10 Minutes with Chereine Waddell

By Louise May

Chereine Waddell is a wellknown and loved, makeup artist, educator and published author, and mocha’s very own online editor, across the beauty, hair, and barber industry.

Despite her 15+ years in the industry with many accomplishments and accolades, most people know her for her sunshine yellow hair, aquarius tendencies, love of cheese, pugs, Disney, dress ups, contagious laugh, and general quirkiness, or as her mum would say “uniqueness”… and we absolutely adore her!

Beauty Biz Editor Louise May spends 10 minutes with Chereine to chat about her career journey and life outside of work…

Tell us what you do in the industry today:

Every day is different, which I love. One day I might be in the classroom teaching my makeup students the latest runway trends, cirque solei theatre makeup or a knarly third-degree burn. Another day you will find me in studio or location working on a brand’s new summer campaign or doing makeup for some of our industry’s best hairdressers on their next winning hair collection. Other days you will find me collaborating with models and photographers creating fun editorial shoots for magazines or education for companies.

Then some days you will find me in my Pjs sitting at my computer with a coffee and gaming soundtrack music ( its intense but very motivating) creating content for mocha group socials as their online editor. The variety serves me well – Teaching keeps me humble and grounded; the students teach me the latest slang and TikTok trends and their growth and success fills me with great joy. My freelance work allows me to collaborate with great minds, delve deep into the creative process and create beautiful imagery, where my education work pushes me to sharpen my skills and public speaking (and forces me to brush my hair lol) and my mocha work allows me to connect with the wider community and showcase the broader talent of our industry. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To help us get to know you a little more, would you share a little about your upbringing

I grew up on the south coast in the small town of Berry (yes, the one with the amazing donut van). Let’s just say my upbringing was unconventional to say the least. My mum was a rebel city slicker in tie die clothes with an afro perm, married to my dad, a simple country man rocking his cowboy shirts, knee high socks and long black hair.

Meanwhile 5-year-old me decided to really set the family tone by wearing pink princess dresses, lace frilly gloves and wide brim hats with matching pink ribbons. We were quite the site rocking up to church on a Sunday morning. My dad had dedicated his working life to his family’s newsagency business, my first job where I’m pretty sure he changed my diapers on the shop counter ha-ha. And my mum had pursued primary school teaching however was dealt the unfortunate hand of MS (multiple sclerosis) often sending her bed ridden and the bearer of chronic pain.

To my mother’s credit her illness did not hold back her bold creativity. Every room in our house was dedicated to some fantastical theme, butterflies, rainbows, fairy’s, and a fully functioning water fountain in the middle of our lounge room (that later rotted our floor). She may not have been able to get outside much but she was determined to make the inside walls of our home her magical sanctuary. My childhood had its challenges and hardships but was filled with colour love and creativity.

How did you first get involved in the industry?

To be honest I was doing makeup long before I was qualified. Any time a childhood friend came over I would often paint their face, dress them up and do makeshift amateur photoshoots in the garden. Thankfully my technical skills have improved since then! I had left school early to pursue fashion design, which I soon found out sewing was not my forte. I happened to do the makeup for our end of year runway and the rest was history from there.

I moved to QLD at the age of 17 to do my first makeup course, thinking I wanted to be a fashion makeup artist and then moved to Sydney a year later to do a specialist SFX makeup course because I fell in love with blood and gore. 10 years later I came full circle and ended up back in fashion makeup. That’s what I love most about my job – the opportunities and creativity are endless.

What achievement are you most proud of in your life or career?

There are so many. Each chapter of my career has had its own achievements. When I worked in film it was doing SFX on my first feature film. In theatre it was when I worked on the lion king production at capital theatre (I had always dreamed of working for Disney – big fan). In fashion it was helping Rae Morris design the looks for the romance was born fashion week show and working on her team for many seasons. In commercial world it was my first campaign for QVB to celebrate year of the rooster.

No one had told me the images would be printed and hanging one story high in the QVB building. I got quit the shock of surprise when I saw it, I was expecting a small window display! In more recent years winning multiple awards for makeup artist of the year 2016, 2019, 2020 was a real highlight especially knowing my makeup icons international artists Val garland and Dotti were the judges. That was a pinch me moment. But probably the most significant achievement I am most proud of would be publishing my first hardcover makeup book called beyond the face. A collection of 60+ makeup creations inspired by my childhood memories. It was a 6-year project, made only possible by the army of models, photographers and contributors that helped bring it to life. My mum sadly passed away during the making of it – and it became my tribute to her, her creativity, imagination and play that I attribute much of my success to.

If you weren’t doing what you do now, what alternative career would you consider?

Funny you should ask. During lockdown like many of us I found myself having a midlife crisis and contemplated a change of industry, not out of a lack of love for makeup but just a desire for change. I love a theme to delve into and any excuse for a dress up party (hence our Alice in wonderland themed wedding back in 2019) so I applied and was a successful candidate for an internship with my favourite event company called viral ventures, (they put on a cracker of a themed event). It was valuable and interesting and kept me busy during lockdown but as you can imagine it was pretty admin heavy and ironically, I came out the other side realising makeup will always be my first love.

Five things you’re passionate about:

- self-development (love me a selfhelp book or podcast) - staying curious - making time to create - time for adventures - yellow

Describe your ideal Sunday:

A sleep in, a coastal walk with the dog while listening to an Oprah super soul podcast, a breakfast date with my hubby followed by some kind of adventure like Putt Putt, museum, or movie, followed by a cosy night in snuggling with the dog, fake fireplace on, listening to new Orleans jazz while playing a game of monopoly, drinking an expresso martini, and eating a cheese platter. Heaven. Then definitely booking myself in for a reformer class the next morning to counteract the calorie intake.

What’s on your bucket list?

Leaning into things that scare me and doing it afraid. Some of the current things on my list are… - Surfing - I’m petrified of waves and sharks ( you wouldn’t think I live on the northern beaches) - Having kids – I’m currently doing IVF to put a couple in the freezer - Buying property and having a mortgage – we ticked this bucket list this year. I’m a real adult now! - Getting a full leg tattoo – not that anyone would see it – these bad boys never see the light of day. - Entering the Archibald – why not?

Craziest, funniest, or most unusual thing you’ve ever done?

The real question is craziest thing I have done or done to someone? That’s probably more interesting lol. My job lends itself to some whacky things. I have painted an oversized prosthetic penis for a film, that was an experience. I have stuck slime up models noses, glued broken bits of mirror to a models face, stuck real cicada shells to models faces, covered a model in the lining of a pigs intestines, done shoots in swamps with dead fish that resulted in me getting a nasty rash, done shoots where the model Carried a pigs head like a bag accessory – I’m seeing a real theme with animals that explains why I went vegetarian a few years ago lol.

Pets or no pets and if so, what/who?

the 80s, but I can safely confirm those days have passed and now I am more than content with my Pug x Boston - Popsicle who is an absolute menace, but I adore her none the less. Now I just need to convince my husband on number two Pug. He is not coming to the party unfortunately.

What’s playing on your Spotify right now?

If you’re looking for an eclectic list, you have come to the right place. There is new Orleans street jazz, epic fantasy music, vintage French music, Japanese lo-fi, electric swing, vintage country, Disney soundtracks and sing through the decades are a few favourites atm. I am an old soul musically – I was born in the wrong era blatantly you won’t find much post the 90’s on my Spotify.

Do you have any mottos or signature life philosophy?

• Strive for significance rather than success. - unknown

• If you think you can or think you can’t – your right. - Henry ford

• “We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone, whose weirdness is compatible with ours. we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” – Dr Seuss

If you could leave this industry having achieved just one thing, what would that legacy be?

Only one? I would hope my work inspires others to find beauty in the unconventional. So much of my inspiration comes from themes of chaos, tension, connection, and disconnection sometimes in subtle ways sometimes in overt ways. Find what moves you. I encourage people to work from the heart not the mind. Where possible, originate don’t imitate. Continually Stretch yourself and your skills. And don’t be afraid to be bold, be brave and be you.

What does contentment mean to you?

As a perfectionist this one is an ongoing journey. The older I get the more I believe contentment is a form of forgiveness and surrender to self. An ability to trust the process and the path, knowing there is not one right path. Choosing to enjoy the journey on the way to where you are going.

What’s something interesting or quirky we might not know about you?

My parents were either going to call me Chereine or Chantaye. Thankfully I got Chereine, and the dog got Chantaye.

If you could invite 4 people, living or passed, to a dinner party at your place, who would you invite?

Probably the crew that created the labyrinth film (1986). Ideally set in the mirror ball scene, dressed in character, puppets and all, and the theme song for the dinner would be magic dance, and we would talk about how inappropriate David Bowies leggings were for a kids film hahaha.

What’s your greatest fear?

Not reaching my potential