Natalia Melnikova: “If a master puts his energy and a piece of his soul into his work, everything will definitely work out”

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

Natalia , tell us how and why you decided to become a makeup artist? Was it a spontaneous decision or did you come to it gradually? Back when I lived in Sumy, I worked with the Mary Kay brand. My colleagues and I regularly held various master classes on the use of our products. In principle, I have always been able to do makeup for myself and others. Therefore, one day a girl from the company suggested that I take professional courses in makeup to improve my skills. That's how I got into this profession. After the courses, I began to actively participate in competitions and take on commercial clients - I did makeup for brides, graduates, and models for filming. I soon realized that my vision of the image often does not coincide with the opinion of the hairdresser who does the client’s hair. So I decided to take a hairdressing course. The first one took place in Sumy, and then went to Kyiv to study with Vyacheslav Dudenko. During the learning process, I realized that hairstyles, especially creative and voluminous ones, attract me more than haircuts and colors. I returned to my city and began to create holistic and harmonious images for filming, which included both makeup and hairstyle.

Photo: Sergei Tisso

How did you get into makeup and creating such amazing images? Over time, I realized that I was missing something, namely original jewelry. I went shopping and concluded that the options presented there did not suit my bulky hairstyles and creative makeup. And I started making props myself. While creating my art portfolio of looks with unusual hairstyles and my own spectacular jewelry, I decided that ordinary makeup was not enough for me. I wanted something even more unconventional and bright, so after a while I came to make-up. If not for this path, what else could you do in life? In any case, it would be a creative profession, because I cannot work according to a schedule, fulfill requirements and implement someone else's thoughts. Perhaps I would go into theater arts or become an artist. With my inner peace and moral state, I would not have lasted long in a non-creative profession. (Smiles.) What projects and what work do you prefer now? Now I’m trying to work in two countries at the same time: Ukraine and Russia, so I often travel back and forth. I give preference to creativity and put most of my strength and emotions into this direction - into art photography, creating props, and expressing my inner world. But I also don’t forget about commercial orders: they allow me to earn money, which is necessary to realize creative ideas. My goal is to reach a level where creativity generates income, just like commercial shooting. So that with its help you can not only be distracted from everyday life and have fun, but also earn money. I want to convey to people that the same photography can be more interesting and non-standard. I also try to explain to the masters that they need to go beyond their limits and not be afraid of condemnation and comments from the outside. It is important to do something of your own and show your inner world, to create and not stop only at commercial orders.

Photo: Olga Krasilnikova

Do you immediately see what the image should be? What is the process from idea to final result? It's not always the same. I can start from the jewelry I created, from the person I want to work with, from the makeup or color scheme I want to use in the image. It is so individual that it is impossible to say that there is a certain chain of events that leads from an idea to a masterpiece. Sometimes I can create a piece of jewelry and think through the whole look for it. And only then look for a person who can become its embodiment. It happens like this: I see a person who can embody my ideas, and I create an image specifically for him. Sometimes it all depends on a specific task, as, for example, in competition entries. Or something happens in life, and with the help of an image I want to throw out the flurry of emotions that is raging within me. What makeup techniques do you use most often? Depending on the image, I mix all kinds of techniques, different textures and a wide variety of materials. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to use too many different shapes, shades and textures, otherwise the result will be disharmony. If I use spectacular props, I try not to use too much makeup, and vice versa. What tools and cosmetic products do a makeup artist need? There are no boundaries here. I use everything. Cosmetic products include foundations, shadows, and pigments. I also use acrylic, gouache, building materials, food (candy, rice, buckwheat, gelatin, fruit) - everything that catches my eye. (Laughs.) All these textures can be applied using brushes, sponges, spatulas, fingers, sticks - whatever! All tools and materials are replaceable, so you can bring your idea to life in different ways. The main thing is to have the desire to achieve your goal. What hairstyle took you the longest to create? How much time did you spend on this? The image of a girl with a red crown on her head - this is the hairstyle I did for the longest time. It was created from the model's natural hair, which had to be twisted onto a small knitting needle, a process that took seven hours. Only when I got the right hair texture was I able to create the shape of the hairstyle. But in a short period of time you can create a masterpiece. If a master puts his energy and a piece of his soul into his work, everything will definitely work out. You can’t just come in and do the work detachedly if you want you and people to like it.

Photo: Sergei Tisso

You create your own costumes and props. Where did you learn all this? Before creating my first crown, I first went through all the decor, art supplies, gifts and souvenir stores. I bought all the stones and made this crown the way I saw it. And although several years have passed since then, I still really like this job. This is where my journey into props began: I began creating crowns, kokoshniks, necklaces and costumes. To learn how to work with materials, I watched how prop artists work, attended master classes, and watched various videos. It is quite possible to learn this, but it is important that there is something inside. Each person has his own talents and abilities - they need to be revealed, and hands will help do everything that is needed. Are there trends in artistic makeup? This is a completely free sphere that does not depend on trends. I’m generally not a fan of trends even in commercial makeup, because first of all I pay attention to a person’s character, his emotional state, type of appearance and I immediately know what the final result should be. I paint the way I see and feel it. A person is so individual that I don’t see the point in applying specific trends to him. I need to know them, but I will never be guided by them when creating an image. I also do not look at the work of other masters and do not adhere to any canons when creating my own images. At the moment of creation, I do not allow anyone near my work and do not accept opinions from the outside. It is impossible to create something of your own if you listen to other people all the time. What should you consider when choosing a model for filming? For such images, it is important to select models who will themselves be passionate about art, feel what you want to convey, and be on the same wavelength with you. After all, images are not created in an hour or two. Moreover, the girl must carry within herself the energetic component that you want to reveal, otherwise nothing will work out. For all these reasons, a preliminary meeting with the model is mandatory. This also applies to the photographer. He must feel your image and your message in order to create successful shots. He must also participate in the process and be as interested as possible - I don’t work any other way. It is important to work together - then the work will be complete.

Photo: Soslan Itarov

You try on different artistic images, including on yourself. In this case, do you do your own makeup and hair? Yes, recently I started doing work on myself. This option is especially suitable for me during a period when I cannot contact people - to let someone into my energy field and enter someone else’s. This is ideal: you completely immerse yourself in yourself, draw and do whatever you want, you don’t have to run anywhere, and therefore you have an unlimited amount of time and opportunities at your disposal. What images do you consider tasteless and would never agree to bring to life? What is taboo for you? I cannot afford to consider some images tasteless. Each image has the right to life, because it is an expression of the inner component of the master; he wanted to say something of his own with this work. Therefore, I never undertake to criticize and condemn the images that I see. I also won’t set a taboo for myself, because I don’t know what will happen to me tomorrow. I might want to show something that another master would call bad taste. The main rule for me is a harmonious combination of colors, textures and volumes. It's better to do three different looks than to overdo one. What is your main source of inspiration? I am inspired to work by my inner state of harmony or disharmony, my inner world, dialogue with myself. I look inside myself and create my images based on this. At this moment I am in some kind of parallel dimension, far from the real world. This is where I get my inspiration and energy.

Photo: Alexander Kolganov , retouching: Agnia Avatar

How do you reset and relax? In the process of creating an image, I relax and replenish my energy reserves. Creativity is a way of life, not a job. I am always in this process, regardless of the time of day, setting or circumstances. And I recently realized that such passion should be in every person. Creativity will never betray you, you just need to find an outlet for your potential. Now let's talk about your daily makeup. What is he like? At the moment I like to do bright and contrasting makeup - smoky eyes, dark eyebrows, dramatic lips. But maybe this will change over time, because makeup is a mask that we put on to express something internal. But, as far as I can remember, I have always loved contrast and bright solutions in makeup. However, if I have to work alone all day, I don't wear makeup at all. What can you always find in your cosmetic bag? I carry everything I have with me. (Laughs.) It’s important for me to have everything at hand: foundation, brushes, lipsticks, shadows, mascara, and so on. What if throughout the day I need to add brightness to my lips or expressiveness to my eyes? What clothes do you prefer to wear? How do you form your style? It all depends on the event, dress code and specific purpose. For filming, I choose comfortable and practical clothes. During master classes, I also prefer comfortable clothes in muted colors. If I'm going to a restaurant, I choose something more elegant. For further appearances, I decided to try on the Gothic style: I really like it. I finally found those things that evoke some kind of response in my soul. I want to wear clothes like this every day, regardless of the event. But I definitely can’t be called a shopaholic: I won’t run around the shops and rejoice at every new thing. I'd rather go and buy stones or other materials to work with, it will bring me much more pleasure. What would you wish to the readers of our magazine? I would like to wish every master to always go towards his goal and, no matter what, look for his own path to self-realization. Never be afraid of criticism and condemnation from the outside, create and through creativity open your inner world to others. I wish you success and the loudest victories! You can view the electronic version of Makeup&YOU Professional magazine or subscribe here .