Jenna Turner is an award-winning make-up artist who, at the age of 20, moved to Sydney to study at one of the nation’s best colleges, going on to produce striking looks for Australian and international fashion weeks, as well as primping television personalities on The Voice and Australia’s Next Top Model.

I fold the sun visor down and check my make-up in the mirror before heading to my interview with Jenna Turner. A quick powder of my nose and a slick of pink lippy – hopefully she doesn’t look too closely.

“There’s a common misconception make-up artists look at people’s make-up and think, ‘What did you do this morning?’” Jenna says with a laugh.

“The majority of people learn make-up from watching their mums, and make-up artists are very aware of that. It’s a skill everyone is expected to have but no one has actually ever been taught.”

Sitting opposite me is the immaculately-groomed award-winning make-up artist, with perfect coverage and contouring, a subtle nude lip, and a delicious palette of gold pigment and dark purple eyeshadow blended with a burgundy blush sweeping across the upper eyelid. Perfection.

Jenna was 14 years old when her interest in make-up piqued, having seen the classic ‘90s eye with a cut crease on the beauties of the silver screen.

“I started playing with make-up, which my mum hated. She used to try and stop me,” she says. “The only make-up item she gave me was mascara, which I was allowed to wear on weekends.”

Jenna started playing with and exploring make-up, and as she worked at a pharmacy, had access to an abundance of different products and colours to sample.

She then completed a beauty therapy course, where she learnt a lot about the skin – a healthy canvas upon which to apply make-up on.

MAKE-UP TRENDS
Make-up is the same as fashion; it tends to repeat itself with small variations. Instead of being a whole ‘90s face, it could be a ‘90s eye paired with fresh skin in a crossing over of eras. Right now, dark lips are in fashion, and peachy colours on the eyes and cheeks. Also 1920s-style colours on the lip and washes over the eyes, which is ‘70s style.

In 2009, Jenna undertook a course at Cameron Jane Make-up Design in Sydney, and began working for MAC Cosmetics, joining their events team and playing a key role at Fashion Week Australia and New Zealand Fashion Week, as well as working on The Voice and Australia’s Next Top Model for years.

“During my first Fashion Week, I did Ruby Rose’s make-up – she is so naturally stunning, even without make-up on,” Jenna says, rattling off a list of other high-profile celebrities she has done make-up for, including Sandra Sully, Lanie Lane and Demi Harman.

Jenna has also created runway-ready looks for Zimmermann, Aurelio Costarella, Alice McCall and Ermenegildo Zegna.

But the highlight was working alongside internationally-renowned make-up artist Val Garland.

“She came to Australia for Fashion Week a few years ago and they did this masterclass, choosing 20 MAC artists to replicate 20 of her most famous looks. We had six hours to do the make-up on one face – it was intense. I did a really colourful Jeremy Scott look.

“It was the highlight of my career, working with a make-up artist of that calibre. At the end of the show she came up to me and complimented the make-up I had done, it was a surreal moment!”

Jenna has since relocated back to the Sunshine Coast, where she runs her own make-up artistry business, creating looks for brides and holding lessons for ladies who want to know how to create the ideal look for themselves. She also has plans to launch her own brand. Watch this face.

MAKE-UP DO’S AND DON’TS
Do:
- Moisturise and prime your skin – always!
- Use good quality products. You can’t expect a $10 product to do the same as a $50 product.
- Invest in amazing brushes, and wash your brushes every one to two weeks. If you get good quality brushes, you shouldn’t have to replace them more than once every 10 years, if you wash them.
Don’t:
- Smile when you put your blush on, as it creates unwanted lines, especially as you mature.
- Place contouring too low, as it drags your face down. Make sure it’s just under the cheekbones.
- Get too caught up in Instagram make-up. It’s a massive trend and there are amazing artists out there, but they’ve got the perfect lighting and Photoshop.