By Stephanie Kemp

Even the men sat up and took notice when Merryll Faulkner, makeup artist and owner of Making Faces Makeup Studio in Kiama came to speak to us.

One of her longest engagements has been making up the priests on “Mass for You at Home” on Channel 10.

While initially resistant, Merryll convinces them to give it a try with her natural approach. They always enjoy it and never end up “looking like chicken tandoori” on screen.

She trained with Max Factor in the 1980s. After starting in promotions in a department store, Max Factor offered her a job and she was part of a travelling team that included two makeup artists going from store to store.

After a number of years, she decided to formally qualify and studied with Patricia Hutchence (mother of Michael) in North Sydney.

She then went freelance, which worked well with being a mum because she could work the hours that suited her, like doing makeup parties in the evenings.

She was invited to join the makeup team for the Sydney Olympics, doing the entertainers and then did a film makeup course in Los Angeles.

Her most recent film work has been the award-winning “Frances” about women’s homelessness with Screen Illawarra.

In 1998 she started her own studio in Mortdale in Sydney and also started teaching.

She did more training in France with Atelier Macquillage, whose natural looking products she still sells.

With her team of six makeup artists and hairdressers, she specialised in weddings.

In 2002, she reduced her operations and moved to Kiama where she sponsored the show girls and did their makeup for a number of years and continued doing weddings until the Covid pandemic intervened.

She now mainly teaches, doing one-on-one consultations to help older ladies update their look to suit their changing complexions and to give younger girls that much needed confidence that they look good.

Her list of must-haves for every makeup drawer comprises lip balm, matte sunscreen, eye cream and night cream – good makeup starts with the skin underneath.

Tools are vital to applying make-up well and a good set of makeup brushes will last a lifetime.

Rotary celebrates Christmas

As well as their annual Christmas lunch, Rotarians showed up in their colours to participate in the Gerringong Christmas parade, while running the barbecue at the last markets for the year.

It was a bumper market with 51 stalls and so many sausage sizzles that we had to go back to the butcher for more sausages.

New members and friends always welcome - see www.gerringongrotary.com.au or contact [email protected].