Olle Johanssen’s long affiliation with cult professional makeup brand, Make Up Store has seen him create some outstanding looks for M magazine international while training up and coming artists at the Make Up Store Academy. With an intriguing past that saw him as a child performer and creating makeup for the circus, the charming and immensely talented Swede is a self-taught sensation whose work truly showcases the efficacy and vibrancy of the Make Up Store collection.
How and why did you get into makeup?
I was a child performer at the age of 10 and had to apply makeup on myself which is when people started telling me I was good at doing makeup which prompted me to start applying it to other people. I read a book in the library, Stage Makeup by Richard Corson which was written in English so initially the language barrier made it hard to decipher, however the images were captivating and I mulled over it for ages. I had five siblings and our parents weren’t able to indulge every whim we showed for a topic as things were tight so I ended up stealing the book from the library and I still have it! It set me on track for my career.
Do you have formal training?
I never assisted or had formal training. I knew so many people in the industry having worked as a performer for many years and when I became a dancer I never really struggled to become known. When offering my roles people would say: “You can dance and act – can you do the makeup too?” It wasn’t a case of getting a big break it just happened over the course of time because I was immersed in the industry.
When did you first become involved with Make Up Store?
It all started 21 years ago, with the school. Mika (Lias, Make Up Store, CEO) was in the fashion industry before, so we each came from different yet also quite similar industries. We came in contact when I started teaching for the Make Up Store School. It was then Mika pointed out that there was very little product available for makeup students to use. So we worked on this idea and launched the first Make Up Store in Stockholm, Sweden in 1996; now we are celebrating our 15th anniversary.
What was your professional highlight?
One of the highlights has to be when all this first came about. We had the School and I was also a makeup artist for Make Up Store so all of a sudden I had these two great jobs. Over a hundred students graduate ever year from our various Make Up Schools and they enter many different fields of the makeup industry, special effects, editorial, film and television, etc which is a pleasure to see.
What advice would you offer aspiring makeup artists?
Firstly the perfect portfolio mix must include beautiful clean shots to show the quality of your base.
Secondly never rely on Photoshop – I never do – and I always advise my students not to either. Assuming a photographer will fix something up later in photoshop is not professional. It is after all your mistake and it costs the photographer a lot of time. You are also relying on the photographer’s skills at Photoshopping which is not a good idea as these can vary from one to another. The responsibility is yours as a makeup artist to deliver the very best you can do and not leave a job half done.
What’s the best advice you have been given?
It would have to be to take my talent seriously and not underestimate it. A lot of people rely on ego and bravado to get places but yours skills speak the loudest. You are only a virgin once and if you have an experience that is not good for you, you can’t go back. Protect your talent and don’t do a job that won’t showcase your skills well. I don’t buy into the thinking that you should never turn a job down, in fact I totally disagree. Your talent is precious and you should nurture it you should never feel pressured to accept a job that doesn’t reflect your level of talent. A lot of people work for free to build their portfolios etc. but really this is wrong. Makeup artists should ask themselves: “Why should I work for free? This is my job!” Your skills will speak for themselves and people should pay for your talent and not expect it for free.
What are the most common makeup myths?
Rather than the adage – rules are made to be broken – I suggest bending them a bit to make them work for you. Saying: “you can never do this, or that”, is very limiting. When people start out you have to experiment with products and make them multi-task for you. As a good makeup artist you do this anyway when you are on a job you won’t have the whole store in your makeup case so you need to mix and blend and know how colour works. I know that if I mix certain colours and formulations with each other I will get a certain shade or consistency. Editorial and acting work is different to day makeup or occasion makeup – it only needs to last long enough for the shoot or scene, it’s not like day makeup where you need it to last all day. This is what we teach people who attend our in store makeup classes, how to mix and blend and create customised colours and also how to take care of their makeup. I still have makeup I have owned since the 50s, some of the early Max Factor formulas for example, so if you take care of it, it can last.
What inspires you about makeup?
I love the evolution. New, is good and exciting but also never forget what has gone before. Every new trend has a reference to something that has already passed. It’s funny now when people come to me and say they have a new look they want to try and I often have to reply: “They did that in the 40s honey”. You must learn the history before you know where to go into the future as things move in circles. Not enough makeup artists pay attention to the history of makeup and more should understand references, its not all about the new and the modern.
Who are your beauty icons?
My beauty icons include Rita Hayworth and Catherine Deneuve, who is so versatile but still also has a definite look, she was Yves Saint Laurent’s muse for a long time. Linda Evangelista is also extremely versatile as a model she can pull off any hair colour or kind of makeup and looks good in anything, which is the hallmark of a very good model.
Contact: Make Up Store (02) 9360 5885.