About

From a young age that Paula had a passion for hair and makeup. While at Secondary School, at the age of just thirteen, Paula started working part time at Ninettes Hair City where she learnt from the upstyling expert Nilia Annese. The training was very challenging and helped her develop a fantastic foundation for her future career.

While still very young, Paula entered a lot of hairdressing competitions where she was responsible for individual models make up. At the age of 15 Paula decided to pursue more creative work within the hair industry and began studying at Media Make up Academy and Agency. By the age of 16 Paula was a qualified makeup artist and began using her upstyling skills for weddings.

Paula also completed an apprenticeship at Clipjoint Hairdressing Academy, and worked for Estee Lauder as a makeup artist, travelling between numerous department stores to conduct specialist workshops and events. Next she began working as a makeup artist with New York based company Sue Devitt Make Up Studio. In between shifts she would find the time to fit in all her freelance hair and makeup work!

Realising how much she missed hairdressing Paula returned to the industry at Hairforce Hair and Beauty as a senior hair stylist and makeup artist. During this time she also completed a Certificate IV in Assessment and Work Place Training at the Training For Learning Co S.A. This allowed her to  take up work at Media Make up Academy and Agency as a part time trainer and assessor. The rest of her time was spent hairdressing providing in-house hair and makeup artistry for the Academy, specializing in hair extensions.

In order to stay on the cutting edge of styles and trends Paula recognised the need to travel for ideas and inspiration. She attended the Sydney Hair Expo many times as well as travelled to Los Angeles, Pasadena, California for the Hair & Makeup Artists International Trade Show seizing the opportunity to work with makeup artists all around the world. She met makeup artists from The Lord of the Rings, Batman, Edward Scissor Hands, Mrs Doubtfire amongst other. Paula has also attended seminars with hair and makeup artist Dick Smith who is responsible for the make up in The Excorsist and The God Father trilogy. She then went on to visit some of the makeup schools in Auckland, New Zealand to source new ideas to teach her students back in Australia. Paula also had the opportunity to travel to Taiwan for 2 weeks on behalf of Elizabeth Arden where she visited all of the major department stores and delivered makeup events and hair and makeup workshops.

Paula freelance work is extensive and includes hair and makeup services for Channel 9’s Building Ideas show, Studio Vogue, The Portrait Place, the Flair section in the Advertiser, the Sunday Mail, fashion parades such as It Girl, David Jones, Myer, George Gross and Harry Who, and many more fashion shows. She has also worked on photo shoots for bridal magazines, clothing stores, short films and weddings.

Paula has become an internationally accredited hair and makeup artist with a range of qualifications and an unquestionable amount of experience to draw upon. Paula’s current passion is her solo business ‘Plush Hair and Makeup Studio’ which operates by appointment only and specialises in makeup and hair upstyling, 100% human hair extensions, and eyelash extensions for occasions such as weddings, photo shoots, catalogues, fashion and magazines. Paula also delivers hair and makeup workshops on a one-on-one basis or to groups and is the national makeup artist for Lancôme for special events.

To see how Paula can make you look and feel your best click here