About Rachel
Makeup artist, educator, colour obsessive, business brain, and long-time observer of
what beauty does to people.
Makeup should make more sense than this.
I’m Rachel Pivetta, a Sunshine Coast based makeup artist and educator with 17 years of industry experience across personal clients, photographic work, commercial projects, creative direction, product strategy and education.
My work sits somewhere between makeup education, colour direction, product guidance, artistry, psychology and commercial common sense.
Which sounds quite tidy written down.
In practice, it usually means helping people understand why their makeup no longer feels right, why certain colours make their face look alive while others quietly ruin the day, why products behave badly, and how to make better decisions without being swallowed whole by trends, sales pressure or bad lighting.
I do not believe makeup should make people feel smaller.
Makeup should be understood, not endured.
My approach
My approach is practical, honest and highly individual.
I look at face structure, colouring, contrast, product behaviour, formulation, placement, lifestyle, budget, confidence and context.
The goal is not to make you dependent on more products or more rules.
The goal is to help you make better decisions.
The kind that still work when you are standing in bad lighting, staring at 42 foundations, quietly questioning every choice you have ever made.
I do not believe every face needs the same technique, the same trend, the same palette, the same “natural but snatched” brief, or the same beige little pathway to confidence.
No clones. No beige-by-default. No pretending one method works for everyone.
A few lives before this one
Before makeup, I worked in interior design and high-rise property development on the Gold Coast. When the GFC changed that path rather dramatically, I found myself studying makeup and building a career I had once assumed was not “realistic” enough to pursue. It turned out to be one of the better plot twists.
Since then, my work has moved across weddings, swimwear, hair care, jewellery, fashion, bridal couture, short film, actor headshots, product photography, beauty campaigns, commercial projects, education, working with media personalities, influencers and my own cosmetics brand.
Some of the work I can talk about. Some of it I will not.
Privacy and discretion matter to me, and I take that seriously. Not everything needs to become content. Not every client, student, artist or collaborator needs to be broadcast for the sake of marketing.
If I do share client work, education moments or behind-the-scenes snippets, it is done with clear consent and respect for the person in the chair.
Trust matters. So does having a bit of mystery, frankly.
Credentials + Experience
17 years industry experience
Across personal clients, photographic work, commercial projects, creative direction and education.
Diploma qualified Screen & Media Makeup Artist
Diploma qualified and experienced in makeup for camera, creative briefs, photographic work and industry environments.
Diploma qualified Beauty Therapist
With additional beauty training and a broader understanding of skin, treatments, hygiene and client care.
TAE-qualified Educator
Qualified to train and assess, with current experience teaching makeup and beauty students in RTO settings.
Product + formulation knowledge
Practical understanding of product behaviour, formulas, ingredients, wear and why some products simply refuse to cooperate.
Business + product strategy background
Experience across marketing, creative direction, product development and client-facing beauty businesses.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, available selectively across Australia.
My studio is in Noosa Heads, though my work is not limited to the Sunshine Coast. I travel selectively across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, South East Queensland and Australia for the right education, creative, commercial and personal makeup projects.