Behind The Scenes With Estelle Phillips

In my grade 1 newsletter, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wrote ‘Make-up Artist’.

– Estelle Phillips

Estelle Philips is a Toronto based Makeup Artist known for her impeccable work across the city, and currently working at one of Toronto’s most prestigious beauty salons, LAC Beauty. The young emerging artist has worked with many big names, but has a big heart to match. Incredibly humble about her work, she is a true trendsetter — not only with makeup but with her fashion sense as well.

One of Estelle’s main areas of expertise is her brow artistry, and luckily, anyone who’s experienced her magic first hand would be able to testify. It’s no doubt she’s making a mark in Toronto’s beauty community, and evidently, her extreme attention to detail is what sets her apart from the rest. The looks she creates on her clients are beyond flawless, and she knows exactly how to make anyone sitting in her chair feel like the most fabulous version of themselves.

HOLR had the pleasure of shooting with Estelle, and took some time on set to learn about her personal and professional life to get to know her better.

Growing up, Estelle would do makeup for her friends, and loved the feeling of making people feel beautiful. She understands how makeup makes people feel special. “The power that makeup can have on your identity has always been so magical to me,” the young artist expressed.

Attending one of Toronto’s most reputable makeup schools (CMU College of Makeup Art & Design) gave her the chance to explore all the makeup industry had to offer. Additionally, Estelle was a make-up artist at MAC Cosmetics. “CMU and MAC cosmetics were both extremely influential points in my career. MAC gave me the confidence as a young artist to work on every eye shape, face shape, and skin colour, while CMU taught me the fundamentals of the industry. I’ll admit confidence really comes with the hours you put in.”

Having taken all the right steps to get to where she is today, Estelle has had many amazing work experiences over the years. Of course, one that stood out was the time she did makeup for world renowned model Doutzen Kroes. “Like every other young girl, I grew up watching the Victoria Secret Fashion show, so it was a huge milestone being able to work with Kroes. It was surreal.”

In a saturated industry with lots of talent, it’s refreshing to still find artists like Estelle that are so true to themselves, stand out, and love what they do so much. She feels lucky to wake up everyday working a job that she loves, in an industry that is forever evolving.

Speaking of an industry that is constantly progressing, before finishing up our interview with Estelle, we obviously had to pick her brain about upcoming trends and favourite products! “The glowy complexion trend is definitely here to stay,” she states, along with colour having a huge moment. She loves seeing pops of colour washed on the lid or neon liner, a look we’re loving at HOLR! “I think makeup is the best accessory you can wear and I love the colour trend. It elevates every look.”