This week I was invited to find out more about MY-Make Up, the masterclasses in make up offered by renowned make-up artists Lee Pycroft and Sarah Reygate.
I first saw Lee Pycroft and Sarah Reygate in action at a BeautyMART Meet The Experts’ Evening, held this summer at BeautyMART Boxpark. I loved what I saw: casual, fluid elegance in application and a rapport between the two make-up artists that allowed for tag-team working, with both taking turns on different parts of a girl’s face to produce a seamless, perfect look. I was  intrigued to discover that Lee and Sarah were offering the benefits of their years of editorial expertise to the public through their MY-Make Up masterclasses.
This week Lee and Sarah hosted an event at the London School of Make Up in John Prince’s Street, to introduce and demonstrate the MY-Make Up masterclass concept. The space was great: bright and welcoming, with lots of natural light. The walls displayed testimonials from some of Lee and Sarah’s well-known clients, along with boards displaying their editorial work – and the counters positively groaned with product.
Once all those observing had settled in, and been welcomed with excellent pastries and coffee (always a civilised touch at any morning function) Lee and Sarah gave a brief introduction, touching on their forty collective years of expertise in editorial, catwalk, celebrity and red carpet make-up and explaining the range of courses that MY-Make Up offers.
All the MY-Make Up courses are taught exclusively by Lee Pycroft and Sarah Reygate. The week long course (£1000) includes a mentored photo-shoot and is envisaged as being for aspiring make up artists. The one day course (£300) is aimed at anyone  who wants to improve their technique, refresh their ideas or just pick up some of the tricks that Lee and Sarah have up their perfectly-cut sleeves.
Lee Pycroft is working on Corinne in these pictures, who looks very good with no make-up on at all! Once Corinne hopped up on to the make-up stool, Lee set to work creating a look that – although it included false lashes and liner – had a subtlety and softness to it that left Corinne looking doe-eyed and and day-ready, rather than vampy and vixen-like. As she worked on Corinne, Lee chatted  about what she was doing and why, whilst a group of beauty writers watched and asked questions as they occurred to us. 
I find such pleasure in watching amazing make-up artists at work – for me it is as satisfying, inspiring and absorbing as watching a good dance performance. The MY-Make Up courses combine Lee and Sarah’s demonstrations with hands-on time, where you get to put into practice what they’ve shown you and receive their input, feedback and help.
If you’re worried that being so high-profile, Lee and Sarah might be intimidating teachers: don’t be! They are both down-to-earth and friendly, open to questions and very chatty. A couple of hours in their company simply raced past, and I left knowing not just which false lashes they swear by (Mac 33); that brush snobbery is much like kitchen knife snobbery (great brushes can be found at affordable price points); but also that the key to all great make-up is blending and practice – two elements I have until now lacked the patience for, but which I’m now inspired to work on.
It occurs to me that a day with Lee and Sarah would be a treat for any person with an interest in make-up but could be particularly valuable at certain points in one’s beautiful life. If I were to send the Youngest Great Beauty along, she would be defraying the cost of that £300 over decades (one hopes), and benefitting from expert make-up technique that would allow her to experiment with her looks with ease and confidence.
On the other hand, if I sent myself along, I’m pretty certain that Lee and Sarah could help me through what is a tricky point in time for me … I’m 39 years old (plus several dozen months) now, and I still have the same aesthetic that I had at nineteen. I’ve always been keener on looking interesting than bent on looking pretty … but – particularly as one grows older – there’s a fine line between looking off-beat, directional and intriguing and just looking slightly insane! Lee Pycroft and Sarah Reygate, impossible-to-age Great Beauties that they are themselves, are the perfect pair to help any man or woman walk that fine line with confidence and feline grace.
You can find out more about MY-Make Up and how to book classes here.
If you’re reading this hot off the press and you’re fast off the mark, you might still be able to book to see Lee and Sarah in action at BeautyMART Harvey Nichols on Thursday SEPTEMBER 26th.
