A Day In The Life: Paula Callan, Celebrity Make-Up Artist

Paula Callan – Celebrity make-up artist

First things first

My alarm goes off at 7am but I usually snooze it for half an hour. I’m not great at getting up, I love my bed! The first thing I do is wake up my four children and then hop in the shower while they get dressed for school. I always make sure their lunches are packed and uniforms are ready the night before so that’s one less thing I’m not stressing about in the morning. I spend the next hour running around after them and getting their breakfast ready, usually four different types of breakfast!

On the go

We leave the house at 8:40am as the school is only five minutes away. Once they’re are dropped off I head to work, usually in my salon Callan & Co in Dublin 4. I always drop by my local Re-Store for a latte and some fruit, they make the best coffee around.

This morning though, I’m doing a cover shoot for STELLAR with an Irish celebrity with Niamh O’Connor, a hair stylist who also works with me in Callan and Co. We meet up just before the shoot and head in together, we like to get there before everyone else so we have time to set up. It’s  great when a shoot is in the city centre as your so close to everything , and today we’re working with Evan Doherty who’s always great fun to work with. We have a quick discussion about the feel and look of the shoot and as soon as our subject arrives we can get to work.

On the job

Hair and make up can take up to two hours so shooting starts around noon. When things are underway, I pop out and grab a bagel and another coffee for lunch. Today the shoot is finished by 4pm so myself and Niamh go for a meeting before I have to head over to my salon. I teach my makeup course there every Tuesday evening so I head to the salon for about 5:45; I’ll usually have something to eat and then set up the academy before my students arrive at 6:30. I love teaching, it keeps me on the ball and it’s great to have a room full of people so eager to learn.

After work

I don’t finish classes on Tuesday until 9:30pm so I’ll usually FaceTime my kids at about 8pm to say goodnight. I leave ballsbridge at 9:45 and get home for about 10:15, at this stage all I can think about is bed but I will always have a cup of tea and some chocolate while I check emails and do some paperwork. I don’t drink coffee after 6pm as I find it can affect my sleep

Hit the hay

My partner Kev is usually in bed when I get home that late as he gets up for work at 5:30am. On evenings when I’m home earlier we love to watch a boxset or documentary, it’s the only TV I watch. I’m normally in bed before 11pm myself but not before I’ve prepared the kids lunches and uniforms for the following day. Then I’ll always cleanse my skin and apply night serum, it’s my night time ritual. I love my bed and usually fall asleep straight away but if I’m a little restless I listen to my sleep app which will have me off to sleep in less then five minutes.

Visit www.callanandco.ie 

This story first appeared in the January issue of STELLAR Magazine. Our February issue is on shelves now.