Tanielle Jai is a highly sought-after makeup artist from Brisbane, Australia who has been in the industry for over a decade.
Her incredible artistry skills and bubbly nature makes her an absolute joy to follow on instagram, where she recently hit 50K followers!
She is one of our favourite makeup artists here at Lou Lou Lips so we thought it was only fitting to have her as our first interviewee for our Artist Spotlight series.
Hey Tanielle, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for our Artist Spotlight!
Firstly, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.
My Name is Tanielle, Im married to a wonderful guy named Rob, 30 yrs old and have two little ones - Ezra 3 and Denzel 8m. I’ve been a Makeup artist for 13 years - worked alot of those years as a retail MUA, only started working for myself three years ago after my first child and have never looked back!
Favourite movie?
Sleepless in Seattle
Red wine or white?
Red
Morning person or night person?
Night person, but now that i have kids and also being an MUA I have to be a morning person.
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?
New York
Where and how do you work best?
I love working alongside one of my other Mua friends - Sometimes this job can be lonely - even though im with people all the time, but you are always talking small talk. So when I get to work with another MUA or Hairstylist that i know it makes the job so much more fun! Also love working on a creative shoot with teams that I work with all the time! always a lot of fun.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Talent can only take you so far, Hardwork can take you anywhere -
My dad used to say this to me all the time. You can have talent, but without a good work ethic it will only take you so far, You always have to be teachable and open to learning. Open to taking risks and just HUSTLE!
Also
Sometimes you gotta fake it till you make it. I don’t mean that in the sense of being a fake person, but sometimes you just got to take a risk even if you don’t think you can. I always push myself - even If I don’t think I can, I just do it, more often then not i surprise myself, and then sometimes I really fail but success doesn’t come without failures.
Favourite quote?
"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." - Col 4:6
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”- Anais Nin
Who are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now?
@nikki_makeup is my favourite. She just inspires me so much! I also love @pennyantuar and @emmachenartistry @hungvanngo
Some beauty accounts I love to follow for inspo is @inbeautmag and @theartistedit - they feature so many amazing MUA’s and Im constantly inspired by those accounts.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Not comparing myself. believing in myself and trusting the journey. Let intimidation become your inspiration!
What has been your biggest win so far?
Not having to work for someone!! I feel so blessed to be able to work for myself. I love the creative freedom I have not being tied down to one brand or 9-5
What’s your best advice for handling criticism?
It’s really important to me to not be stagnant and to always be open to learning. So i welcome criticism that is constructive, as i see it as a way to improve and get better. Sometimes it hurts but alot of times its coming from a good place. If its mean and nasty I have learnt to brush it off as i know those opinions do not shape who I am. It’s taken me a long time to really learn to love myself and have a strong sense of self, and there has been years where I’ve gone through things and not understood why - but now looking back I see those challenges as the times that have moulded me to be who i am today. It sounds silly but journalling and self talk was so key to me when it comes to building my confidence, Listening to the inner hate voice is not an option. As soon as those negative thoughts come to mind, I quickly shut them out.
What’s next for you?
I would love to start creating some youtube videos.
If a young girl or boy walked up to you asking for your advice on life, what would it be?
We live in a world where everything is so easy to access. We open our phones and we can recall any piece of information at the drop of a hat. People are making an income from just being “good looking”, and it makes it look like people don’t have to work hard anymore. Nothing good comes easy. Hard work is worth it. Dreams don’t always happen overnight. There is a minority of people that have what looks like “success” and it’s come from talent and/or looks alone, it will fade and that kind of success won’t be sustainable because when things get tough they don’t know how to deal with it. True Success is something that will last. True success comes with the daily grind and working hard at your craft, Hard work refines you. Always strive to be better and working on it every single day. It comes with failures, but when you succeed the feeling is so much better because you know you’ve worked your ass off for it! When you face challenges you will be able to tackle them head on. Keep going, don’t give up. You’ll have your days, but there is always the next.
What is your favourite Lou Lou Lips lipstick and why?
Ooooh I love Billy and Dea Dia. Both very similar, one's more matte and the other is creamier - i always love a nude - but these have a browny peach undertone which is a colour im loving at the moment as I feel it suits most people! I love how i can put a darker lip liner with it to make it look like a KIM KW lip or make it softer just by itself.
For us, lipstick is something which gives us that extra boost of confidence, what gives you confidence to take on each and every day?
I can’t leave the house without a few things haha, but mascara is my no.1
Follow Tanielle @taniellejaimua
