International make-up artist Donald Simrock explains to S Mallik about the common misconception that people have regarding their make-up and about the colours that would trend in the new season
There are few things in life that can make you truly happy being with a loved one, reading, travelling, shopping and, often the least acknowledged, make up. Every woman on the phase of the Earth applying that right shade of eye liner or lipstick, perfectly tracing your eyes with a kajal or a liner is not only therapeutic but also makes you feel good about yourself. And in a time when we are all on a constant struggle to put our best foot forward, we find ourselves reaching out for a good makeup artist.
Internationally renowned Donald Simrock would need no introduction. He has been there for years and during the course of his journey Simrock has had the opportunity of working with few of the best women musicians the industry has today and yes, that includes lady Gaga, too. According to this ace make up artist, deciding on a look for a musician and a celebrity is quite different. “Most of it is tailored to suit the taste and the style of the artiste I am working with. It always has to be new and it’s on you to create that image,” said Simrock. With lady Gaga, however, the task was to develop her unique style. “When I started working with her, I had to tailor something to make it seem like it belongs to her. like I did with the lightning (that she wore to one of her appearances) it was fresh for her face,” he added.
Simrock feels that in this job, it is important to be mindful and professional. “Mindful of their schedule and their needs and also to be professional at all time. It is sort of like working to maintain them and also doing your job to the best of your capabilities. And make it seem effortless for them because they already have plenty of things to worry about,” he elaborated.
The artist is currently conducting a workshop at the Bollywood Hollywood International Makeup Academy and he could not be more thrilled at being able to work with the students and train them in the nuances of the art. He said that he connected with Vivek Bharti, the head of the institute a while ago over the Internet and when he was offered a chance to work with the students he could not decline. “It’s a proper place where students learn every aspect of make up right from red carpet to editorial make up and also bridal,” he told us.
“Bollywood is India’s Hollywood,” he claimed. “It caters to the history and culture of the country and that is what interests and intrigues me the most. Also, what I consider much more attractive in Bollywood is that it is honest to the place it comes from. Hollywood does not really do that and that’s the biggest difference,” Simrock added.
We asked him what he thought were the most commonly repeated make up mistakes that we tend to make. He thought for a while and then said, carefully choosing his words and explaining, “I would not call it a mistake but I would rather call it a misconception. See, it is a common practice to highlight the contours. It ends up looking exaggerated and that is quite unfortunate, I personally feel.” He believes that it is more important to work towards enhancing the facial features and to have fun with it. “To lay out your face like a map and do light and dark over it as if you are doing a photoshoot,”he wrapped up.