Name: Birri-Li Nicols
Location: Victoria, Australia
QC Online Makeup Courses:
Facebook: Facebook.com/MakeupByBirri
Instagram: Instagram.com/MakeupByBirri
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’m a 23-year-old creative heart and certified makeup artist from a small town just outside of Melbourne, Australia.
I am a full-time Beauty Advisor for Priceline. I work as a part of their national makeup artist team for events such as Melbourne Fashion Week. I also have a successful freelance makeup business outside of Priceline.
Why did you decide to become a makeup artist?
I have always loved makeup! Even as a 10-year-old jazz dancer, I was set on learning to do my own makeup for my performances. Doing so was natural for me. I have always been creatively inclined and makeup became my medium of choice.
I love makeup transformations, from extreme glam to subtly highlighting natural facial features.
How would you describe your makeup style?
My makeup style is soft, “lit-from-within” glam. I aim to enhance the natural beauty of my clients, making each one feel their very best. I love defining my clients’ eyebrows and eyes as well as creating silky-smooth skin that isn’t over done.
What’s your favorite part of the makeup application process?
That’s a tough one—I love it all! I love blending eyeshadows to create sultry eye looks and bronzing skin to make my makeup clients look like they’ve just returned from the Bahamas. But my absolute favorite part of the makeup application procedure has to be brows! They can entirely change the face.
Why did you enroll in makeup artist classes online?
I needed the option to study from home. I couldn’t travel two hours to the closest city for makeup school while working full-time. I also had been doing makeup on friends and family for years before studying, so I felt capable of learning makeup online.
How do you think QC Makeup Academy has prepared you for working in the field?
The makeup theory portions I learned prepared me for the strict hygiene standards within the beauty industry, which is something self-taught makeup artists may not know.
Your Instagram is to die for! We bet it’s taken you a long time to hone in on the aesthetic. Can you share any Instagram tips for new makeup artists online?
Thank you! It definitely has been a creative outlet for me over the years. It’s a place I can merge my love for all things beauty- and makeup-related with photography. My aesthetic has been a constant evolution, and it has become something I’m quite proud of.
Social media has been a huge marketing tool for me, it basically acts as my portfolio and is generally the first impression for prospective clients.
My number one tip would be to take photos you love and that quality really does matter. You don’t necessarily need an expensive camera. You could use your phone (or whatever photography device you have access to) to the best of your ability.
There is so much info available on platforms like YouTube and blogs that teach you about photography, lighting, and social media. My last note on Instagram is to not over-edit your images of client makeup.
What’s the one makeup product you can’t live without?
There are so many products that I can’t live without! I have a favorite from each category at this point…but the Williams Pro Zero Powder is my Holy Grail makeup must-have!
What’s in store for you in 2019?
Work, work, work! I’m being booked for weddings in 2020 already, so I am looking forward to weekends filled with makeup jobs and spending Saturday nights cleaning my brushes!
