My name is Brandi Boulet, and I’m a self-employed makeup artist working primarily in film and television. I’ve worked on several projects for companies like Apple TV+, Sony, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.
I work mostly as a Department Head and Designer, which means I lead a team of makeup and special effects artists throughout the filming of each project. I also collaborate with directors, producers, and showrunners on achieving the right look for the actors and designing the looks for the show.
When the show starts, I lead the team and make sure everyone is working together and on the same page for getting all of the looks for the actors done in a timely and coordinated fashion, and we go to set and maintain the makeup and support our actors throughout each filming day.
How old are you?
I’m 41 years old.
What kind of work do you do, or what are you studying to be?
Most of the work I have done in the past 5 years has been in television and film. For the past 4 shows, I have been the department head and/or designer for the special effects makeup/prosthetics.
For anyone unfamiliar with what the prosthetics department does - it refers to any sort of major wounds or facial transformations, blood rigs and bleeding wounds, aliens and monsters. Anything that cannot be achieved with regular makeup, that needs an additional 3-d component, or to change an actor’s face, or to show a bad wound, or all of the above!
What made you decide to become a MakeUp Artist?
I was always fascinated by the idea of “movie magic”. As a child and teenager, I loved watching films and always wondered how they made big monsters.
I remember watching movies like “Evil Dead” and “The Thing” and thinking it would be so interesting to work on something like that.
When I graduated high school I went to college and took social studies, and one day my high school art teacher was at my college and said “you should be in art”. So when I graduated I decided to go to art school and thought about a career in graphic design.
When I sat down and thought about all of the things I could possibly do for a living, I thought about making monsters again. I thought “maybe I should see if there’s a way I can study this?”
Through some research, I found only two schools in Canada (at the time) that offered education in this field, so I picked one and that was that!
Is beauty important to you? Why?
This is an interesting question, as I am not a typical “beauty” makeup artist. I have done a lot of fashion and red carpet work and in that context, I would say it’s absolutely important to make people feel beautiful.
Is beauty something that is important to me personally? Not really. I love makeup for how it can make us feel, how it can show someone a different version of themselves, and how fun it is to play with as an art tool.
I absolutely love really well-done beauty makeup and follow a lot of amazing artists on Instagram that produce this kind of work.
On a personal level, it’s nice to feel beautiful, but as cheesy as it sounds I think it’s most important to be a beautiful person on the inside. At the end of the day, makeup washes off, and you’re left with yourself.
Picture provided by Brandi Boulet
Cailee Spaeny as "Lily" on The Craft: Legacy
What are your successes, and how did you achieve them?
I think that most of my successes have been achieved through a series of small steps in the right direction. I’ve worked on films that have gone to Cannes and been there for the celebrations, I’ve worked on teams where my supervisors have been nominated for Oscars and I myself have been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award.
I started out working for free on short films and slowly built up a network of people to work with. Slowly we all started getting bigger and bigger projects, and now we are still able to work together but on a much larger scale.
I also am really passionate about the work I do. I truly enjoy it. So when I get an opportunity, I’m able to be excited about it and go in intending to learn as much as I can by doing the best I can.
This is still true even as a Department Head. I constantly learn from my team as they do from me. I think having an open mind and never thinking you know everything is important. Last but not least, I am grateful for the opportunities, and I think that sends good energy out.
What’s something you might want to do in the future?
On a few projects, I have been lucky enough to travel for work, but I really hope to work on more international jobs. I love going to new places and meeting new people and typically when you’re doing that on a film set you have access to some pretty cool places that you wouldn’t normally get to see as a regular tourist.
In the future, I would also like to work on some more big feature films. I have been working in TV for a few years, which has been great but my true love is film, and I’d love to work on a series like “Harry Potter”.
Even though they are done, something along those lines would be really fun! I’d love to do something in the fantasy realm or work on a period piece, anything from the 1960s to the 1990s would be lots of fun to do.
Is the name of the Brand important to you when you buy make-up?
The most important to me is quality, but generally, that is pretty synonymous with name brands. I have mostly higher-end makeup in my kit - Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, Nars, Chanel, Laura Mercier, etc. but I will say that there are also some great drugstore brands available.
I always do a quality test before adding something to my kit. It’s important to know how the products work (how long they last, do they get oily, do they smear, etc.) before using them on a project, and the best way is to test them out on yourself or on a team member.
Describe your personal make-up style?
I would say my personal makeup style is skin focused. I really strive to take care of my skin because good skin is the best base for nice makeup.
I NEVER go to sleep with makeup on, and I always cleanse my face before bed, especially if I have worn makeup. For morning and night, I have a skincare routine and wear SPF.
Regularly I also get lash lifts & tints so that I don’t have to wear mascara all the time, and it has been great!
My daily makeup is very simple because when you work on set you’re in for some very long days (12-16+ hours). If I have the energy to do any makeup it’s usually just eyeliner, a lash curl if needed (which is not often if you have a lash lift!) a bit of mascara, a spot of concealer, and some brows.
We still wear masks at work for the time being so doing full foundation, blush, and lipstick is wasted and just makes the mask dirty on the inside!
If I’m not at work and going out, I’ll jazz it up a bit and match my makeup to my outfit and do something fun.
How did you find your personal style? Do you have a signature look?
When I first started in makeup I worked for MAC Cosmetics for almost 5 years. During this time I got to play around so much and with so many different looks, I got to see what I liked, what looked good, and what made me feel good.
This was formative in my makeup style because I got to test a different look every day as part of my job!
I wouldn’t say that I have a signature look, but I love classic glow skin, full lashes and red lip. I loved wearing different colored lipsticks prior to the pandemic but again, with the mask-wearing at work, I haven’t been doing that anymore. I tend to go for a red, or a brighter red orange but also play around with a lot of different colors and shades.
Picture provided by Brandi Boulet
touch-ups on the cast for
SEE Season 3
Do you have an influence on other people’s make-up or clothing style?
I don’t think so! With my job and style I have minimal makeup at work and half the time I’m covered in blood. I try to dress nicely when I know I’m not going to get dirty, but most of the time I am getting dirty!
What are in your eyes the best trends at the moment?
I think the return to a more natural look is great. A few years ago the heavy makeup and contouring and severely drawn-on brows looked good on some people on Instagram but when I would see regular people walking around town who didn’t know how to expertly apply these looks, their makeup would look clownish.
I saw so many people with orange faces or brown lines on their noses or eyebrows that were way too thick and dark to suit them. I think a return to more natural looks is a good shift.
Don’t get me wrong, I think playing with all kinds of makeup and trends is great, and important but that one wasn’t totally consumer friendly.
What are in your eyes the worst trends at the moment?
Pencil thin eyebrows. I know the resurgence of the 90s 2000s is in effect, but trust me, do not wax your brows pencil thin. You’ll regret it when the tide shifts in the other direction and your eyebrows no longer grow back.
What kind of beauty advice would you give us?
Take care of your skin! Honestly, take care of your skin. Always take off your makeup before bed. Make sure you moisturize and establish a good skincare routine.
Drink lots of water and wear SPF. Good skin is the best base for makeup.
If you are going out and doing a big makeup, make sure you allow some extra time to do a hydrating face/eye/lip mask first. It will make a big difference!
Who is your style icon and why?
I can’t say that I have one particular style icon, but I pick elements of styles I like from a lot of different people. I take inspiration from celebrities, Instagrammers, and just walking around the city I live in.
Lately, I’ve really been digging Florence Pugh’s style. She always looks fabulous on the red carpet, and absolutely slayed in the 60s looks Heba Thorisdottir created for “Don’t Worry Darling”
Is there something else you would like to share with us?
If you are interested in seeing some of my work you can watch SEE on Apple TV+, and “The Horror of Dolores Roach” coming out on Amazon Prime later this year. You can also follow me on Instagram at @brandi.boulet and get in touch via direct message. Thanks!!!
Picture provided by Brandi Boulet
Mainei Kinamaka as "Lu" on SEE Season 3. Mainei wears a 2 piece burn scar appliance and blood dressing.
Thank you so much, Brandi, for answering my questions. I think your special effects makeup is pretty cool. 😍
