Facing his first long, dark and very cold winter in London back in 2005, Tauranga-born hair and makeup artist Michael Ashton had only one thing on his mind. “It was Christmas and I was working part time on the makeup counter at Harvey Nichols. It was pretty grim,” he explains. “All I knew was that if I was in the same position the following Christmas, then it was time to move on.”
Fast forward to 2012 and the talented and strong-minded beauty star is in his element as an in-demand celebrity makeup artist. His roster includes singer – and good friend – Adele, supermodel Elle Macpherson and British tabloid darling Peaches Geldof. He is, in his words, “living the dream” – and what a star-studded, beautiful dream that is. “I took a gamble moving to London,” he admits.
“My life after moving from Tauranga to Auckland was fantastic. I had a beautiful apartment, I drove a nice car and worked with some of the country’s most well-known faces and established designers. “Then I gave it all up and moved to a new city. I definitely had moments where I thought, ‘God, what have I done?’”
During his moments of doubt it was Michael’s mother’s words of support and inspiration that gave him the courage to follow a dream that most young New Zealand men would have thought impossible. Michael says that being supported so unconditionally by his family has allowed him to forge a path of his own.
He picked up an agent and his first big name client was leggy Australian supermodel and businesswoman Elle Macpherson. She was quickly followed by the legendary Bianca Jagger, Mick Jagger’s first wife, who he was introduced to by an old friend – and fellow Kiwi – Shay Thomas, head of PR for Prada.
Michael dabbled in the fashion industry around the same time but decided that it wasn’t for him. He had worked in fashion for a number of years in New Zealand, but realised his true passion lay in the entertainment industry.
One of the high-profile success stories to come out of Servilles Academy in Auckland (Lancôme makeup artistic director Aaron De Mey is another notable alumni and a fellow Tauranga boy), Michael says he loves the international travel that comes with working with celebrities, as well as getting to know people. “The opportunity to really develop a relationship with a client is fantastic.”
His friendship with Grammy winning British singer Adele is definitely one that has developed over time – Michael was first introduced to the songstress before she struck it big. His next client was UK “it girl” Peaches Geldof, daughter of Sir Bob Geldof. Michael after meeting her at a party with Adele and her early fan, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. Michael says Peaches’ reputation as a notorious party girl is largely uncalled for. “She’s a great girl. We get to do some really fun things like travel to the Cannes Film Festival and Dubai together.”
Michael became famous for his “glamover” work on Peaches, transforming the rock ‘n’ roll party girl into a sleekly styled fashion plate. Like many people who work behind the scenes for some of the UK’s biggest names, he has been approached over the years by the British tabloids to “sell his story”. But the makeup artist asks philosophically, “Why would I? Now they don’t bother as they know they won’t get anything from me. I want a career for a lifetime, why would I sacrifice that for five minutes of fame and a bit of money?”
He says the level of discretion that his job requires is no different to that of a doctor or a psychologist. “When people put their trust in you it’s essential that you respect that, even if it means you can’t spill every funnyaround the table at your next dinner party.”
When asked to name his ultimate celebrity client, Michael doesn’t hesitate. “I love that I’m fortunate enough to work with Adele, who is an incredible talent and allowed me to collaborate on creating what has become her iconic look.” He also has been following the career of British actress Lily Collins closely, saying that the 23-year-old Mirror Mirror star is “simply stunning and definitely one to watch”.
Michael says that what kept him going over that first long winter was his end goal. “If you keep that in sight you can achieve whatever you want, as long as you’re willing to work hard enough for it.” Michael says that when he first decided to leave New Zealand, people asked him why he didn’t do a couple of years in Sydney first as a stepping stone before trying to break into the London scene.
“I had to remind them that I’ve never really been one for stepping stones and a year or two in Sydney is a year or two that I wouldn’t be in London or New York.” And he’s never looked back.
Michael’s tips for creating your own red-carpet look:
- You can’t go wrong with false lashes – they are a simple, inexpensive way to vamp up an evening
look and you can go as subtle or as dramatic as you like
- Find a red lipstick that works for you. There is one out there for every skintone and it’s a great way
to look and feel much more glamorous
Going to a beauty counter and asking for expert advice is a great way to try out new things and find out what looks good on you
Mix up your beauty brands – some of my favourite products are from Chanel, but L’Oréal do some incredible mascaras
Play with colours to create your own bespoke makeup palette – and have fun!
Helene Ravlich
