For this week’s Spotlight On feature, we spoke to Irish makeup artist Niamh O’Brien.
The 19-year-old has become a TikTok sensation, posting incredible looks on the app with her 77.8k followers.
The Longford native spoke to Goss.ie about how she pursued a career in makeup and growing her massive online platform.
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How did you get into makeup?
I have had a huge interest in all things makeup and beauty from an extremely young age. I used to look at my two aunts putting on makeup and I’d always get them to put some on me.
I’ve also been very involved in theatre productions and shows from a very young age. In these shows, everyone needs a bit of makeup as the stage lights are so bright. I started doing my own makeup for shows when I was around 7 years old.
Obviously I’d only do the basics; foundation and lipstick, but I do feel like my love for makeup started at that age.
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What made you decide to start taking makeup seriously?
In 2016, during my Transition Year in secondary school, I did a makeup course in The Beauty Institute to become an official MUA. After I got my certificate, a lot of people started coming to me for makeup appointments for all sorts of occasions. I loved taking makeup appointments and chatting with everyone who sat in the makeup chair but obviously all that changed with the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the first lockdown in 2020, I was doing online classes for the Leaving Cert and I used makeup as an escape from study. I started getting more creative and crazy with my looks and I started posting more consistently on social media, TikTok in particular.
Before lockdown, I posted about once every two months if I was lucky to have time. During lockdown, I didn’t really have anything else to do so I got involved in makeup challenges and I started posting almost every day.
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Were you nervous to put yourself out there on social media and did you receive any negativity?
I was so nervous to make a makeup page, my friends almost forced me to! I still get extremely nervous when I post anything on social media. If my content is any way out of my comfort zone, I will still text my friends frantically saying, “Is my TikTok okay?” or “Is that too weird to post?”. I wish I could say that I don’t care about what other people think but it’s definitely something I need to work on.
I feel very lucky in the sense that I haven’t really received any direct negativity online. Most people have been really supportive and kind which I wasn’t really expecting. Especially people from my area that I may not even know that well, which I think is really nice!
@obrieniamhMy entry for ##CreatorRevolution “Hidden Talent” 💀⭐️ @makeuprevolution @abbyroberts ##fyp♬ Creator Revolution – Makeup Revolution
How did it feel when you started to blow up?
I actually couldn’t believe it. Anytime a video starts to do well, I find myself constantly checking my phone to see if there are any new comments or reactions. I find it very motivating as well. You suddenly get loads of inspiration for new looks and other video ideas.
Did it change the way you viewed doing makeup and put more pressure on you?
It has definitely changed the way I view makeup, but not in a bad way. Before I started taking makeup seriously, I could just do a makeup look whenever I felt like it, take a couple of pictures and post them to Instagram if I liked them. Now I see how important it is to be consistent with posts and I try to post as often as I can.
Also, the process of actually doing a makeup look takes a lot longer for me now if I’m making TikToks. In that sense, I do feel a bit more pressure, but I still enjoy it all!
@obrieniamh💜🖤💜 @dtleye coloured contacts “Vega Violet” ##dtleye ##mua ##fyp ##foryou ##collaboration♬ brutal – Olivia Rodrigo
Is it hard to fit time into your daily routine to create extravagant looks?
It’s definitely harder for me now that everything is back open again and I can actually go places. In order to do a look that’s any way creative or extravagant, I really need to have a full day free, particularly if I haven’t got the look and the TikToks planned in advance. Honestly sometimes the planning of the look takes longer than doing the look itself!
How did it feel to have brands reaching out to work with you?
It genuinely felt like a dream come true. Having brands that I have loved for years reach out to me, really made me feel like I was doing something right. I still can’t believe that huge brands like Pull & Bear, SOSU by SJ, Colourpop, Makeup Revolution have reached out to me!
What are your plans for the future, where do you hope to be with makeup in the next few years?
I’m starting college now this year in Dublin and am hoping to do Maths and Science. I definitely plan on continuing to do make up on the side and posting new looks on my social media accounts in my free time.
I also hope to start taking makeup appointments again whenever I can. I haven’t really been taking appointments since Covid, but I really enjoy doing makeup for special occasions.
What are your top tips for people starting out with makeup or those looking to better their skills?
I would definitely say to “mess around” with your makeup. Whenever you feel bored and have nowhere to go, just play around with makeup and see what looks you can create. They don’t have to be good at all, but it just gives you a better feel of your makeup and how it applies.
In school, whenever I was procrastinating doing my homework, I’d run up to my room and mess around with my makeup. By the end, I’d end up with lipstick on my cheeks, glitter on my lips and eyeliner all over my forehead. Procrastination at its finest!
While the looks I created weren’t good by any means, it allowed me to learn about the different textures of makeup products and the best ways to apply them. You never know, sometimes you might end up liking the end result!
