About The Artist

SENIOR ARTIST CAROL MACKIE

Senior Artist Carol Mackie lives and works in her native Australia. Educated in England, where she studied literature and graphic design, and returning to Australia to study floristry, her career in makeup came after a long line of creative ventures. Now, she enjoys the prestige of being one of Australia’s most sought-after practitioners but is humble enough to admit that she is still on a steep learning curve. Drawing inspiration from nature, culture, friends and travel, she relishes the new and prides herself on being open to different experiences. Read on to hear more of her inspirational story so far…

Fresh as a Daisy

“After returning from England, I decided to study floristry and worked part-time as a florist and for the fashion retailer Jigsaw where I gained valuable experience in communicating with customers. I eventually became a manager at Clarins, which created a nice symmetry to my daily life: I was working with the tones and textures of flowers while creating custom palettes for faces at the store. This helped me to refine my beauty know-how and eventually I launched and managed a large spa and cosmetics salon.”

Life Down Under

“I started at M·A·C 14 years ago, when there were just four stores in Australia. I was already working as a manager when the newest M·A·C location was opening in Perth, so I applied to manage the new store. I remember thinking with my surname being Mackie and my initials Carol Ann Mackie spelling M·A·C backwards, it was meant to be! Before long, I was promoted to Trainer for Western Australia and South Australia before assuming my current role as Senior Artist.”

Curiouser and Curiouser

“My work continues to grow through the inspiration I draw from books, art galleries, nature and the limitless window of the Internet. I love travelling and think that this also lends something to my work. I travel to most fashion weeks: London, Milan, Paris and Sydney. I have also worked on Styleaid, the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as well as other events, including Chinese Dress and Deck of Cards. When I’m not working on shows backstage, I like to travel across Australia, interviewing artists for the events team and mentoring M·A·C Artists in-store.”