Let me introduce myself first. My name is Joyce Spakman, and I am a professional make-up artist and a self-taught stylist.
I began experimenting with makeup when I was 14 years old. It all started with some small designs and doodles on my arm. I didn't even know make-up education existed but when I was in high school one of my teachers told me about it and I immediately knew what I wanted to do in the future.
When I was 18 years old I started a theatre make-up studies in Amsterdam that took 3 years. These were the best 3 years of my life! I loved working with make-up every day and every year I noticed a big progress in my own make-up works.
At that time, I also started working on my handmade headdresses and Miss G Designs was a great inspiration for me. At school, I wanted to complete my characters with some cool styling. So I started with headdresses from cheap materials that would still look good on camera. I really liked the creativity involved and the more I did it, the more I wanted to experiment with it.
On my third year of studies, I started organizing workshops: first, make-up workshops, and later - headdress workshops as well.
Fast forward 12 years I work as a freelance make-up artist. I love working at events and festivals. I also have a lot of masterclasses and workshops here in the Netherlands. Now I have my own workshop space and some people call me a hoarder because of the number of materials I have. I spend hours on eBay (I think a lot of people can relate!). The one thing I still love doing the most is creating the whole character, from styling to make-up. Although, these kinds of projects could take up to 2 months.
All the pictures below show my designs created from scratch. I really hope you like my work.
Some of these pieces are available for buying at my Etsy shop. I also make custom items.
#1 Church-Inspired
Model: Roebie
Make-up/ styling/ photo by me
I was asked to bodypaint at an event in the Netherlands. A few months before the event I went on a city trip to Budapest and I really liked the goth churches. I took it as an inspiration for this project. I actually wanted to make some gargoyles on the shoulders but I didn't have enough time to implement this idea. Deadlines are the worst! If you look closely, you will notice that the headdress actually has fragments of stained glass. This picture was taken with my mobile phone at the event.
47points
#2 Oxidized
Model: Estrella Dewi
Photographer: Sanne Van Bergenhenegouwen
Make-up/ styling by me
This headdress took quite some time to make. It is huge, and also pretty heavy (it is as heavy as it looks). The corset is also handmade from plastic.
This makeup look took about 2.5 hours. Luckily the model was very patient.
I really love Sanne's photography work. She really turns it into a piece of art.
34points
#3 Pearls
Model: Ciara Pennasilico
Photographer: Josefien Hoekstra
Styling and make-up by me
This piece of styling took the longest to make. All the pearls and stones you see are hand sewn on the headdress and the corset.
This took me about a year to finish. That is why I needed a pretty model and a great photographer. Josefien is one of my favorite photographers to work with.
34points
#4 Virginie Ropars' Doll
Model/ make-up/ styling/ photo by me.
This creature is inspired by one of the dolls of Virginie Ropars. If you haven't heard about her works yet, you should check it out.
The skull is hand-sculpted. This is actually a one-piece headdress with the dreads attached.
I took the photo in my living room with an amateur equipment.
33points
#5 Flower Fairy
Model: Sterre Verhoeve
Make-up/ styling/ photo by me
Something totally different from what I normally do.
31points
#6 Wendigo
Photographer: Laura Sheridan
Model/ make-up and styling by me
This piece I made for the NYX Squad awards. It was inspired by the demon Wendigo.
I work at the NYX store in Amsterdam and this brand hosts a contest every year.
Employees can't participate in this contest so they made one for the beauty advisors as well. With this picture, I won the contest in the Netherlands.
29points
#7 Teal
Model: Sterre Verhoeve
Make-up and styling by me
This is by far my favorite color combo: teal and red. I absolutely love it.
Sterre has the most fairy-like face.
I did the photoshoot in my living room.
28points
#8 Clown
Model: Chiara Pennasilico
Photo/ make-up/ styling by me
Chiara's eyes are closed in this photo. I drew new eyes on her own eyes because I wanted them to look a lot bigger.
28points
#9 Church
Model: Spooky
Photographer: Laura Sheridan
Styling and make-up by me
26points
#10 Asia
Photography: Josefien Hoekstra
Model/ Make-up/ styling by me
This was a picture I made for the first round of the NYX Squad awards 2017. The theme was the color explosion.
In the beginning, I wanted to do something with Indian colors and powders, but soon the costume turned out to involve many more Asian cultures. I took a lot of inspiration from Bali, Indonesia.
The headdress is actually very ugly in the back. It's made out of a cheap material since it had to be done in 3 days. That's why I do not sell this piece.
23points
#11 Crimson Peak
Model/ make-up/ styling/ photo by me.
I was very inspired by the movie called "Crimson Peak", so I decided to create a character with my own spin on it.
I handmade a headdress which is attached on the back of the head. It took hours to arrange the rhinestones by hand but I really like the outcome. My sweet boyfriend and my sister helped to take this picture.
This photo was taken in my living room. The background is actually a wall.
22points
#12 Time Traveller
Model/ make-up/ styling/ photo by me.
This was a design I made for this year's NYX Squad awards. I didn't win but I had so much fun creating this look.
It took some time to build this whole costume and setting. I was given 3 weeks to deliver the picture.
In the beginning, I couldn't find the perfect frame for me to use as a background. I visited a lot of thrift shops! I got all the clock parts from a watchmaker. My dad made the background out of wood and added the frame. But I still needed the painting...
So I had to make the whole costume. The headdress is inspired by the clock arrows and the costume itself has a steampunk vibe to it. If you look closely, I also have medals, an hourglass in my hand, clock arrows on my nails and binoculars on the corset!
22points
#13 Medusa
Photographer: Laura Marijn
Model/ make-up/ styling by me
This is one of my favorite big projects.
All the snakes' heads are hand-sculpted, one by one. The background you see in this picture isn't even edited. It was made by the photographer and me.
20points
#14 Fairytale
Model/ photo/ styling/ make-up by me.
This image is inspired by the artist Dustin Bailard who one of my biggest inspirations right now.
I made the background from a big piece of fabric, roses, moss, and a tree bark. I used the baking flour as a whitewash.
20points
#15 Spider
Photography: Michiel Fischer
Model: Zoe Spakman
Make-up and styling by me
I attended a one-week SFX make-up course by SFX make-up artist Bruce Fuller. This was the outcome. I molded, sculpted and painted this prosthetic.
The model is my little sister.
19points
#16 Alice In Wonderland
Model: Debbie
Bodypaint/ styling by me
I was asked to bodypaint at the event in Birmingham, so I traveled there.
This costume stressed me out. Books on the shoulders almost caused my parents' house to burn down. The nipple pasties took me hours to perfect. Moreover, I had to take this costume on the plane along with all my make-up and personal belongings.
18points
#17 Penumbra
Model: Maki
Photographer: Laura Sheridan
Make-up and styling by me
I tavelled to Antwerp to work with this amazing photographer on this shoot.
16points
#18 Pastel Love
Photographer: Josefien Hoekstra
Model/ make-up/ styling by me
This was the final round of the NYX Squad awards 2017 where all the NYX beauty advisors from Europe competed.
Unfortunately, I didn't win but I had an awesome time creating this. This look is totally out of my comfort zone.
The carousel is totally handmade. I spent hours cutting all the cardboard and painting it.
16points
#19 Dominator
Model: Jady Henkel
Styling/ make-up by me
Every year I am asked to do the styling and make-up for 1 character during the biggest hardcore festival in the Netherlands "Dominator".
This year, the theme was torture devices.
This photo was taken with my phone.
16points
#20 Moth
Photo/ model/ styling and make-up by me.
In the second round of the NYX Squad awards the theme was phobias.
Personally, I really like moths and I find them beautiful. This is why I chose them. I wanted it to be a bit scary, but still beautiful.
All these moths are hand drawn and glued to an iron wire to make them look as if they are flying.
This picture was taken in my living room.
If you look closely you can see the wings on the nails as well.
15points