Hilde Marie Johansen is a professional makeup artist, costume designer, co-founder and creative director of SMA Bangkok. Pakistan in vogue magazine got a chance to get her exclusive interview. It was very nice to meet her.
How long have you been working as a makeup artist?
I have been working as a makeup artist for 10 years now and I’ve been running the successful SMA International Makeup Academy in Bangkok for more than 3 years now together with Eva and Nicolai Bartels Thomsen.
What motivates you to become one?
I actually had a huge passion for art, creativity, textures and colors. I never thought in my wildest dream that it would take me this far as it has today.
What are the biggest challenge makeup artists have to face?
The biggest challenge that you might face as a makeup artist, is to always reach up to people’s expectations. There is also a lot of great makeup artist out there. So it is important to never lose focus on your own work.
What is your favorite part of being a makeup artist?
My favorite part of being a makeup artist is that I am truly blessed that most of my clients hires me because they want me to almost use them as canvas. They gave me totally creative freedom to do what I want so the trust from them makes me so flattered.
How you deal with difficult clients?
Well if you face difficulties with clients it might be either the communication has failed mostly there is a understandable reason. So it`s important to always to listen and stay professional.
Do you try the makeup on dummy first or do it directly?
If you want to plan your makeup ahead we use something called a face chart where we can sketch down the details and color choices for the look we want to archive.
Any important accomplishment you are proud of?
Well I must say that my biggest accomplishment is to have open SMA International Makeup Academy together with 2 amazing partners and friends.
The academy is having such a great success so we have expanded this year by opening also a branch in Myanmar and soon opening in India as well.
SMA has a strong identity and signature of focusing on “boosting” our student’s creativity. We train them to dare to explore, dare to fail, dare to experiment, dare to be original and most important to dare to be them self.
We have students flying in from all over the world Vietnam, Russia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Denmark, England, Brazil, Turkey, Norway, Maldives, Hong Kong, Laos, Germany, Indonesia are just a few nationalities we have had. So it makes me extremely proud when we see that our former students are confident enough to start working when they return back to their home countries.
Tell us some of your favorite make up products?
My favorite makeup products I must say is Ben Nye, Sugarpill, Makeup foever, Kryolan, Anastasia, Tarte, Mehrone. Gosh there are so many!
Any message for you fans?
I just Want to say to everyone who has a dream of becoming a professional makeup artist to don`t give up. It is an industry with a lot of talented people and competitions. Work hard and as I mention before don`t lose your focus. Be Patient things doesn’t happen overnight.
