Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star (2019–…): Season 3, Episode 1 - Beauty Campaign - full transcript

[Maya Jama] The search
for the next makeup star is back.

From thousands of budding makeup artists,

ten of the best MUAs have been selected.

Over the next eight weeks, they will be
judged by industry heavyweights...

-My name is Manny.
-[all cheer]

I'm so excited by everything about this.

Everybody, be scared.

[Maya] ...working
on professional assignments...

Good luck, my darlings.

I'm shooting a music video
and I want you to make up the dancers.

If it came out on the set of The Crown,
it would be sent back, immediately.



Speechless.

[Maya] ...and demonstrating
their talents in the creative briefs.

This is what you do
if you wanna win this competition.

[Maya] Each week,
the two who fail to deliver

will go head-to-head in a Face Off.

[Dominic] I'm seeing blind panic.

[Maya] The loser goes home.

Until just one remains to win the contract

assisting some of the biggest
makeup artists in the world.

-And for that, you get a ding, dong!
-[squeals]

[Maya] It's time to Glow Up.

[funky music playing]

[Maya] Glow Up Studios.

For the next eight weeks,



this state-of-the-art workspace
will be where this year's aspiring MUAs...

-Oh, my God.
-[screams]

[Maya] ...attempt to make makeup history.

Fabulous.

[laughing]

Oh, my God.

Being here right now is very surreal
for me. I'm excited and I'm scared,

and I'm feeling all sorts of emotions.

We've so much stuff.

I'm here to show what I'm bringing
to the table and what I've got.

Do you know what, though?

-Ding, dong.
-[all laugh]

[Maya] This year,
the MUAs aren't the only newcomers.

-Hi, everyone!
-[gasps]

-Hello!
-[all exclaim]

Come on over. Come over.

Hi!

Maya Jama is meow, right?

Her being the host is just perfection.

Hands up if you're the new girl.

-All of you? Everyone.
-[laughing]

So, we're in it together, it's cute.

[artist] We love it.

Well, first off, congratulations.

You have been chosen
out of thousands of applicants.

There's ten of you,

but only one of you will be crowned
the next makeup star.

Luckily, I won't be
the one sending you guys home.

Instead, we have two of the most
incredible makeup artists in the game.

So make some noise for the iconic
Val Garland and Dominic Skinner!

[artists cheer]

How you doing?

[Maya] Dominic Skinner has worked
at fashion weeks from Paris to Milan,

and is a stickler
for technique and precision.

If you wanna make it in this industry,
you need tough skin.

There are thousands
of makeup artists out there,

but we're looking
for the next makeup star.

[Maya] Val Garland's work has graced
style icons and front covers for 25 years,

earning her an unparalleled reputation
for artistry and imagination.

I've worked with everyone
from McQueen through to Westwood.

So don't go bringing me mediocrity.

I'm looking for extraordinary.

For your first professional assignment,

you have been booked
to do a beauty campaign

for a leading health and beauty retailer.

[suspenseful music plays]

Superdrug.

[all gasp and exclaim]

-Yes!
-[artist] That's gonna be fun.

The MUA who stands out above the rest

will have their look
featured in the shop windows

of 800 stores nationwide.

[mouths] Oh, my God.

-I'm sweating already. I'm sweating.
-I'm shaking.

All right, guys. We're not starting small,
get your kits and let's get going.

-[Craig] Let's go.
-[all exclaim]

I've been shopping at this store
since I was a kid.

Even me nan knows who they are.

For it to actually be in a shop window...

That's a whole other level of excitement.

[Maya] On every High Street
across the world,

beauty campaigns are used to draw
customers in and showcase what's in store.

And this retailer
is a true High Street heavyweight.

It is really big for our MUAs.

This is a nationwide brand.

It's huge.

[soulful music plays]

[Maya] Overseeing today's shoot
in East London is this week's guest judge.

-Hi, Ateh!
-Hello!

-You all right?
-Yeah!

[Maya] Ateh Jewel is
an award-winning beauty journalist

who has written for Marie Claire,
Glamour and Vogue.

I've been in the beauty industry
for 20 years, fighting for diversity.

When I was a young beauty journalist
back in the day,

I was ushered away from counters.

I was told,
"There's nothing here for you."

And it really told me
that I didn't count, I was invisible.

So, we are so much better than those days.

[energetic music plays]

[Maya] As well as being
a trailblazing campaigner for diversity,

Ateh is also
the creative director of today's shoot.

-Welcome!
-[all greet and laugh]

Now, I would like you
to create an eye-catching look

that really reflects
that beauty is for everybody,

no matter your skin tone,
your age or your gender.

I would like you to think about how you're
going to entice and lure in the passerby.

Really focus on skin matching.

Honor your model's skin.

I need my models back in two hours.

Good luck, guys. Off you go.

[suspenseful music plays]

[artist] Hi.

[Maya] The MUAs have been assigned
a selection of models

who reflect the brand's
diverse customer base.

I love your freckles.
I've got freckles, too.

[chuckles]

The brand has super high expectations
and standards, just like me.

You want the model to have, like,
really, really radiant and glowy skin.

What I'm hoping to see today
is excellent technique

when it comes
to color matching the foundation.

[artist] That's actually
quite a good color, OMG.

Please be good.

The looks have to be eye-catching,

it has to be a siren call
to come in and have a play.

I wanna go with something colorful, bold,

and that will really show off
her natural beauty.

[dramatic music plays]

-[Maya] Ryley.
-Hello.

-How are you getting on?
-I'm doing what I can do.

I am completely out of my comfort zone.

-Have you ever worked on a model before?
-Never.

Never ever?

-No.
-Popping the cherry today.

[laughs] Yeah.

[percussive dance music plays]

My relationship with makeup didn't
actually start off in the best place

because I actually used makeup
to hide who I was.

I have a port wine stain birthmark,

and, when I was younger,
I really hated it.

So, I got my mum's concealer

and I tried to just cover
my birthmark every day.

When I started to mature a lot more,

I realized I don't need
to impress everyone. Why?

Now I'm in
a really comfortable place with myself.

I absolutely love my birthmark
and I feel beautiful now.

[laughs]

Not to be cocky. [laughs]

I haven't had any professional training.

All of my techniques, skills,
knowledge is all self-taught.

All of my looks and all of my makeup
is on my own face, done by myself.

Putting my creations on someone else
is gonna be really hard for me,

but I can't wait to give it a go.

Try and get your closest skin match.

What do you feel
the right way to color match is?

I think the best thing to do
is pick two or three colors

which are around your shade,

put them on your cheek, do little stripes.

The color that disappears,
that's the color for you.

I go for three different,
kind of, undertones to start with.

I can already see this middle shade
has completely melted into the skin.

One thing I don't want to see is

that the face is a completely
different color to the neck or the hands.

It's a bit ashy. I don't know.
It needs to be warmer than that.

[artist] See, they come out too pink.

Samah, how are you getting on over here?

[sighs] Good, you know, we're just trying
to find his good foundation shade.

[Maya] Okay.

He's got a really rich, golden undertone.

You know what you're talking about.
You're used to color matching?

Kind of.
I work on a counter in West London.

The community is mixed.

What do you do when someone sits
in your chair, you're like, "Um..."

You feel like you know what you're doing.
Okay, all right.

-See you.
-See you.

[Samah] So, let's try this.

Much better.

[energetic music playing]

Half an hour is up.

I need my models on set
in one hour and 30 minutes.

[Alex] Right, gorgeous.
Starting to look fab.

To make the looks eye-catching,

the makeup artist
really should focus on color.

[Sophie] I think
I'm gonna do a really bold lip.

Like a dark, sort of, pinky-purple.

People are going to be
walking past these shop windows,

and they have to be
really enticed to come in.

I've chosen golden and red tone shimmers,

which would look nice on camera
and his skin tone.

I don't want the makeup artist
to be boring and obvious.

[Craig] I don't want her to look
like she has loads of makeup on.

I really wanna make sure
it looks really fresh-faced

and something really soft and natural.

I hope people can relate to that.

It's so subtle,
but that's what I like about it.

I'm just trying to achieve
an eye-catching look.

When the light hits,
it's gonna be really reflective.

[Maya] While most of the MUAs
have a plan for their look...

I wanna bring some of the color
just around the eyes.

[Maya] ...one is still undecided.

[hums nervously]

Maybe I should have a little think
about this for a second.

They did say color.

And we could make the eye,
like, a bolder blue.

[groans] Is it enough, though? I feel like
maybe pink is more eye-catching.

[Maya] For entrepreneur Nic,

today's beauty shoot is a far cry
from her usual makeup world.

[Nic] I have my own
biodegradable glitter company.

I love the effect
that makeup can have on people,

especially when
you put glitter on someone.

It just turns someone
into, like, an excited child.

When people meet me, they kind of assume,

because I'm this fun, bubbly person,

that I might not be so determined.

But if I care about something,
then I'm not gonna do things in halves.

Go hard or go home, isn't it? [laughs]

So, I'm just gonna start
with this, like, deep red.

I need these lips to be perfect

'cause I know I'm gonna get
ripped to shreds if it's not.

-So time's ticking now.
-Mm-hmm.

How do you feel about them?
Are they doing well?

[Ateh] I see some people
who are standing out.

-[Maya] Right.
-I'm concerned for a couple.

How you feeling about Ryley?

She's struggling a bit
with the color matching.

If you look at the neck and the face,
the face is a little bit darker.

I hope she can spot it, fix it.

How about Nic?

Where is it? Where's my little...

[Ateh] I'm a little bit concerned
with Nic's timekeeping.

We're halfway through.

I think Nic needs to be
a bit further on than she is.

[Maya] Whilst Nic struggles with time,

others are making ways
with their bold approach.

We kind of went for
that Fresh Prince color spectrum.

Almost like a structured mess.

Hopefully they get the vibe and the energy
we're trying to give to the world, but...

Fingers crossed. [laughs]

We've got half an hour left, people.
Half an hour before models on set.

[Sophie] Ah! I'm getting stressed now.

I just hope it looks like I've done enough
for the judges, is what I'm worried about.

[dramatic instrumental hip-hop plays]

[gasps softly]

Oh, my God.
Now he's going to check my symmetry.

-One minute!
-Whoa!

[Ateh] One minute till models
are needed on set, please!

Just making sure
it's all finessed and looking beautiful.

[Dolli] I just use a spoolie
to just splatter gold.

Time's up!
I need models on set now, please!

Perfect.

Go and smash this for me. You go
make this look good. You sell it, honey.

That was scary.

[Ryley laughs]

I have no idea how I've done.

[Nic] It was a lot more intense
than I thought it would be.

I'm proud of myself
for not crying and panicking.

[Maya] While the MUAs wait next door,
their looks will now be photographed,

and one winner will be chosen
for the coveted nationwide campaign.

Matt, can we get some nice
smiley ones as well? Playful.

[Maya] Superdrug Head of Marketing,
Gemma Mason,

is on hand to assess the looks.

-Nice.
-That's nice.

-Better.
-Big smiles. Lovely.

First job done.
How do you think you did?

My model was loving it.
So, I hope Val, Dom and Ateh are, too.

This is Alex's model.

The skin color matching is on point.

I do love that kind of Grace Jones
purple blush, which I live for.

The quality of the skin is impeccable.

Color draping into the temple,
very Studio 54, love that.

That is a gorgeous mouth.

A lot of potential.

Yeah.

The skin, I just went
with what I thought was right.

[Maya] Yeah.

So, this was Ryley's image,

and it's gone a little bit wrong
with the color matching.

The face does not match the neck,
does not match the ear,

does not match the hand.

For us as a brand,
this is totally brand damaging

if we put an image like this out.
This is just a complete no.

[Ateh] This is Sophie's model.

It's fun, I think it's playful,
and that's what you want.

[Ateh] This is Craig's model.

I was concerned

about it being a bit boring,
especially with such a beautiful model.

There is nothing appealing about this.

It's just flat, it's dated, it's dull.

This took two hours.
We're like, "That's so much time."

Next minute, "We've got one minute left."
I'm like, "Where did that two hours go?"

[Ateh] Now, this is Dolli.

I think the skin is really beautiful.

She's color matched this to perfection.
It is glossy.

Definitely one to watch.

-This is Xavi's.
-[Gemma] It's just not a memorable image.

We really want that impactfulness.
It's just not been brought here.

It's basic, and he looks uncomfortable.

[Ateh] This is Elliott's work.

The draping is really beautifully done,

coming from the eye,
going around the cheek and the temple.

There is something
quite interesting about it.

[Gemma] There's some really good blending.

But the colors are just
not working on her skin tone.

Is that a bruise or is that makeup?

[Ateh] Okay, so this is Jack's work.

I love that pop of color on the eye.
I think that really works.

But I think it could have
been pushed a bit more.

[Gemma] Will you walk past our stores

and will that image draw you in?
I'm not so sure about that one.

It didn't go how I wanted it to initially,
but I feel I definitely learned something.

[Maya] 100%.

[Ateh] This is Nic.

The eye is giving me witchy,
but not good witch.

It doesn't feel balanced to me.
Such a shame.

The eye works on its own,
the lip works on its own.

Together, they become too much.

-Red and green should never be seen.
-[laughs]

-Except for Christmas.
-Yeah.

I hope they understand where I was going.

I love Samah's color matching,
I love the energy.

[Gemma] This is a great shot.
It really emulates our brand.

And you can tell how confident
our model feels in this look.

[Val] If you saw this in a shop window,

I'd want to go into that shop.

So, for me, that's really working.

[contestants chat and laugh]

Congratulations, everyone.

That was a really hard brief.

There's a lot of potential in this room,

and it was really amazing
to see that come to life today.

However, there was one person
who absolutely smashed the brief.

Amazing skin, an eye-catching look,
and really colorful palette.

Tick, tick, tick. That MUA is...

[suspenseful music playing]

-Samah.
-[all applaud and cheer]

I'm not gonna be that person.
I'm not gonna be that person!

[cheering and exclaiming]

[Val] Well done, Samah.

Your work will be featured
in 800 stores nationwide.

Oh, my God. [mock sobs]

[all laugh and cheer]

[Dolli] So proud of you!

Wow.

I can't wait to call my mum.

"Yeah, Mum? Guess what?"

So, yeah, I'm very proud.

[Maya] The following day,
as the MUAs arrive

for their very first creative brief,

the judges are in the studio deciding
which two least impressed yesterday

and will start the creative brief
in the red Face Off chairs.

-Craig.
-[Val groans]

It isn't eye-catching, the model's hair
is more eye-catching than the makeup.

Nic.

Using green and red on one face,
they clashed.

Ryley.

We're seeing four colors.

The ear that's one color,
the neck that's the other.

You know, makeup doesn't just stop here.

I think we're all in agreement
who is gonna be in that Face Off chair.

[Ateh] Yeah.

[ethereal rhythmic music playing]

[Maya] If an MUA's name
is on one of the two red chairs,

they're heading for the Face Off
elimination at the end of the day.

[whispers] It's okay.

[Maya] There's only one way
to escape the Face Off.

Wow the judges in the next brief

and prove that they deserve
to stay in the competition.

Craig, Ryley,

sadly you two are
the first MUAs in the Face Off chairs,

which means you'll have 15 minutes
taken off your time today.

Craig, I asked for an eye-catching look,
but you didn't deliver.

And, Ryley, I asked for flawless,
perfectly color-matched skin,

and, unfortunately, the face
and the neck just didn't match up.

Yesterday, you worked
for a beauty retailer

celebrating diversity.

Today, we want you to show us

what makes you unique.

You'll be doing your makeup on yourselves.
This look must show us a story.

Bring us technicality
and push your creativity to the limit.

All right. Ryley and Craig,
I'll let you know when your time starts.

The rest of you,
you have two and a half hours.

They start right now.

Good luck.

[lively piano music plays]

[Maya] The MUAs have been allowed
to prepare for today's brief.

And Glow Up Studios comes stocked
with any products they may need.

Winning was nice yesterday.

Winning today would be extra nice.

[chuckles]

[Maya] Samah's hoping
to impress the judges again today

with a look inspired
by her Moroccan heritage.

I am very much in touch with my roots.

And I'm using tribal marking

to show the world
what's me that you can't see.

My DNA.

[Maya] Dolli's look also pays tribute
to her cultural roots.

[Dolli] I wanted to incorporate
every element of who I am.

So, I'm gonna bring in my cultural aspect,
my interest in Afrofuturism,

and also my love for gold.

[Maya] For the last three years,

young mum Dolli has been working
on a Central London makeup counter.

[funky music playing]

So, I gave birth to my daughter
at the age of 20.

Because I had a child so young,
I'm scared for people to see I'm failing.

I just want my daughter to see that
Mummy's really good in her area of work.

It's really given me that push
and ambition to strive for the best.

I am worried a little bit.

I just want it
to just translate perfectly,

and because I'm a perfectionist,
it just has to be very symmetrical.

Ry, talk me through this look then.

[Ryley] I always say to everyone,
"Difference is beauty."

I think my birthmark makes me beautiful.

-Now I do.
-100%.

The fact that I've accepted it,
I embrace it now, celebrate it.

The centerpiece of the look, the geode,
the crystals, is on my birthmark.

[Maya] Nic's concept draws inspiration
from several different areas of her life.

My look is inspired by my hair,

because this is the thing
that people remember me by.

So, I'm gonna be weaving
materials through my hair.

I'm trying to create
a feeling of underwater

and, like, a jellyfish sting
and sustainability.

I hope that I don't need
to say much to explain it.

Ryley, Craig, your time starts now.

Off you go.

Ooh, ooh!

Okay. [sighs heavily]

Xavi, he's putting tape on.

Is it cheating
that you can't do it freehand?

-Not necessarily, but my belief is that...
-Well, you...

Yes, say exactly
what you're going to say...

-I will do, Val, if you give me a minute.
-Go on then.

I think the thing about tape is,

if you don't get it spot-on,
it can look all wibbly-wobbly.

When he peels that tape off,
I doubt that it's gonna be straight.

Mmm.

-How are you?
-I'm great. What is going on here?

[Xavi] I'm doing a look
based on my Asperger's Syndrome.

Black and white around my eyes.
I see the world in black and white.

The rest of the world is in color.
Our brains are all wired differently.

You think differently,
I think differently.

I really want to show

that people with autism
and Asperger's Syndrome

can actually do things like this,

be creative people,
and work in this industry.

-And flourish.
-And flourish.

Just starting the eyeshadow on my look.

[Maya] Like Xavi,
Sophie is also using her look

to open up about her personal experiences
of being autistic.

The idea is on masking, which is
specifically about women with autism.

They have a lot more societal pressures
to be a bit more, like, normal.

I was a completely different person,

I'd behave all girly
like the people around me,

when that wasn't
really what I was like, so...

I've used masking tape and, like,

the shape of a mask on my face
and no makeup underneath

as sort of, like, a metaphor
for, like, the real me underneath.

I like the fact that I'm myself now.

Thirty minutes gone, guys.

You've got two hours to go.

[suspenseful music playing]

[Maya] Craig's concept is about peeling
back his skin to reveal his true identity.

We all have the human form
and we're all built with layers,

but once you strip them apart,
you see who we really are.

Craig is thrashing it out,

-considering...
-[Ateh] Hmm.

[Val] ...he's 15 minutes
behind everybody else.

What's going on here?
Talk me through this.

I'm gonna give you some, like,
alien drag fantasy. High fashion aspect...

-What's your drag name?
-My drag name was Ana-Lyse.

-Analyze. I get it!
-'Cause she would analyze.

[both laugh]

[suspenseful music playing]

I hate doing makeup on meself.
I feel sick, to be honest.

[Maya] Alex is basing her look
on a species of bird

she feels a particular affinity with.

So, I'm doing something
that is kind of my interpretation

of one of the parakeets
that live on an estate.

What's unique about me
is that I am so colorful and tough.

I'm a feral parakeet,
I'm a rough street bird.

I want me lines to be very free.

Can I just say, an hour's gone.

Look at Alex, and look where Craig's at.

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

[sighs]

My eyebrows are popping.

What's going on?

Is she starting again?

She blocked the brow,

she waited an age for it to dry.

And now she's taking it all off.

Please pull yourself together.

[magical music plays]

[sighs]

There's something I like about Elliott.

[Dominic] It's asymmetric.

It's like a beige version

of Lady Gaga art pop.

-[Maya] Elliott, darling.
-Hey, hon. How are you?

Yes to the wig cap. Talk me through this.
What made you pick this?

My features are slightly off-center,
so I wanted to really accentuate those

in more of an exaggerated way.

[Maya] Mm-hmm. And this represents you?

-Uh-huh.
-Tell me why, though.

I don't know. It's something
I struggled with growing up.

I got bullied a lot for the way I look.

-So it's almost like therapy for you.
-Oh, yeah, 110%.

[lively fast-paced music plays]

So, I'm wetting the string
to make marking.

Because I want it as fine as possible now.

-Okay.
-String.

[Val] The trouble with this
is you've got to be really confident.

You don't get to correct it.

And right straight off the bat,
where's the symmetry?

The thing is with tribal marks
is it's not meant to be perfect.

Because back in the day,
they did it by hand.

-I'm scared for her.
-I'm disappointed.

I'm totally disappointed.

I'm just laying down the gold details.

These are the bit that's the trickiest,
because I need to get it symmetrical.

[Val] Dolli's right in there.

-Dolli knows what she's doing.
-She knows what she's doing.

-Good on you, Dolli.
-Yeah. [laughs]

-He's removed the tape.
-He's removed the tape.

[exhales] Thank God.

And it's actually not bad.

I'm just, like, cleaning it up
and making sure that it is, um,

straight.

There's some errors I need to fix.

[mysterious music plays]

[Maya] Forty-five minutes to go.

I'm okay on time.

[groans]

Me eyebrows popped.
I'm gonna have to take them off again.

Have a breath, babe, you got it.

[sniffles]

-Oh, here we go.
-Pushing through.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God!

All that glue
was coming into me foundation,

and had ruined me liner.

I'm just in me head.

I literally can't look.
It's a beauty car crash.

[Val] Oh, my God.

I'd just rather get it off.
I'm gonna not glue me eyebrows.

I wanna go over and say to her,
"Put the brush down, have five minutes."

-"You're better off having a think."
-It'd be better, wouldn't it?

I'm starting again, I'll rejig me look.
I'll do it without covering me eyebrows.

I've got meself together.

All you can do
is move forward and be better.

I can't actually see out of one eye,
but that's absolutely fine.

We'll work with this eye.
It's me strong eye anyway.

Let's bloody hope so.

I am living for what Ryley's done.

-Absolutely.
-It's very creative.

I love the fact she's used
a cotton pad to cover her eye,

'cause it really shows ingenuity.

I'm now adding all the diamonds
and little accents on

to really form that geode.

They're sticking, which is a good sign.

I'm gonna stick
some of this in with hair gel.

I kind of like the idea of it
kind of looking like it is...

combed in.

Nic's spent an awful lot of time
doing her hair.

You are not being judged on the hairstyle.
You're being judged on the makeup.

I'm just gonna gel a bit more.

More, more, more. [laughs]

[Craig] Just, like, outline
the symbols now.

It's giving you a glimpse of who I am.

Yeah, I just hope
the judges can see the story behind it.

You had me an hour ago.
I'm not sure if you've still got me.

Now I feel like
it's something from a kid's theater.

-It's the talking tree in a pantomime.
-[chuckles] Yeah.

Fifteen minutes left, guys.

Fifteen minutes.

[energetic house music plays]

Okay.

So the hair,
I'm currently trying my best to glue.

Anything can go wrong
in the last few seconds, so...

[dreamy music playing]

-[all exclaim]
-Dolli's giving me magic.

Oh, baby, that looks amazing.

Thank you.

I have tried me best,
and I hope that they can see that.

Right, time's up, brushes down.

Now go next door
to go and get photographed.

[funky music plays]

Dolli. Please come forward.

[Dolli] I take a lot of inspiration
from my culture and my African background.

And I like to incorporate
that bit of, like, Afrofuturism.

Your makeup is precise.

It was balanced.

It was technically a masterpiece.

[Ateh] You smashed this, Dolli.

I saw you put on makeup
to make your skin darker,

and I actually gasped,
because I have been so conditioned,

as we all have,
that dark skin, you prevent that.

You were making such a statement

of, "I am beautiful, I am regal."

"Everybody, be scared."

[Val and Dominic laugh]

-[Dominic] Well done.
-[sniffles] Thank you.

-Craig, can you please step up to join us?
-Yep.

I wanted to look
at how we're all made the same way,

but we're manufactured by ourselves.

I wanted to strip back,
basically, a layer of skin.

To show you a bit of who I am,
I did it with symbols.

The moment you were allowed to start,
you just went for it.

When you got into the, sort of,
like, muscle-tendon story,

I loved that.

-Stop!
-[chuckles] Yeah.

I just feel that you overegged it.

Okay.

Is it enough to get you
out of the Face Off chair?

Don't know.

Okay. Thank you.

Jack.

[Jack] I've always wanted to, sometimes,
take myself away to another planet.

So, I thought today I would try something
that was a little bit more otherworldly.

I live for a drag queen.
Lovely to see your drag alter ego,

but what I would have
really liked to see is who you are.

I feel you are hiding a little bit
behind your alter ego.

Now, if we zoom in to the eye,

there's some really gorgeous blending,

there's some really nice placements,

and I kind of wish that I'd got this,
but all over the face.

Yeah.

I just think

this is not enough technicality

to show me why you should be here.

Okay.

Xavi, could you please join us?

[Xavi] My look is based on the fact
that I have Asperger's Syndrome.

For the longest time, I felt like
I saw the world in black and white,

so I've decided to do a look

that's based on seeing the world
in black and white, and the rest is color.

Xavi, I love it.

I love this concept.

You showed me who you are, and I know
it's so difficult when you feel different.

One thing I would say,
if you wanted that straight line,

do it freehand from your viewpoint
and you will get it so much easier,

and you'll probably find yourself
getting there without any little mistakes.

Okay? But thank you very much.
This is a really good starting point.

Thank you.

Sophie.

[Sophie] My look is based on

when women with autism try and behave
in a certain way, to act normal,

and I'm basically using
the mask shape on my face

to represent how I was sort of pretending
to be someone who I wasn't,

but I'm taking that off now
and I'm trying to, like,

slowly be myself a lot more.

-[exhales] I mean, I just love it.
-[Sophie chuckles]

[Dom] I love the mask.

I love the blending around the eye.

I love the dots.

It is so beautiful.

I just want to look at it forever.

This is everything
that I love about makeup.

It's a good use of color,
it's incredible blending.

If you're doing this on the first brief,

I'm very excited
to see what else you bring.

Thank you.

Samah.

I chose to go for a different route

and go for something that's a bit deeper.

It's my DNA, it's my heritage.

You're a beauty makeup artist.

You do know how to do the beauty.

Beautiful mouth, lovely eye,

but you had such a long time.

There's not two and a half hours'
worth of makeup here.

At least try and create
some form of symmetry.

This is a makeup competition,

and yet I'm getting
more information from your styling.

I'm disappointed,
especially after yesterday.

Thank you.

Elliott.

[Elliott] I wanted to pay tribute

to how I've struggled
with my own facial features.

So, I kind of wanted
to exaggerate how my face actually sits

and kind of go with my face
instead of actually going against it.

When I saw you working with the light
and the shade, my mind was blown.

You won me over.

It was just a beautiful master class
in contour and highlight.

-It's really clever.
-[softly] Thank you.

Alex. Please step forward.

[Alex] My look is based
on feral parakeets,

grotty birds of paradise
that are a bit rough around the edges.

I think that's a good metaphor for me.

[laughs] I'm a grotty street bird.

I think your persistence was admirable.

You just kept going and, really,

it's that determination that's gonna
get you anywhere in this industry.

However...

Technically, it is not up to scratch.

No, I know.

The blending of the green and the yellow...

not smooth enough.

[Alex] Uh-uh.

The lashes, not in the right place.

If you had just stuck to this idea
and didn't try and faff around,

it would have been amazing.

I think the interesting thing for me
is that you say you had to change it

because it wasn't working,

and yet what you gave me, it did work.

-[gasps]
-[Val] And you did it in an hour.

Thank you.

Nic.

Please come forward.

[Nic] One of the things that people
always remember me for is my curly hair,

so I wanted to incorporate that
into my work.

The other thing that
I'm really passionate about

is the ocean and sustainability.

It doesn't connect,
it doesn't come together.

If we break it down,
it's a mucky red eye.

It's a bit of a mucky red neck.

Is it creative? Yeah.

But is it technical?

I would say no.

Are you a hairdresser?

You spent an awful lot of time
doing your hair.

You're not in a hair competition.

You're in a makeup competition.

I loved it when you were
putting the red in the eye.

But I think
there's just too much going on.

I don't really understand it. I'm sorry.

Okay.

Ryley.

[Ryley] What's unique to me
is my birthmark.

So, I thought I'd highlight that,
because my message is all about

highlighting who you are
and not being afraid to be different.

-I believe it was a cotton pad?
-Yeah.

I'd never have thought about painting
a cotton pad and sticking it on my eye.

You did this
through just grit, determination,

and creativity and imagination.

This is really quite outstanding.

[voice breaking] Thank you.

Ryley, this, to me, is makeup mastery.

It is precise,
it is technical, it is balanced.

It's a ding, dong for me.

-Absolutely! Absolutely.
-[sobbing and laughing]

[all applaud]

MUAs, please go next door

whilst we decide
who goes into the first Face Off.

[dramatic music plays]

I couldn't... "Ding, dong!" [laughs]

First off, I think we're all in agreeance
that Ryley has beaten the seat.

[Ateh] So, that seat needs filling.

One person in question is Samah.

I'm just so disappointed.
There's no... makeup.

[Val] No, there is makeup.

But it's very boring.
It's very pedestrian.

Let's have a look at Nic.
I mean, you take away the hair,

you take away what's happening
on the hands and the neck,

does that say,
"I deserve to be in Glow Up"?

Craig, he was in the red chair today.

He did put in a lot of effort.

He just didn't know when to stop.

[Dominic] I'm gonna defend Craig
because he had a time penalty...

-[Val] Yeah.
-...but he didn't let it faze him.

Ryley and Craig,

you were our first two MUAs
in the Face Off chairs.

Ryley, you beat the seat.

Well done, girl, you smashed it.

Samah?

Your look was just very disappointing.

There wasn't enough makeup,

and what was there
just wasn't good enough.

You'll be the first MUA
in the Face Off elimination.

Craig, you'd really overegged it. However,

your look started off strong.

Craig, you just beat the seat.

-No.
-[Alex] Oh, my God. Yes!

[Val] What that means is

we have another seat to fill.

This MUA didn't have a clear story

and didn't show enough technique.

So the second MUA
heading into the Face Off elimination...

will be Nic.

Yeah.

You've got this, baby, you've got this.

Judges, thank you.
I'll bring them through shortly.

Samah and Nic, say your goodbyes,
because only one of you will be returning.

[Xavi] Come on.

[Nic] I'll see you guys later.

-[Samah] I know.
-You're our big sister.

-I know.
-Come on. You can do it.

-Bye, guys.
-[Xavi] Love you, guys.

[melancholy music plays]

[Maya] To level the playing field,
the MUAs will Face Off

over a pair of identical twins.

[Dominic] This week has been
all about beauty campaigns,

and one statement look that's been
used in loads of beauty campaigns

is a clumpy lash.

Think beauty with distortion.

A clumpy lash is what I call mess-cara.

I start by curling the lashes.

Then I will just coat
the lashes with mascara.

Two or three coats, root to tip.

And then I will take a fan brush
and come back in with a no-color powder

and really lay that product
over the mascara.

This is not the time to be shy.

I'm looking for lashings of lash.

I need you to get it on,
get it on, get it on,

and show me why
you deserve to stay in this competition.

You have 15 minutes,
and your time starts now. Off you go.

[tense rhythmic music playing]

[Samah] Feel okay?

Move your head for me.

Okay, that is five minutes gone.

[Dominic] Nic is loading up that product
onto the brush, pushing it into the lash.

So, she's coming across it
in a more controlled,

"I'm going to curate a clumpy lash,"

whereas Samah is just,

"I'm gonna just build
and build until I get there."

Samah's putting mascara on,

and then she was putting powder on,
which was cool,

and then she freaked out and
she kind of brushed all the powder away.

Yeah, but I think she's doing that
to dry the mascara

so that she can then
go on with another coat.

-That's quite clever.
-[Val] Hmm, we'll see.

Okay, one minute now. Just one minute.

[suspenseful music plays]

[Maya] Three, two, one.

Brushes down.

All right, thank you, Nic and Samah.

-Judges, I'm sure you want a closer look.
-[both] Yes.

Dom, I think we need a conflab.

[Dom] Agreed.

Well, one is clumpy, it's gunky.

The tweezer work pushing them together
was really clever

because it created
more body for that product.

[Val] It could have been thicker,

but in the time scale,
it's a passable clumpy lash.

The other makeup,

I don't see the idea of a clumpy lash.

Like, I just see individual
false eyelashes randomly stuck on.

[Dom] Yeah.

The idea was there,
but the skill to get there wasn't.

I think we've got a clear winner.

-We've definitely got a clear winner.
-Yeah.

[Val] Samah.

We really liked the way
you built the mascara through layering.

And you used powder.

Now, that is professional.

Nic.

I loved the way you just got straight
in there and you got that product on.

Unfortunately, Nic,

your false lashes that you used
were far too long for the lower lashes,

so they just didn't marry together.

Nic,

it's time to pack up your kit.

You will be leaving today.

-Okay. Thank you.
-[whispers] Sorry.

-I'm sorry.
-It's okay.

[Maya] Samah, come with me.

Everyone in the competition
is, like, an incredible makeup artist.

Give us a hug, darling.

[Nic] It was amazing to even be
considered next to them guys.

I'm happy I got this far.

You've got so much potential.
You really have.

It's been really cool.

[Maya] Look who's here.

[Alex gasps]

[Alex exclaiming]

[Samah] I have so much to show
and prove to them.

And just because I got from this,
doesn't mean I can chill.

I shall not be in that situation again.

[percussive music playing]