Perfectly Polished

She may run her own successful make-up academy and cosmetics line, but Sharleen Collins is just getting started.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR BIG BREAK?

I have had two big breaks in my career. The first was when I left my job in Brown Thomas after 13 years – where I worked for a variety of premium brands, including Crème de La Mer, Bobbi Brown and MAC – to move to London to join the MAC PRO team. This opened a number of doors and gave me the chance to work on a variety of highprofile events, from X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, and the MTV Music Awards to magazine shoots including

British Vogue.

My second big break saw me returning to Dublin, where I went out on my own as a session make-up artist, and of course, to open the Sharleen Collins Academy and create my own cosmetics line, Sharleen Collins Cosmetics.

WHAT DOES MAKE-UP MEAN TO YOU?

Make-up, to me, means enhancing natural beauty. I truly believe less is always more. I find it inspiring to be able to make my clients feel good about themselves, both inside and out.

WHAT DOES “BUSINESSWOMAN” MEAN TO YOU?

Being a businesswoman is extremely rewarding, but with that comes a huge responsibility. I’m so happy with the way I have built my business, both personally and professionally.

It was always a dream of mine to open my own make-up academy and own a cosmetic line. Both of these I’ve now accomplished, but I will always continue to grow and work towards my next goal. It can be lonely, but when you see the results of hard work, it is so rewarding!

HOW HAS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGED THE MAKE-UP GAME?

Social media has been an eye-opener to new and unique styles of make-up, as well as application techniques. It has played a huge role in building up brands and artists across the globe. I find it a fantastic resource for a vast array of unique mentions and inspiration. The make-up industry is very different now with social media compared to what it was even a few years ago.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST HURDLES YOU’VE FACED IN BUSINESS?

There have definitely been a few over the years. However, I find facing hurdles helps you grow as a person, and as a business. Trying to please everyone in the industry is tough, and sometimes it can take a toll on you. With social media, it is easy to get caught up in all the comments, which in turn makes you strive to produce the perfectly polished image out there. This is something I regularly have to remind myself to remember and disregard. From the business end, dealing with manufacturers, distributors, deadlines, production teams, launches, campaigns and, of course, our courses can make life very busy. While it can all be tough, it is definitely worthwhile.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT?

My make-up academy and my cosmetics line. There’s no better feeling than knowing my past students are excelling in their dream careers. I am in awe that in just over a year, I am seeing my cosmetics line being shipped worldwide and in pharmacies across the country. We sold out online within a number of days of launching, and sales a year on continue to flourish.

WHAT DOES 2020 HOLD FOR YOU AND THE SHARLEEN COLLINS ACADEMY?

I cannot wait to share all that 2020 has in store for both the Sharleen Collins Academy and Sharleen Collins Cosmetics. Firstly, I am starting off the year with a full rebrand of the academy and a launch party to celebrate, with some exciting guests in attendance. I will also be launching the next product for my cosmetics line, which I have been working on for a number of years now. I cannot wait to share it with everyone who has followed my journey over the years. No one will expect what I have coming!