Battle of the Brushes

Last Thursday I went to the first ever Battle of the Brushes to watch two makeup artists battle it out live.

I’ve never seen a makeup battle before and wasn’t sure what to expect but was glad to see the lovely Sara-May and stylish Ashleigh from Sharman Says there.

Trish Sousa and Jaclyn Hnitko were the lucky names drawn to battle it out from all the entries for some fabulous prizes. They were up for a challenge when the brief was announced: “Studio 54 meets Shanghai Nights – High-octane evening glamour with a nod to sultry Eastern Delight” and they were given just 40 minutes to create a look based on this brief.

Of course I had to check out the hair – KMS California and Christopher Hanna Platinum created some gorgeous looks for the models. Big hair is definitely back with the textured half up look and the soft powdered beehive. It’s so important to create levels of texture in the hair to hold these big styles.

Mary Sher @ Chic, Makeup by Trish Sousa

Now back to the battle: Trish focused on creating a beautiful, flawless base and creating a softer look. She wanted to keep the look undone, with a soft pink lip that’s almost faded away at the edges.

Holly Denny @ Chic, Makeup by Jaclyn Hnitko

Jaclyn went straight in for the strong brows to frame the face and made lips the focus with dark red highlighted with gold in the centre.

I think it was that amazing red gold lip that fit the brief perfectly to get Jaclyn over the line and take the prize as winner of the first ever Battle of the Brushes.

M.A.C. Cosmetics provided the amazing kit for the battle

Jaclyn with her winning look

I liked both looks but I was really hoping for something outrageous given the fantastic brief. These looks were quite wearable, and not the ‘high-octane glamour’ I wanted to see.

Battle of the Brushes will now be an annual event. Sydney makeup artists, don’t forget to sign up for next year!

Do you think the best look one? What would you have created with that brief? As for the hair, I’m loving that beehive, that texture makes it so modern. I might try this look during the week.