Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Goulet.
Hi Nicole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Waxhaw, North Carolina, a small town near Charlotte. While Waxhaw is a smaller town, I was always drawn towards the creative arts and lived the lifestyle vicariously through films and magazines. My interest in makeup developed after discovering Youtube tutorials and DIY videos – I was immediately hooked; I loved the idea of makeup illusions and creating wearable art. After years of doing my own makeup, I began doing makeup on my friends for proms and events. I graduated high school in 2017, and I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do career-wise until a friend had told me about Aveda Institute for Cosmetology – it was there that I gained a love for hairstyling, cuts, color, and helping guests achieve their hair goals. Still, I knew that ultimately I wanted to learn about the makeup industry.
I researched schools and stumbled upon the Make-up Designory page – Immediately, I knew that this was the industry I wanted to be a part of. I freelanced and worked as a MUA at Morphe until I was ready to make the move out to California and begin my journey at Make-up Designory. I moved out to Los Angeles, and courses started in 2020 – but only a month later, Covid struck, bringing everything to a pause. During that time, I went home to NC and continued to practice on myself throughout quarantine. When things opened up again, I built my portfolio working with clients and worked with models & photographers on test shoots until classes resumed in August 2021, when I was able to return back to California.
After completing MUD’s Master Makeup program, I took every freelance job opportunity I could to build my portfolio and gain on-set experience. I began working as an artist with Pout Beauty Bar and am currently working as a receptionist in the Make-up Designory’s store. I’ve been working in the freelance industry now for two years and love working in a variety of job mediums. I’m lucky to have met the amazing people I have on my journey, that’s allowed me to continue working in a job I’m passionate about! I love being able to tell a story through the illusions of Special Effects Makeup – Gigs where I get to work with prosthetics, wigs, airbrushing, etc. to create a character are some of my favorites.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Learning how to navigate as a freelancer in a new city is difficult – it was hard leaving family and friends to pursue a dream that’s 2000 miles away from home, but ultimately, I knew that L.A.’s a hub for spectacular creatives, and being here would allow me more learning & job opportunities. Starting out with no connections and trying to break into a competitive industry, I felt a bit lost trying to understand how everything worked. I found that reaching out and connecting with fellow artists, test shoots, & taking classes has helped me meet some great people along the way. Having the opportunity to attend a Make-up Designory School was a great help in that too – there’s artists all around us, and everyone has a place in this industry! I’ve made a great network of artists where we can recommend each other for upcoming gigs. I think that being flexible as a freelancer is important too – there’s not a specific way to do it, and the schedule can get a bit crazy if you’re working part-time jobs as well. I’ve learned that setting timelines and creating balance is crucial. You’re managing yourself as a business and creating your own schedule, so it’s easy to get wrapped up in projects and business. Setting aside time for yourself and your work, as well as creating a good group of artist friends has been a big help in developing myself further in this Industry.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a Make-up Artist and Hairstylist that’s passionate about creating art that will enhance a story; whether it be designing a full-on special effects character, creating film makeup to reflect the scene, applying elegant wedding makeup, turning out a fun hairstyle, or sculpting and fabricating custom prosthetic pieces. Working as a diverse artist has helped set my artistry apart from others – Learning skills in different departments has allowed me to nurture my artistry and has opened up new and exciting opportunities. I’m always open to learning new things, and love anything I can get my hands on that will enhance my craft. I’m most proud of the opportunity I had to work on Horror Camp: A Musical Massacre in 2021 – Being a new artist, I was eager to jump onto any gig that I could. I joined the team originally as a makeup assistant, but when an extra hand was needed in the hair department, I was able to jump onto the team – unknowing that the show would be nominated in the 2021 Make-up Artist & Hairstylist’s Guild Awards. Being able to attend an event surrounded by so many well-accomplished artists whose work I admire was the moment I solidified that I want to continue my journey working as a Los Angeles Artist!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We’re working in a dynamic industry that is constantly changing, meaning it’s important for us to be adaptive as artists. Technology and social media have flourished over the past decade – it’s created many job opportunities, new ways to connect and emerge as artists, and acts as a vast source of knowledge to learn from. Continuing our education and seeking to learn the newest techniques helps to keep artists on top of these constantly changing trends. I’ve enjoyed seeing the shift in the film industry with the use of technology, and I hope to continue to see the use of CGI and Practical Makeup effects working conjointly to create intriguing characters! We live in a time where nothing is guaranteed – we’ve made it through a pandemic that stopped work completely and are seeing a lot of those working in film pushing for change in the industry. Despite the circumstances and future adversity, I think that evolving as artists allow us to continue to thrive as creatives – you are not defined by your challenges, but by your determination to overcome them!
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Deverill Weekes Eric Anderson Jake J. Shideler
