NYC Celebrity Makeup Artist Tim MacKay Adds to Beauty Industry’s Resilience During COVID-19

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when we are talking about a global pandemic, anything goes. The beauty industry over the years has grown steadily, creating generations of loyal customers. If we were to compare the 2008 financial crisis to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it wouldn’t be farfetched to predict that the industry, like it has in the past, will bounce back with resiliency. During the 2008 crisis, industry spending only fell slightly, bouncing back fully by 2010.

With the current landscape the pandemic has had on major brands and retailers, there are still signs that the industry may once again prove that same resiliency. In most major beauty-industry markets, in-store shopping accounted for up to 85 percent of beauty-product purchases prior to the COVID-19 crisis. But with the closure of premium beauty outlets, some brands have taken a hit. As devastating as it is to see stores shutting down, never to open again, we thankfully still have the talent and art that helps keep the industry thriving: its artists.

And the most important role of a makeup artist, according to New York celebrity makeup artist, Tim MacKay is being able to read-the-room. “You need to integrate yourself into the picture in the best way possible,” he told Luxe Beat Magazine. “The main goal is to have the client feeling perfect by the time you leave. This doesn’t mean showering every single client with compliments and kissing their ass—no. Some clients may not be that type of person who enjoys it, so you need to read the room.”

MacKay went on to explain that in his business, he may behave completely differently when walking into a newsroom set doing makeup for anchors and reporters, as opposed to a client who has him over at her/his/their apartment every so often for wine and glam. “I am always professional and always being myself, but I am able to integrate into various settings and personalities.”

MacKay is a walking brand, and an absolute powerhouse. He’s promoting his work through his demeanor and composure, to his colleagues and clients, and of course, to the media. Certainly maintaining the personal brand while balancing the professional brand would seem to be difficult, no?

“I would have to say that a trait behind the ‘Tim MacKay brand’ I take pride in, is how much I care about the work I do, and the clients I have. I started doing makeup in 2010 at the highest-selling MAC makeup store in Long Island, when I didn’t have any qualifications to work there. I just had my friendly personality. The new manager at the time, Gloria, wanted to build a staff of kind, caring MAC artists, and the store happened to lack a male employee. Once I was given a chance, I knew I had to learn fast and prove myself—not just to the other artists working there who were understandably confused/frustrated as to why I got hired, but also to the management who took a chance on me, and those artists who didn’t want to see me grow.”

However, the battle didn’t stop there, as MacKay had an uphill battle to climb even after he went on to expand his portfolio beyond MAC. “Once I started freelancing outside of the company, I once again had to prove myself and show I wasn’t just meant for retail cosmetics,” he explains. “I think this love of having to prove myself has ensured my professionalism and A-game on all of my jobs. I can’t say I’ve never had an unhappy client along the way, but I genuinely care and will do everything in my power to make sure the client is happy.”

Mackay recently appeared on Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve for NYE 2020, for the third year in a row, doing hair and makeup for his client, Jonathan Bennett. “I had an unbelievable experience both years in a row,” he told Luxe Beat Magazine. “Doing the hair and makeup for Jonathan is the only way I’d be caught dead in Times Square on NYE!” Of course with the pandemic, 2020’s NYE experience was a bit different than the past, but MacKay described it perfectly:

“So many exciting talents were there, so many cheering fans, and I got to be right there on the stage where the magic was happening. It was truly an unforgettable time.”

Photo Credit: Austin Nunes

We had to know some of the NYC artist’s favorite apparel and products that match his style, which he graciously shared with us.

“When I am working, I always try to show a little bit of my personal style—usually black or fall-colors and tight, but also remember that I will probably get makeup on myself, and I don’t want to wear anything that will stress me out, ha! My ideal wardrobe would be anything and everything made by The Blonds.”

MacKay, a regular attendee of The Blonds show every year at New York’s Fashion Week (NYFW), up and until the pandemic, says he is in awe of them every season he attends. As far as talent goes, he revealed that if he could work with any talent, it would be Arianna Grande. “She is beautiful and I love her makeup style, but also I love all the projects she works on! The live tours, music videos, television, you name it. As far as upcoming shows, I would love to work on Riverdale or another sexy drama like that.”

Grande, who for many years has been part of the Scooter Braun family, which also plays home to global sensations like Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Dan & Shay, among countless others, has redefined the meaning behind “likeness”, suing American fashion brand Forever 21 for $10 million back in 2019 for using unauthorized images and videos “to create the false perception of her endorsement.” Grande’s estimated net worth is believed to be over $72 million, according to Forbes.

When it comes to authenticity, the industry needs to debunk myths that just aren’t true. 

“I think it’s funny how many people assume I have a makeup-related YouTube channel, because so many think makeup today and immediately associate YouTube tutorials,” MacKay explained. “I commend those people on YouTube that film their own content for hours, and then spend probably many more hours editing their videos and posting them on time. Many full-time working makeup artists don’t have time to prioritize filming and editing videos of themselves, unless it’s a passion of theirs.”

If one thing is for certain, it’s that MacKay has the resiliency and strength necessary to keep the industry afloat. Even the NYC artist was impacted by the pandemic, revealing to Luxe Beat Magazine that he was “totally out of work for a good five months.” 

“I had to really budget my savings, but I kept an optimistic mindset throughout the process and knew that work would come back to me. I’d worked too hard and come too far to change my career because of COVID-19, or be forced to move back home to Rhode Island. I don’t know if it was a ‘manifestation’ or what, but I booked the best job of my career back in September, after those five months of nothing. The result? I was on set for two months working on a feature film. You have to be strong and keep going.”

To learn more visit mackaymakeup.com.

Feature image courtesy of PEOPLE.