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• IMAGES: JEREMY FRENCH

ICYMI, last night saw the third instalment of our event series, Inside Job, in partnership with THE FACE. This time around, we were exploring the grit behind the glam in the beauty industry. The panel went beyond the surface, talking long hours, hard work and how to make it.

On the panel was hair stylist and Creative Council member Isaac Poleon, makeup artist and consultant Mata Mariélle, manicurist Lauren Michelle Pires and beauty expert Marina Mansour, hosted by THE FACE’s digital director Brooke McCord.

Inside Job is a brand-new series of URL and IRL events spotlighting rising industry voices at the intersection of fashion, culture, art and music. Designed to share knowledge and remove barriers to entry within the creative industries, the series provides a new generation of fashion creatives and entrepreneurs with the tangible advice they need to level up on their own creative journey.

To kick things off, the panellists went back to the beginning, discussing how they got started in their careers. And it’s safe to say, the road to success looked different for everyone. For Marina Mansour, her career came out of love for beauty. She explained that she’s always had love for skincare and makeup – Mansour has had a skincare routine since she was twelve – and that personal love has fed into a professional interest. While Lauren Michelle Pires got into the industry “by mistake”, as she joked to the audience. Pires studied graphics at Central Saint Martins, where she started doing her friends nails. By the end of her degree? She’d created a full portfolio “by accident” by helping out her fellow students – Pires would do the nails for her friend’s degree shows.

The panellists went on to discuss their proudest moments in their career, specifically, the very first time they created something and thought to themselves – wow, I’m really proud of that. For Isaac Poleon? It was when he worked on a project with Rihanna. No big deal. He explained that it was the first time he, “saw my work for what it was”. For Mansour, it was when the legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath responded to one of her videos (again, _no big dea_l). Mansour had filmed a TikTok all about Pat McGrath – and McGrath loved it, reaching out to thank her.

For each of these beauty experts, creativity is at the heart of what they do. So how do they stay inspired and spark their creativity? Pires explained that she gets her best ideas in the middle of the night, while for Poleon he gets inspired when he’s out and about. Mansour and Mariélle both use different creative outlets to feed their creativity – Mariélle paints while Mansour reads.

Another big question for the panellists, was how they maintain a unique sense of creative identity when working with big brands. According to Poleon, as a creative in this realm, you can feel like a puppet of sorts. But it depends on who you’re working with: “I love my FLANNELS family,” he told the audience. He explained that he is “blessed in my creative, to work in a realm that sees me”. The things that will always help you succeed? Individuality and creativity. Mariélle agrees, she explains that when creating, she’s always asking herself: “How can I make this my own, how can I make this mine?”.

The panellists were all in agreement that certain projects require stricter aesthetics while others will allow for more creative freedom. They described editorial and magazine work as the best place for this freedom and for experimenting and collaborating.

And as for the grit behind the glamour? Well, there’s a lot of grit. Behind the glamorous images is hard work, sweat and no sleep – this is something the panellists were all in firm agreement about. Pires jokes that often on shoots, she’s underneath the table doing pedicures, while Poleon says that the images that get shot build a romanticised version of glam, but behind the scenes, it’s a different story. Poleon explains: “What’s simple to the consumer is complex to the creative.” And where Mansour is concerned? The trick is to “do it for the love, not the glamour.”

As for their insider tips? They had some parting words for the audience:

Always ask questions – Mata Mariélle  Be authentic, be brave – Isaac Poleon  Assist in every area you’re interested in – Lauren Michelle Pires  Don’t underestimate the value of your network – Marina Mansour