My heros - Victoria Farr
My first “victim” in this spotlight series, is non-other than the really rather wonderful make up artist, Victoria Farr, I suppose she's technically a “Heroine”.
So where do I start?
I met Victoria in the virtual world of Twitter, though it turned out she only lived a few minutes away. She is loyal, dedicated, a grafter, a dreamer, a devoted aunt and sister, fiercely independent, an explorer, determined, caring, a snowboarder, great company, intelligent, great reflector positioning pro, lightsabre weilder, and a prosecco and battenburg lover! (Amongst other things)
Her story isn’t dissimilar to mine, we both escaped our past lives in corporate roles to pursue burgeoning passions that were growing way beyond the hobby/part time business stage so we instantly had a common connection. Vicki (that’s what I call her so I’ll drop the formalities) was in Financial Services and that background has served her well in setting up a great business, this lady has her head screwed on! You aren’t here to hear all about that though.
So, what makes Vicki so special?
There are two answers to this questions so I’ll give you both.
1. She is fabulously talented, and is constantly striving for perfection, she is a relentless bundle of positive energy focussed on developing continually. She never sits back on her well earned laurels, she is a woman on a mission.
2. She is just the person you want right by your side on the big day. Calm, resourceful, experienced, professional (but not in the scary, starchy sort of way), friendly, trustworthy, discreet, patient, fun, knowledgeable and darn good at making your beauty shine. Too much? No I don’t think so, I wish I’d had her looking after me on my big day.
What else should you know about her?
Victoria Farr is who you should choose if you value natural beauty, if you want to feel like yourself but better and more confident. Whilst her skill set is varied her true passion lies in using her skills to enhance and reveal her clients inner beauty, in a natural and subtly understated way. If you want to look like Kim K, you’d be better off looking for a makeup artist with that signature style.
She is trained in “camouflage”, no not crawling round the floor in combats with twigs in her hair, though to be fair on the odd shoot she hasn’t been far off, she seems to end up in woodlands quite regularly, must be the natural thing! We’re talking tattoos, scars, birthmarks etc, things that perhaps a bride (or indeed anyone else) would rather have covered properly for a particular occasion, without worry of the coverage rubbing off on clothing part way through the day.
She teaches makeup skills both one to one or in a group situation. I can say hand on heart the session I did with a group of friends wasn't only a fun evening but a very informative one and I now know how to disguise my ageing hooded eyes that are developing far too quickly for my liking.
Getting married abroad? No problem, this globe trotter will gallivant anywhere for a good wedding or shoot though she is particularly partial to France, where she has spent a great deal of time working, particularly in Paris, Provence and on the Riviera. She's worked with clients from the UK or others travelling in from Canada and the US wanting an English speaking MUA (makeup artist).
She’s done loads of other stuff too, from taming gentlemens bushy eyebrows on BBC's Question Time to major TV costume dramas and documentaries. From fashion shoots to working with schools providing guidance to young teenagers with confidence and self- esteem concerns. In short she’s fab!
I mentioned to Vicki that I may be writing a piece at some stage and asked her what advice she would offer to brides seeking a makeup artist. One of the important things that she firmly believes in, is to find the right person for you. There are heaps of talented creative makeup artists out there but the best results are born out of a great synergy between artist and client. If you both share the same vision of style for your look, you are on to a winner!
Don't just take my word for it!
I asked some industry friends and colleagues, each for 3 words that describe her and these were the replies that came straight back. (I didn't tell them why!)
I’ll have to leave it there for now but I’m going to ask the lady herself to come and give you some top tips direct on later posts so stay tuned. In the meantime pop over to her blog, she posts some really useful stuff. I'm now a face cloth convert but you'll have to read her blog to find out more.
I'm very lucky to know this lady and count her as a close friend.
Until next week!
Harriet x
ps. This beautiful video came my way just after I'd written this post but it's too beautiful not to share. Shelly Mantovani, the creative force that is"Toast Of Leeds" photography, captured this gorgeous insight into a day she spent with Vicki, riding shotgun to a destination appointment. I think I chose the wrong option in life!