A little insight into JT Makeup

In July 2013 after heading the HND Specialist Makeup courses at West Thames College for 10 years I decided to go back out as a hair and makeup artist in the film and TV Industries. To support this I also decided to form a range of products called JT Makeup Studio. This range would be an assortment of glitters and metallic leaf products I would use working as a body artist and for fantasy projects.

In June 2013 I discussed an idea about my own products with my sisters Deby and Issie. I was at home in Yorkshire and we were sat around the kitchen table with different samples of product. This idea developed further with Deby designing the JT Makeup Studio logo and helping me to produce the first set of the JT Makeup Studio range. With support from the team at IMATS I was offered an opportunity to launch the JT Makeup Studio range of glitters and metallic leaf on my own stand at IMATS London 2013.

I set the stand up on the Friday and Issie came down from Yorkshire and headed sales on the stand. The first set of JT Makeup Studio products sold out within the first hour; with Issie then taking orders for the next day. It was an exciting weekend and created an interest in the product. I visited college to introduce the product range to students and in April 2014 exhibited at the UMAE with Issie manning the stand for sales. I had built up a larger stock by this time and was fortunate to received mentions in blogs by Jane Cunningham - British Beauty Blogger, Sharon Dowsett and Corinna Harrod in London Makeup Blog.

The full range of glitters and metallic leaf launched in Screenface London in early May 2014. This resulted in the metallic leaf range selling outright on the Screenface stand at IMATS London in June 2014.

The range of Metallic Leaf is now available at PAM London and Illusion Magazine. From December 2014 the full range of JT Makeup glitters and metallic leaf became available online at Love Make-up based in Ware, Hertfordshire. More recently the glitter disc range is now available from the Face Painting Company based in Essex.

This product range is used regularly by makeup artists in the film, theatre and fashion industries. I am very proud and grateful for the support I have received from fellow makeup artists such as Polly Osmond, Lan Nguyen- Grealis, David Horne (House of Glam Dolls) Julia Carta, Pixi Woo and Phyllis Cohen who have always taken the time in their busy schedules to let me know when they have used my products. A personal highlight of the summer of 2014 was seeing the incredible MUA Andrew Gallimore at a MAC event and being told he had just come from Screenface and that my products were on display in the shop window.

I am very proud of the development of the JT Makeup Studio range; it has been very organic and created with my love of fantasy, art, history and fairytale. I am very thankful of family support from my sisters Deby, Issie and also to my cousin Sarah McKenna Ayres of TigerBean Media Photography www.tigerbeanmedia.co.uk for the beautiful photographs of the products for my website.

The JT Makeup Studio range of products is expanding and will be available in Europe, Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles by 2016. My sister Issie will be joining the JT Makeup Studio in February 2016 as a full time Sales Director.