Michael Brown is back on the podcast, and this time we went full kit rundown.

Michael's a freelance makeup artist with 25 years in the industry. He started out on retail counters for the Lauder Group, moved in-house at L'Oréal, and has been freelance for the last 12 years, mostly doing event and red carpet work. Which also means he gets gifted a lot. We're talking 15 to 20 PR deliveries a week, sometimes products that haven't even launched in Australia yet.

Before I get into the checklist, the mindset matters more than the steps. A few things I live by now:

If someone doesn't respond to you, it doesn't mean anything about you. It just means you haven't given them a good enough reason to respond yet. That's it. It's not personal, and it's not a no forever, it's a no for now.

Adam Garland is back on The Insider Diary for episode 116. He's a UK-based session hairstylist who spent five years as the face of global brand Authentic Beauty Concept. These days he's building his own path: mentoring other artists, shooting his own images, and working with heritage beauty brands he actually believes in. His first episode with us got such a good response we're turning this into a monthly chat.

This episode was sparked by a listener question from Australia about brand loyalty, so we went deep on trust, rejection, and how to stop taking it personally when a client doesn't rebook you.

Cool girl hair isn't polished. It's undone in the right way, texture that looks like it happened by accident but didn't. My tool for that look is the GHD Triple Barrel, and it's probably the best investment I've made in my kit in a long time.

I've used it on nearly every client since I bought it, and I prefer it to every other triple barrel I've tried, including the mermaid iron. The difference is the wave. It's less regular, less predictable, which is exactly what cool girl hair needs. A perfectly even wave reads as try-hard. This doesn't.

I don't run it through in neat sections. I work it through the hair by feel, then personalise the top layer by hand so nothing looks too set. I also never use it alone on a whole head, that's what makes the hair too uniform and kills the effortless look I'm going for.

It's also fast, which matters when you're working on set or back to back with clients. Cool girl hair should look like it took no time at all. With this tool, it pretty much doesn't.

Heidi Scarlett King has been a makeup artist for 25 years. She started when Mac had just launched in Australia, did Fashion Week in the early 2000s when the shows were packed and the money was real, moved to London with nothing but a British passport and a lot of ambition, ended up on ITV breakfast television, worked on Pat McGrath's runway team in Paris, came home and eventually built King Co Creative — a Sydney-based agency with 45 artists on the books.

I'm not a growth guru. I'm a hairstylist who posts reels of my work. So when I tell you I grew nearly 2,000 followers in about five weeks, I want to show you exactly how, not just tell you it happened.

It started with consistency, not virality

Tannia started her makeup career with an eight-week course at Napoleon Perdis straight out of high school in 2000. She went from retail counter work to the global makeup artistry team, travelling for head office training sessions and creating educational content. She worked with publications, personalities and everything in between.

We went way deeper than products. Adam talked about starting hairdressing at 14, assisting Sam McKnight backstage at Chanel (Kendall Jenner was in the chair), his experience on Guido's team, his recovery journey, the pay debate around working for free in session hair, why goals can be a cage, and what he's building at sessionhair.com.

Kiana has been around makeup for 13 years. She started on the Mecca counters, left the industry to work in disability support, and came back in 2022. Within a few years, she was working Fashion Weeks in Sydney, Milan, and Paris.

Sydney stylist Kate Harper breaks down exactly what a fashion stylist does, how they collaborate with hair and makeup, and the unspoken set rules every creative needs to know.

10 Makeup Products a Professional Makeup Artist Can't Live Without

As a professional hair and makeup artist based in Sydney, I get asked constantly — what's actually in your kit? Not what's trending. Not what's sponsored. What do you genuinely reach for?

Molly is a Sydney based makeup artist originally from the UK. She trained at Chichester College, cut her teeth at Mac, and built a career rooted in editorial work, brand collaborations and a tight industry network she affectionately calls the Makeup Mafia.

What does it take to go from an accounting desk in Los Angeles to working alongside one of the most iconic makeup artists in the world? For Lottie, the answer was equal parts curiosity, hustle and a very lucky MySpace connection.

In this episode of The Makeup Insider, Lottie shares the kind of unfiltered career story you rarely hear — no formal training, no industry contacts to start, just a genuine obsession with beauty and the drive to figure it out.

In the ever-evolving world of personal branding and digital engagement, creating content that stands out is crucial. Joined by Suz Chadwick, a personal branding and business coach, we explored the four essential content types that every creator should embrace. These content types not only enhance your visibility but also deepen your connection with your audience, ultimately building a brand that resonates and sells.

Six months ago, Penny’s Instagram account her digital portfolio, was unexpectedly suspended and eventually deleted. What initially felt like a devastating loss turned into an unexpected turning point. Instead of scrambling to rebuild, she paused. And in that pause, something powerful unfolded.

For those looking to get into the Fashion Week circuit, Andrea emphasizes relationships and quiet confidence. Recommendations are gold, and maintaining a positive, adaptable attitude can get you invited back season after season.

On Friday, I had the absolute pleasure of glamming the gorgeous and incredibly kind Georgia Caine. Georgia was visiting from Melbourne, and since we’ve worked together before, I was so happy we could line up our schedules again.