Berlin-based hair & make-up artist, Theo Schnürer perfected his dual talents by studying at Aveda Hair Salon (Berlin) and Maggie B Make Up School (Berlin). Currently represented by Blossom Management, he has worked for a string of reputable clients from all walks of fashion life. In the editorial world, his eye-catching work has graced the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Sleek and Push It, and of course, Œ Magazine. Commercial clients like Max Factor, Braun, Bread & Butter, Magnum and Très Bonjour have also benefitted from Theo’s creative acumen. It also comes as no surprise that during Berlin Fashion Week, Theo has worked for some of the biggest shows like Hugo by Hugo Boss and Scotch Soda.
Working adeptly in both hair and make-up means that no two days are the same and, on this particular day, Theo takes us through his creative workout on the set of an editorial shoot!
6 am: I have to wake up early because the call time for the shoot today is 8am and I need some time for myself before the day starts. For breakfast I have a nice coffee, bread and fruit. After breakfast, I make my way to the shoot location. Today, we are shooting an editorial for Cocoon magazine and have to produce six to seven looks; that’s actually quite a lot!
7.15 am: I arrive at the location and unpack. For this editorial, most of my hair products are from Aveda and my make-up is largely from MAC and Chanel.
When all my products are neatly arranged, I talk to the creative team to see what they have in mind for hair and make-up. During these types of discussions, I also give my own input and on this occasion we decide that hair and make-up will change with every second look. This will include both subtle and strong changes, so there is good variety in the story.
The first look is ‘natural’, which is always a good way to start an editorial story, as it facilitates gradual and stronger beauty looks as the story moves along. To create this look, I use a natural brownish/bronze tone on the eyes and apply a nude tone on the model’s lips.
8.10 am: The first look is ready and we start to shoot. It takes about an hour to shoot one look.
9.15 am: It’s now time to do the second look of the day and as agreed initially, I work on the first hair and make-up alteration. For this, I apply pink lipstick and for the hair, I pile the model’s hair on top of her head, whilst braiding the back of her hair in single plaits. As we work, there is also a video team filming the editorial coming together. I like this because it’s nice to have those ‘in motion’ memories.
1.30 pm: By now we’ve shot a few new looks and it’s time for a lunch break.
2.15 pm: For the first look after lunch, I work on a bold look which consists of a strong pinky rouge for the lips and black and purple eye make-up for the eyes. For a more dramatic effect, I create a ‘wet look’ for the hair and slick it back.
5.10 pm: By the 6th outfit, the hair is a lot more messy to give of a carefree, sexy and feminine look whilst the lip colour has returned to a more natural looking hue, and the eyes look darker and stronger.
6pm: For the last look, I add a bluish tone to the eyes and keep the lips natural and soft looking.
6.45 pm: After an eight hour plus shoot day, the shoot is finally over and the whole team is super happy! It was also a day with no major glitches, so everyone’s in a good mood!
8 pm: Go with friends to Si An restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg for some yummy Vietnamese.
11.20 pm: Crash in bed totally full, exhausted, happy and I can’t wait to see the pictures!
Test by Theo Schnürer
