Welcome to Glamour's new weekly column, How I Got My Job, featuring one woman with an amazing job, and the real route to get it. Looking for career inspo? For this week's instalment, celebrity make-up artist Justine Jenkins shares her CV...
Who? Justine Jenkins, 45.
What? Celebrity make-up artist, cruelty-free beauty ambassador, contributor to Neal's Yard Remedies Beauty Book. Counts Fearne Cotton, Whitney Port and Millie Mackintosh among clients.
The CV:
I did OK at school, but got told off for my purple lipstick and glitter eyeliner. With David Bowie as my inspiration, I honed my skills. By 17, I was intent on being a make-up artist.
The BBC had a make-up internship programme, but you had to be 21, so I travelled around America for a year. Back home, I temped at Hill Samuel, the investment side of Lloyds Private Banking. After three months, they offered me a full-time job as office admin junior. It wasn’t what I wanted to do, but my parents encouraged me to take it.
After six months, I was promoted to fund manager’s assistant, attending client meetings and facilitating share buying. I started power dressing, teaming tailored men’s suits with red lipstick.
When I found out I was paid less than male colleagues, I was annoyed. Sensing I was going to leave, my bosses created a new role as Private Client Dealer, to spot financial errors and engage with market makers and stockbrokers.
Feeling my creativity was being stifed by the City, I started volunteering in hair and make-up at the RSC. I was amazed when I was asked to work on FairyTale: A True Story, starring Peter O’Toole. I took two weeks’ leave and worked hard. For the first time, I felt I belonged.
I enrolled on a part-time course at LCF. Luckily, Hill Samuel offered to make my position part-time too, so I didn’t have to leave. A chance encounter with one of the make-up artists at MTV led to an offer of work: one day I’d be making up Donna Air; the next, Metallica.
I left Hill Samuel to start a full-time degree geared towards the film world and prosthetics, but I continued working as a make-up artist on the side. The tutors weren’t thrilled by my absences, but I made sure I got my work done.
The first big film I worked on was Cold Mountain (with Nicole Kidman). It was three months of hard graft and by the end I felt disillusioned – I missed the beauty side of make-up, so when I was offered a job on Alexander (starring Colin Farrell), I turned it down.
A friend asked me to work on The X Factor , where I met Fearne and started doing her make-up. Now I have lots of celebrity clients. I was also excited to be asked by Neal’s Yard Remedies to co-write their Beauty Book.
Don't be scared of failing. I'd still be working in the City if I hadn't been determined to make my dream a reality.
Listen to your gut. Your inner voice never lies to you. It's over-rationalising things that gets you into trouble.
Don't take it personally. Clients will sometimes want to try other make-up artists, but they almost always come back.
