MAKE-UP STAR The powder & the glory
GLOW UP: BRITAIN’S NEXT
BBC3/BBC IPLAYER, 7pm SOMEONE is sticking a row of paintbrushes to their head, fretting about neon colours, while elsewhere a girl is turning herself into an alien with some putty.
This is the return of Glow Up, hosted by Stacey Dooley.
It’s the show that catapults 20-somethings experimenting with cosmetics in their bedrooms into the spotlight. The 10 budding make-up artists (MUAS) take on weekly professional assignments.
Each is hoping to bag a big contract to become a top assistant in the world of slap.
The show has a real cutting America’s Next Top Model feel about it, as the judges harshly assess who glows – and who goes.
Dominic Skinner, he of the twirly moustache, wants “extreme creativity”, while Val Skinner, giving off Devil Wears Prada vibes, wants her
“mind blown”. Neither is afraid to say what they think, and neither cracks a smile.
Occasionally, if Val is really excited, she might yell “ding dong” for reasons only known to her.
The first challenge is to do the make-up for JD Sports’ Christmas advertising campaign.
If their efforts are good, they’ll see it on a billboard. If not, it will never see the light of day.
“If I go out first round, my friends will call me ‘first round’ for the rest of my life,” panics 24-year-old Ashley.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Jake tries his best not to stab the models with his four-inch nails.
Later, the creative brief at Glow Up HQ sees the MUAS tasked with reflecting themselves on their own faces.
With astonishing creations to gawk at, this youthful reality show is one of the highlighters of the week.