup especially when it comes down to photo shoots, models and clients who are happy with the work you have produced show this through the shots which they will help you to capture on the day due to their confidence and moral being higher than someone who isn’t feeling as confident because their makeup is not what they’re comfortable in and is not complimenting their features, for example their eye or face shape.
TYG: Do you have a favourite shoot you have worked on so far?
Mia: I have taken part in multiple different shoots over the last couple of years these have been for various brands, aspiring models and also as a team with HD Creatives. My favourite shoots are normally where I am able to think outside of the box and insert my own ideas in to the creative process. I’d say that my favourite shoot that I’ve taken part in so far is the ‘In Bloom’ shoot. This was important to me as it was one of our first shoots which we conducted under the HD Creatives name so it was all very exciting. This was an absolute pleasure to be a part of, from the start of the planning process, in which multiple mood boards were made to help bring together our concepts and ideas, to the final stage of editing our favourite shots to get them just right. I really enjoyed being able to experiment with all the different ideas we had compiled in the weeks leading up to the shoot and also to be able to create whatever type of look I wanted to on the makeup side of things. I opted for a more minimal glam for the ‘In Bloom’ shoot which I wanted to appear as perfect and well polished as possible for the camera, this is due to the face that the shoot was very much aiming for an ethereal, fairytale inspired look. Molly and I believe we captured this mood in the final images and thoroughly enjoyed producing them.
TYG: Tell us more about HD Creatives. How did you and Molly come together to make it happen?
Mia: HD Creatives is a small business which my friend Molly Hall and myself started to build earlier this year. We began working together unofficially around 3 years ago now which is when I had began to organise photoshoots with a very talented photographer named Paul Francis who is also a very close family friend. I started to bring Molly along to these shoots with me for fun until she then showcased her amazing eye for the images we were working on. We would occasionally struggle to get the exact outcome that we wanted and this was when Molly would jump in to help with suggestions for the models and would take over the camera to capture images through a different perspective to which Paul was capturing them. Molly continued to get increasingly interested by our shoots and it eventually got to the point where Paul would very kindly set up the photography gear whilst teaching molly how this was done before leaving us both to experiment for the day with different kit and styles. This massively helped both of us to improve our skill set rapidly as I had ample opportunity to try an array of different makeup looks with different lighting, photography techniques, and styles which molly was also learning with. Once we had accumulated a small amount of impressive images which we had created together, we decided to gather some friends who were eager to expand their modelling portfolios and organise our first independent shoot.
Our first shoot took place on Formby beach in April 2023, the team consisted of Molly and I and our two beautiful models Harriet Lamkin and Annie Corke. This shoot had such a relaxed environment and really allowed us to tap in to our creative side to style the girls, decide on their makeup looks, choose the best areas to shoot in and compose the images together. This was a great opportunity for Molly and I to experience how we would be together in a working environment and I can honestly say it went perfectly! We remained very honest with one another throughout the day when it came down to decision making for certain parts of the shoot and we quickly came to agreements for everything. I really do think honesty is so important when you’re working with such like minded people in such a competitive industry.
In regards to HD Creatives next steps, we have lots of big plans one of which being to start offering our services to aspiring models to help them start/develop their portfolios in the new year!
TYG: Are there any projects in the near future you’d like to create?
Mia: I’m always on the look out to create something new and exciting to share with my followers and clients and I am recently loving the idea of creating a selection of images that really capture the essence of the frosty, crisp winter air. As a team at HD Creatives we have discussed this idea and are in the process of creating mood boards for the shoot. As far as the makeup goes for this shoot I already have numerous ideas coming together in my mind as to how it will look which will be something along the lines of a cool toned look really accentuating our models eyes and blushed skin to give the effect of the frosty air giving us rosey cheeks in the winter months.I won’t share too much more just yet so that everyone can look forward to seeing the finished result. I am very excited to get to work on this shoot and be able to roll the final images out to everyone as soon as possible!
“…always try to get as much practice and experience as possible…”
TYG: Tell us your number one go to makeup product.
Mia: The makeup industry is extremely fast paced with new products constantly being produced, some being groundbreaking and others not so much. Due to how often new products are released my favourite products do tend to vary every few months. Currently I have two favourite products, they are both from the Makeup By Mario brand, the first being the surreal skin foundation. This is genuinely one of the most beautiful and practical foundations I have ever used. It is a medium coverage foundation however you can use it with various techniques to achieve slightly different effects. The surreal skin foundation is long lasting, radiant and skin like whilst also feeling light on the skin and maintaining a fresh look. I have additionally found that it is extremely versatile when it comes to different skin types - the formula has performed outstandingly on the numerous skin types which I have tried it on so far. One pump in most cases is the perfect amount for the whole face so this foundation is also extremely cost effective. My second favourite product at the moment is the ethereal eyes eyeshadow pallet, also from makeup by Mario. This pallet consists of 12 neutral tones made up of sueded mattes, metallics and glossy shimmer finishes. These matte shadows blend absolutely beautifully and the shimmers have the most breathtaking fine glitter in them which sits perfectly on the eyes without falling out of place. I would recommend both of these products to anyone at any point in their makeup journey or at any level of ability as they are amazing quality and have never failed to satisfy me or any of my clients!
TYG: Any go to makeup tips for beginners?
Mia: As a beginner in makeup, it is extremely difficult to avoid comparing your work to other artists who have been in the industry for many years longer than you, however, this habit can quickly turn to self-degradation of your own work. It is so important that while admiring and looking up to other artists work, you take a step back and teach yourself that you are two completley different artists with different products, styles, models and levels of experience. The moment you learn to be inspired by others rather than seeing their work as competition or something to do better than is the moment you really start to find your feet and learn what kind of makeup artist you are going to be. There are so many different paths you can take in this industry so I also find it is a good idea to experiment with what sort of looks you like to create and how you like to work, for example can you work well under pressure? Can you work quickly? Can you work unsociable hours? Asking yourself these questions and answering them honestly will guide you in to the right area for you. For example if your answer to all the above questions is yes, you know you could go in to the wedding or film industry.
Another tip which I would give to a beginner is to always try to get as much practice and experience as possible, if you have some time free, fill it by asking a friend or family member to come and get their makeup done, try something new on them and familiarise yourself with your kit and techniques. This is especially helpful as you are working on someone who won’t judge you and therefore you will feel much more free to experiment. Never forget to document all your work and share it around as much as possible, try to keep a consistent presence on your social media as best as you can to spread your business around and keep potential clients updated on your skill set and style. Last but definitely not least, stay motivated, even when you feel as if you’re not exactly sure what direction to go in as long as you remain eager to push yourself the hard work will pay off eventually. You have to love what you are doing, stay true to yourself and your style, and be fully confident in your abilities in order to stand out from the crowd. To all new MUAs out there: stay consistent, believe in yourself, be kind and supportive to others in our community, and good luck!