If you have a lot of cosmetics, this does not mean that you are a good makeup artist: Kirill Shabalin about working with stars, zoomers and the psychology of makeup

For more than 15 years in the beauty industry, Kirill Shabalin has managed to work with many foreign and Russian brands and celebrities (Lyubov Aksenova, Yulia Peresild, Nina Kravitz, Alesya Kafelnikova). For a long time she was the national make-up artist of YSL Beauty in Russia, and before that she was a trainer for Mac Cosmetics (by the way, her career path began with this brand).

Now Kirill’s activities are not limited only to make-up. He works as a speaker, producer and art director in fashion shoots. In this interview, we talked to her about how it all started, challenging clients and the qualities needed in today’s makeup artists.

How did you get into the beauty industry?

When I was 18, I participated in the “Miss and Mister College” contest in the city and won as the most handsome boy. One of the prizes was the training course to become a stylist-image creator. Nowadays they are called “fashion stylist” or simply “stylist”. So this is a person who intends to work with a client. We were taught everything: color theory, hairstyling, makeup. Thus, when we look at a person, we can tell which fabric will suit his body and which color will bring out the color of his hair and eyes. It was a nice experience but it was short lived.

By a happy coincidence, I was called for an interview at Mac Cosmetics. At that time, I was graduating from university in Yekaterinburg with a degree in civil engineering and had no idea what to do next. I wasn’t confident as a makeup artist, but I had sales techniques. And that’s approximately what was needed in 2010. I was hired as a consultant at a brand store in a shopping mall and that was my starting point.

What personal qualities help you in your job?

Be humane. In one of my interviews, they said that they hired me precisely because of my human qualities. There was a situation where they hired me just for my smile. It was a show with a lot of casting and tough choices, and after the interview the manager told me: “If you hadn’t smiled at the end, you wouldn’t have been hired.”

I think makeup artist is one of the most abandoned professions today. Therefore, a make-up artist must have self-confidence, observation skills and customer focus. In a sense, you have to be a psychologist. For example, if the customer is talking fast and loudly, you need to follow his rhythm, otherwise you will be annoying with your slowness. If a person is too calm, everything happens exactly the opposite. You need to be on the same wavelength with a person, and for this you need to listen to him.

Besides, makeup is fun. We were going to a make-up artist before because we had to. And now – for the sake of pleasure. This is a certain attention, care and service quality. If the customer doesn’t like any of this, he goes wherever he wants. And what kind of holiday you make for each person or what kind of comfort you bring to him will depend on whether you have a job or not.

What can you say about zoomers? How do their approaches to makeup differ from previous generations?

The younger generation now has a general tendency towards health. This is beautiful, well-groomed and radiant skin and a distinctive highlight – a green arrow, colored mascara and even a rhinestone. Meanwhile, Generation X had almost the same values. It was important for people after the Iron Curtain period, when there was nothing in our country, and then the first denim suits, branded sneakers and foreign things began to appear. to stand out in some way. It could even be something small; for example nylon tights. But if they were extraordinary, you already felt like a star.

If we talk about generation Y (I am one of them, by the way), we love to take care of our skin. And in makeup, smokey eyes, red lips and even all together. While Zoomers might skip deliberately applying makeup to their lashes, eyebrows, or cheekbones, millennials can’t. These are mandatory for them in makeup.

Do you have makeup artists who are your idols?

Five years ago I would name specific people. But now the makeup culture has changed a lot and many makeup artists have gone beyond being makeup artists. They started to develop their personal brand. Some make brushes, some start blogging, and some start their own brands. Talking about our Russian makeup artists, I really enjoy watching them grow. If we talk about international ones, many of the makeup artists I follow have established huge companies today. For example, Patrick Ta. He was a very cool makeup artist before and now he is also a businessman who owns a cosmetics brand. Makeup artists become not only makeup artists but also trendsetters.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

Don’t vacuum up all the cosmetics displayed anywhere. I bought a bunch of different eyeshadows that I still had lying around, carrying around an uncomfortable, heavy bag, but then realized I didn’t need it. The choice of cosmetics and tools should be approached rationally. This will save your money and nerves. Just because you wear a lot of makeup doesn’t mean you’re a good makeup artist.

I recently did Sasha Luss’s makeup. When she saw me she asked: “Is this your entire make-up bag?” My merchandising is so perfect that even though the volume is small, everything you need is there. Even the scissors he needs. Like other makeup artists, she was used to seeing makeup spread all over the table. But I know who to go to and what to do. That’s why I prepare a cosmetic bag specifically for a particular person.

Tell us about a difficult customerAh.

Every customer that makes you uncomfortable is your growth area. You get stronger every time. It’s one thing to work with a simple girl, it’s another thing to work with a young blogger or a very statuesque actress. These are the gradual steps of development that I have experienced. So if they call me tomorrow and tell me I have to do Jennifer Lopez’s makeup, I’ll be ready. I’m resilient to stress, I’m prepared, and it’s all thanks to the difficult situations I’ve been through.

Have you ever regretted the field of activity you chose?

No, never. Besides make-up, I have a very wide range of activities, especially lately. I work as a producer, art director, casting director. That’s why I look at makeup from different angles every time.

Of course, many things have changed in the last three years. With the pandemic, customers with a certain income level remained and events with international brands decreased. That’s why many makeup artists stopped being makeup artists. Someone retrained as a coach, someone retrained as a psychologist, someone opened a business and someone left. But I still work as a makeup artist. And I plan to take this even further.