Born and raised in London, Emma Croft has been working as a Hair & Makeup Artist for 7 years with her work spanning across red carpet, advertising campaigns, music videos and film and TV. Emma is known for her broad skillset, working in both beauty makeup and special effects makeup, which has brought in campaigns for Stella McCartney, Jaguar and Rolex.

Emma gave Elucid Magazine an insight into what inspires her, what she loves most about makeup and a typical day in the life of a Hair & Makeup Artist in this exclusive interview.

How did you get your start in the industry?
I trained at the prestigious London College of Fashion and as soon as I graduated I took on any job I could. I didn’t earn any money for the first year or so, but my passion pulled me through.

What do you love most about makeup?
I love the transformative power of makeup. You can turn someone from a beautiful princess into a old wicked witch with just a few products.

What is it about you that sets you apart from other artists?
I would say it’s my love of gore! I trained extensively in makeup FX and a lot of the work I get involves giving people awful injuries or turning them into creatures. I recently turned Hollywood actor Rhys Ifans into a werewolf for a Stella McCartney campaign.

What are the most common beauty mistakes people make?
I would say not doing their makeup in good lighting! It’s the worst thing stepping outside and realising that you’ve got brush strokes in your foundation and blusher more heavily on one cheek than the other.

Who inspires you?
If I’m working on a beauty campaign, I use Instagram to get a lot of my inspiration. There are some incredible pro makeup artists on there who post some incredible work such as Pat McGrath and Isamaya Ffrench.

What’s the hardest thing about being a Makeup Artist?
The early call times! I often have to set my alarm for 5am. But you do get used to it… eventually. Also, finding somewhere to store my makeup kit is pretty tricky. I need an extra room in my house just to keep it out the way!

What do you love most about being a Makeup Artist?
I love meeting and working with so many amazing people. It’s a very sociable job; you spend 12+ hours a day with a big group of people, and get very close with a select few. I always come away feeling invigorated and buzzed from the creative energy all around me

Any advice for budding Makeup Artists?
Take every opportunity (you never know where it might lead you) and believe in yourself.