In Conversation with LoLo &Co
The pleasure was all ours when we spent time with Jen Lo, founder of LoLo & Co and hair and make up artist extraordinaire! We have worked with Jen at various video production shoots and we are delighted to be able to talk to her away from the cameras.
Hi Jen, we have a few questions to ask you that we have always wanted to ask-but the pressured environment of a shoot has never been quite right the time!
How long does it take to make someone over?
Hi Charlotte, It depends on who it is I guess but for a full makeup I got trained to aim to be able to do a full makeup on someone in 30 minutes. I can do a complete makeup with lashes in 15-20 minutes. In an ideal world I would love to have 45 minutes with someone to get them ready and 90 minutes if I am doing their hair too. With the range of faces I work on and though it can really vary for example a male presenter or artist will be a lot quicker.
Are allergies a concern for a makeup artist?
Absolutely. I always check if someone has any allergies before doing their makeup or hair styling. As you never know what they may be allergic to that is in your products. For example, someone may say tea tree, so I know not to use any products with tea tree in. However, to reduce risks of anyone being allergic to any of my products I use where I can alcohol free, paraben free, dermotolgically tested products. I also make sure I know roughly what ingredients are in them, I also try to keep natural products in my kit with minimal ingredients as actually less is more sometimes. Luckily, I have not had a TV presenter or model/ actor react to anything, that would be bad! I do keep a mini medical kit on me, with antihistamines and lotions and potions in as well.
Do you have a favourite shoot?
I have some favourites for sure and these include music videos, one for Kodaline a few years ago and they were great, it was very buzzy, we were in a dilapidated old pub with a load of models and it was fun as they all looked great. I really enjoyed doing a retro themed shoot with 2 models shooting with DJ Zane Lowe at a bowling alley in London that was fun. Another was for Skechers and I got to spend the day with my good friend Charlie (we met through Clean Cut Media working on the ATP Tour) I did her hair and makeup and checked she looked her best for the shoot. Another fun one involved waxing the very hairy back of an ex pro footballer for a stills photoshoot and I had to make it look bad that was fun and funny!
Does anyone hate having their makeup done?
Some people do hate getting makeup done, and it is mainly older guys, who probably see it as a dent in their manly egos. Although some LOVE the attention too. With the reluctant ones I just work super fast and talk to them about other things of interest to them. Most people know it is something really important for camera work whether it is stills or video/tv, especially nowadays with all this great technology and ultra high definition screens. Models and actors are generally all ok with getting it done and really appreciate having a MUA. It is normally a guest or sometime the males presenters who are a little reluctant.
What was the last challenge you faced on a video production shoot?
Hmm, this is a good one, I am not entirely sure I have had any bloopers. One worrying scenario though was when one of our models was feeling unwell and sweating profusely that was not only tricky as I had to keep mopping up sweat (the glamour!) and reapplying but I was genuinely worried about the health of the person and we ended up calling the NHS helpline just in case!
I could keep talking-to you Jen, this is all so interesting.
My pleasure, thanks Charlotte!
