MAKE-UP ARTIST MAKES GOOD

       Nick Barose is a Thai make-up artist based mostly in New York,but he sometimes flies to Los Angeles, where his work can regularly be seen on the faces of those strolling the red carpet the Golden Globes, Emmys, Grammys and movie premieres. His celebrity clients include Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock,Megan Fox and Hilary Duff. When I was in LA recently, I wasted no time in contacting Nick for an interview.
       Despite his busy schedule, he managed to fit me into a time slot.
       "This week, I've gotten up at 3am for three days in a row for a 6am morning show. That drains you, physically. People tend to think my job is glamorous. The make-up part is easy,but the waiting around on the set can be hard. With actors,you don't want to distract them,but you also have to do your job. You can't let their face shine.You have to really pay attention,even when you get up at 3am,"he said.
       The perks of the job are that he gets to meet a lot of artists,actors, writers and directors.
       "It's great to work in the entertainment business. I get inspired by what others are doing. I love movies and music,"he said.
       "It's like being behind the scenes. I get to see it or hear it before it comes out. For instance,I saw Kelly Clarkson rehearsing onstage. At the recent VH1 Divas Live concert I was doing makeup for Paula Abdul, the host for the show. Cyndi Lauper came knocking on Paula's dressing room door and asked if she could use the room to rehearse her song,True Colors ."Nick was recently back from the Toronto Film Festival, where he helped with the promotion of two movies,An Education and Bright Star . The lead actresses of the movies - Carey Mulligan
       An Education ) and Abbie Cornish (Bright Star )- are Nick's clients.Bright Star was directed by Jane Campion, who also directed the award-winning movie The Piano (1993).What makes the superstars seek Nick out is his talent for bringing out a person's individuality and personality.B"I don't create a completely new look so that a face is totally changed and you can't remem-Nber that person at the end," said Nick."This doesn't mean that I Pdon't put on a lot of make-up. I do, especially for red carpet events. However, I tend to emphasise the technique. The skin must look perfect because it has to face the spotlights."
       Nick also does consultant work for various cosmetics companies, and he has launched a book in Thailand called Nick Barose Beauty . The book teaches how to apply make-up and goes from the most basic to the most complicated levels.
       Some of his make-up tips? Apply foundation with a brush rather than a sponge so that it does not soak up the foundation and go to waste. Do not use your hands because the foundation will not glide on smoothly. Before applying mascara, clean the brush so that when applied it does not make little clots on your lashes.
       Invest in a make-up primer in order to control the oiliness of your face, and to give a long-lasting look. This is especially important for humid Thailand.
       Also, when choosing a make-up shade,do not be afraid to pick a bright colour. A colour that looks bright in the packaging tends to be lighter when applied on the skin. Lastly, use a puff to press lightly after each application of make-up so that it looks more smooth and natural.
       When he left Thailand at 16 years of age to study in New York, he did not feel homesick at all because he saw the fast-paced and crowded city as similar to Bangkok.
       "New York was everything I expected it to be. My relatives own a Thai restaurant,so I was working there after school and eating Thai food. It felt like home. At first I found the subway to be a bit overwhelming, but now I find it so convenient to use."
       The 35-year-old said his fellow classmates from Parsons The New School for Design called him Nick because his Thai name - Dilokrit - was too difficult for them to pronounce.
       Although Parsons is a very prominent fashion school, having produced such legendary designers as Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan, Nick did not study fashion there.
       "I majored in environmental design for my bachelor's degree. At first I was going to major in interior design because I like to decorate my home, but environmental design covers a wider scope and includes things like landscape and architecture." It
       was not until later that Nick decided to make a career in the fashion
       industry, but the signs were always there.
       He recalled that the fashion department at Parsons was located on an upper floor, and that he felt closer to students there than in his own department.
       "Whenever there was a fashion shoot, I always assisted the fashion department in doing the models' make-up. People said I had a gift as a makeup artist," he said. While he was at school he also landed jobs from modelling agencies doing make-up for new models when they did photo shoots for their portfolios.
       Nick's experience with make-up began with growing up in a family filled with females. Every New Year's Eve there would be a big annual celebration, and Nick would be the one to direct the shows,arrange the costumes and do everyone's make-up.
       Years later a photographer friend advised him that he should try to become an assistant to a famous makeup artist, or else no one would ever know of him.
       "I like the works of a makeup artist named Kevyn Aucoin,who is now deceased. He is also similar to me in the sense that he grew up in a family filled with females, and did many fashion shows with them as a child. I wrote an application letter to him at the right time, during New York Fashion Week. I didn't think a person at that level would reply to my letter because he would already have assistants, but he called me back," said Nick.