The Makeup Insider

Vanessa Barney
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Updated Biweekly

The Makeup Insider is a fortnightly one-on-one podcast exploring the life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance mua Vanessa Barney.. Finding your community of other likeminded mua’s – the creative, artistic, talkative, flexible, adaptable with a good eye for colour kind-of-people, can often be daunting. Like, where do you start? The Makeup Insider is designed for just that. To build a collaborative online community of artists to build their confidence, connections and help drive their career to the next level.If you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time, tune in now, check out the key takeaways in the show notes and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Find Vanessa @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider

  1. 3d ago

    25 Years, Two Continents, One Agency: Heidi Scarlett King on Building a Career That Actually Lasts

    Send us Fan Mail From Mac OG to Agency Founder with Heidi Scarlett King This week I sat down with Sydney-based makeup artist and King Co Creative founder Heidi Scarlett King — and yes. Heidi has one of those careers that sounds like fiction. She started at Mac in Sydney when the brand had just launched, assisting Fashion Week shows a season. Then she packed up and moved to London with no plan, started again from scratch, ended up at the Mac Pro Store in Soho, ended up on ITV This Morning as a beauty expert, got on Pat McGrath's runway team in Paris, and came home in 2014 to build an agency with 45 artists on the books. This one covers the full arc. The exciting bits, the lonely bits, and the hard-won truths that only come from doing this for a really long time. We cover: Starting at Mac in the 2000s and what Australian Fashion Week looked like at its peakAssisting legend Dottie and why those early years were the making of herStarting over in London and what six years there taught her about resilienceGetting onto Pat McGrath's team at Paris Fashion Week and what that world is really likeAccidentally becoming a TV beauty expert on ITV This MorningWhy she moved back to Sydney in 2014 and how hard it was to restart — againHow the industry shifted post-Instagram and why events became where the money wentDirecting Australian Idol and The Voice — and how that gave birth to King Co CreativeManaging 45 artists: what she values more than talent, and why integrity can't be taughtThe Cartier Opera House event: 63 hair and makeup artists across 10 Sydney hotelsThe best advice she has for artists just starting outPlus Heidi shares her current kit favourites — the By Terry powder she's been using for 15 years, her new Tarte tubing mascara obsession, and why the Half Percent lip liner is her ride or die right now. The Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    25 Years, Two Continents, One Agency: Heidi Scarlett King on Building a Career That Actually Lasts

  2. Jul 13

    I Grew Almost 2,000 Followers in 5 Weeks. Here's What Actually Worked.

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Insider Diary, I give a personal update on how work and content creation have been going. The main focus is my Instagram growth, I've picked up almost 2,000 followers in five weeks by posting reels daily, and I break down exactly which reels worked, which ones flopped, and the workflow behind it all. I also cover my content days and open the waitlist for my upcoming hair masterclass. Started posting reels daily from 18 March this year. Nearly 2,000 new followers in about five weeks.Biggest lesson from the whole run: people only watch for 7 to 13 seconds. The hook decides whether they stay.My workflow: uses ChatGPT to help with captions, hooks and on-screen prompts, edits everything in the Edits app, posts to Instagram first, pulls the original file from Edits (not a re-download from Instagram) to post on TikTok, then reposts from TikTok to YouTube Shorts.Next move: repost her best performers again with a reworked hook, using ChatGPT to help tweak them.Advice for anyone starting out: just start. Mistakes are part of it. You'll find your style along the way. Collaboration helps (like her episode with Max) but isn't essential.Announcement: the waitlist is open for her hair masterclass. Format isn't locked in yet (leaning look-and-learn), and it'll be offered virtually too, so it's not just for Sydney or Australia.The Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    I Grew Almost 2,000 Followers in 5 Weeks. Here's What Actually Worked.

  3. Jul 6

    You Were Born Enough: Adam Garland on Small Towns, Big Industry, and Letting Go

    Send us Fan Mail Adam Garland has worked backstage, assisted Sam McKnight, and had two shots at getting onto Guido Palau's team. Right now he's in his dad's garage in Somerset, UK, building a hair education platform from scratch. In this episode we talk about how he broke into session work (Model Mayhem, zero plan), the real cost of working for free, imposter syndrome, addiction and recovery, why chasing the agency dream was holding him back, and what changed when he finally let it go. He also shares the products he genuinely uses on set and why the humble ponytail elastic deserves way more respect than it gets. How Adam fell into hairdressing at 14 and went from a village salon to Vidal Sassoon, Tony & Guy, and eventually session workFinding his way into editorial around 2008-2010 via Model Mayhem, testing before he even knew testing was a thingAssisting Sam McKnight backstage at Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld and Kendall Jenner in the chairWhat nobody tells you about walking into those environments for the first time when you're from a small townThe industry language nobody teaches you: options, confirms, releases, pencils, hard outsThe pay debate: why working for free is not a free university, it's one day of universityHis experience on Guido Palau's team, twice, and why it didn't work out either timeAddiction, recovery, and how starting his recovery journey around 2018 changed everythingWhy Sam McKnight's team stood by him for five years through the hard stuffAI in the creative industry and why "AI slop" is the wrong responseLetting go of the agency dream and what happened to his career when he didBuilding sessionhair.com: 1:1 mentoring, a free initial consult, and an education platform coming soonArchive research and why knowing your references is how you find your visual identityProducts covered in this episode: Bedhead TIGI Queen for a Day thickening sprayKeune Get a Grip texturiserKeune Sea FoamSam McKnight Modern HairspraySession Kit elastics (sessionkit.co.uk)Connect with Adam  Instagram  YouTube Session Hair  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    You Were Born Enough: Adam Garland on Small Towns, Big Industry, and Letting Go

  4. Jun 29

    25 Years, No Rules, No Regrets — with Max May

    Send us Fan Mail This week I sat down with Sydney makeup artist Max May. Nearly 30 years in the industry, self-taught, Armani Australia ambassador, Charlotte Tilbury Glow Squad, and one of the first artists in this country to build a blog and digital presence when the industry told him it would ruin his career. In this episode we cover: How Max got started — growing up in the country, moving to Sydney, falling into hairdressing by accident and discovering makeup on setWhy he never did formal training and why he still thinks assisting is the best way to learn this industryWhat it was actually like to assist in those early days — it was tough, the industry was different, and he got on a bus to pick up dog poop for the person he worked underHis years doing fashion weeks in Paris, New York and MilanBeing the Australian Armani ambassador and what that role actually looked likeDirecting fashion shows in Australia for ten years straightWorking with Jennifer Hawkins, Laura Bingle, Sarah Murdoch, Cheyenne Tozzi, Miranda Kerr and Mel B on The Masked SingerWhy he finds editorial more creatively satisfying than TVBeing one of the first Australian makeup artists to go digital — he lost work and friends over it and did it anywayHis social media formula: how many times he posts a week and what the algorithm actually wants right nowWhy he has zero interest in TikTok and is not sorry about itHis thoughts on AI and staying relevant in a changing industryFull list of products mentioned over on The Makeup Insider.  Max May  The Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    25 Years, No Rules, No Regrets — with Max May

  5. Jun 22

    The Inside Edit - From Retail Counter to Global Artistry: How Tannia T Built a Career That Lasts

    Send us Fan Mail 3. The Inside Edit  Tannia T has been doing this for over two decades. She started at the Napoleon Perdis counter and worked her way to global artistry — training staff, creating content, and travelling to LA and New York for major industry events. Today she runs her own home studio, takes one-on-one clients, does bridal work, and has some clients who have been with her for over ten years. In this episode, we get into what that kind of longevity actually looks like. The kit, the tools, the booking system, the products she keeps coming back to, and the real talk about social media as a working artist. We cover: How Tannia went from Napoleon Perdis retail to global artistryTraining staff and creating content for a major brandTravelling to LA and New York for industry eventsBuilding and running her own home studioBalancing bridal work, one-on-one clients, and being a mumHer Surratt eyelash curler obsession (and why it's worth it)Sonya G brushes — quality over quantityBy Terry CC Brightening and Benefit Brow GlazeHer honest take on social media as a business toolHow she manages bookings: manual tracking meets Google CalendarThe Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    The Inside Edit - From Retail Counter to Global Artistry: How Tannia T Built a Career That Lasts

  6. Jun 15

    From the Mecca Counter to Agency Repped with Kiana Mei

    Send us Fan Mail Kiana has been in and around the makeup industry for 13 years. But her path wasn't straight. She started on the Mecca counters, stepped away to work in disability support, and came back in 2022 through The Iconic's e-commerce team. Since then? Sydney, Milan, Paris Fashion Weeks. A freelance career built on cold calls, genuine connections, and trusting her own eye. In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes to rebuild in this industry, how networking opened doors she didn't even know existed, and why finding your own aesthetic matters more than chasing trends. We cover: How Kiana got back into the industry through The Iconic's e-commerce teamWhy cold-calling creative agencies actually worksHow assisting at Fashion Weeks changed her careerBuilding a skin-focused, mood-driven styleHer kit essentials — including NARS Sheer Glow and Giorgio Armani Luminous SilkWhat she wishes she'd known earlierFor aspiring and working artists, this one is worth a listen. The Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    From the Mecca Counter to Agency Repped with Kiana Mei

  7. Jun 1

    Set Secrets: What Every Hair and Makeup Artist Needs to Know About Working With a Stylist with Kate Lauren Harper

    Send us Fan Mail What A Stylist Actually Does with Kate Lauren Harper Recently week I sat down with Sydney-based stylist Kate Lauren Harper for a refreshingly honest conversation about what stylists really do and what that means for us as hair and makeup artists on set. If you have ever wondered what the stylist is actually doing while you are in kit, or how to build a better working relationship with styling, this episode is for you. We cover: What a stylist actually does, from brief to final lookHow mood boards, client decks, and feedback rounds shape the whole shootWhy timelines and budgets are never as simple as they seemThe unspoken etiquette of working on setHow the stylist x hair and makeup relationship works (and when it does not)Kate's path from Wollongong to lead stylist, including the ecomm grind that built her skillsWhy boundaries matter more than you think, for stylists and for usThe Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    Set Secrets: What Every Hair and Makeup Artist Needs to Know About Working With a Stylist with Kate Lauren Harper

  8. May 25

    The Insider Edit: Kit Faves & Why You Need to Back Yourself

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 2 of  The Insider Edit | The Makeup Insider It's just me this week — and I'm bringing you 10 products I genuinely can't live without. Five from my kit, five I use on myself every day. Plus a quick chat about PR gifting, asking for what you want, and why a 'no' is never the end of the story. Full list of products  Also in This Episode How Vanessa gets PR gifting (hint: she asks for it)Overcoming the fear of pitching yourselfWhy a 'no' just means 'not yet'The scheduling technique that changed how she reaches outThe Hair Edit Waitlist  Follow TMI on IG  Follow Vanessa on IG The Makeup Insider Blog  The Makeup Insider TikTok

    The Insider Edit: Kit Faves & Why You Need to Back Yourself
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The Makeup Insider is a fortnightly one-on-one podcast exploring the life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance mua Vanessa Barney.. Finding your community of other likeminded mua’s – the creative, artistic, talkative, flexible, adaptable with a good eye for colour kind-of-people, can often be daunting. Like, where do you start? The Makeup Insider is designed for just that. To build a collaborative online community of artists to build their confidence, connections and help drive their career to the next level.If you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time, tune in now, check out the key takeaways in the show notes and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Find Vanessa @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider

Information

  • Creator
    Vanessa Barney
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    113
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Makeup Insider
  • Show Website
    The Makeup Insider

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