PROFILES + Evolve

Evolve

Queensland, Australia

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Evolve

Eve Connelly is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Evolve Make Up Pty Ltd. Eve's career as an accomplished freelance Professional Make Up Artist, Beauty Therapist, Hairdresser and Actor spans over 16 years in the Film, Television, Photographic and Fashion industry both nationally and internationally.
Her years of experience and dedication to the Make Up, Entertainment and Beauty Industry and recognising a need in the market for a high quality comprehensive professional range that is well priced for the every day consumer, lead her to design, formulate and create her own cosmetic brand.
Allison Little is the Chief Market Research and Development Consultant. Allison is the former director of a leading Manufacture and Wholesale Nail and Beauty company for over 16 years.
Allison has a unique ability to identify up coming market trends for products and packaging. Her years of experience with importing and exporting, her vast contact base, her drive and vision bring a valuable cutting edge quality to Evolve.
Eve and Allison have successfully owned and operated their own businesses for the past 16 years in the Cosmetics and Beauty industry. And together form a strong practical, knowledgeable and creative partnership essential to the growth and success of Evolve Make Up.
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Where we started:
Evolve Make Up Pty Ltd was officially launched at the Sydney Trade Show in September 2003. The Companies dispatch centre is based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Evolve was initially formulated as a professional cosmetic range specific to the film and television industry. Since conception, Evolve cosmetics have been used on many local and national films, television series and commercials.
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Our future:
Evolve Make Up aspires to create and maintain a reputation among our local, national and international make up artists, distributors, agents and customers, as a professional, high quality, innovative and affordable make up.
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Our beliefs:
We have a strict cruelty free policy. No products we manufacture or are manufactured on our behalf are tested on animals in any way. At Evolve Make Up we believe that above all else, our business should be based on respect for all creatures great and small:-
- Respect for the Customers we serve
- Respect for our Distributors and Representatives
- Respect for the people we work with, and
- Respect for our community, the environment and the global village.
It is our belief that we are all responsible to care for the environment and community in which we live, raise our children and work.

Experience

Eve Connelly - Founder/CEO
Interview: September 2003
Q: What inspired you to become a make up artist?

A: "My whole life has revolved around make up and beauty. It was always an obsession. I was actually voted most likely to become a make up artist in my end of year schoolbook! Ever since I can remember I was painting faces. My brother soon became a victim of my obsession, but bless him, he was very patient while I turned his very manly self into a transvestite!" she laughs. "I would say my mother was my greatest influence, I always watched her put her make up on - I was absolutely fascinated. She encouraged and nurtured my need to paint face. She's a stunning woman and was the perfect canvas on which to develop my skills."
Q: How did you get started?

A: "The ball started rolling when I was lucky enough to get work experience at Channel 7 in Brisbane. I was 16 years old at the time. Even though I was quite young the head make up artist, 'Bindy' was very encouraging and I learned a lot from her. I knew after that experience I was definitely going to do make up. I then met another make up artist, Lynne O'Brien. Lynne is truly an amazing, generous and talented woman, she was so encouraging she gave me her full kit and sent me to a film tech school to do the make up for the presenters. I was blown away! I still don't know anyone who would be that generous to give their kit out like that!". I continued to do make up courses, read books, watched other make up artists - and gained experience doing weddings and glamour photography. I then started doing make up for hair shows, fashion parades, theatre, editorial, TVC's, Corporates and through another fantastic make up artist Tess Natoli I ventured into TVS's and Film, and once I had my Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy under my belt, the world opened further."

Q: Yes, half way through your make up career you went back to study full-time to become a beauty therapist, what was the reason?

A: "I quickly learned that make up only looks as good as the skin that it's on, so it seemed imperative to me to understand the complexity of skin and why it does what it does. It's been very useful in terms of how to prep the skin for make up. I also soon found myself becoming a beauty consultant for make up artists on television series and films where actors had problem skins and required treatment to resolve it quickly. I would treat the actor and provide them and the make up artist with the appropriate products to keep their skin conditions under control. As an actor I know how pear shaped the day can get when you have a pimple (or what seems like a huge boulder) on the side of your face and you have a day of close ups - that's distressing. Beauty Therapy has been a very useful skill in many ways and I enjoy the diversity."


Q: Armed with these skills and your entrepreneurial drive, you seem to be the perfect candidate for having your own Salon. Would you consider it?

A: I had a salon in Melbourne for 2 years. I was 24 years old at the time - and talk about throwing myself in the deep end! Apart from the obvious attraction, be it all skills under one roof - I was also studying acting at the time and I somehow thought owning my own business would allow me to set my own hours and voila - I could also be available for auditions and pursue that passion as well - wrong! It was a crazy time. I was in deep - I found myself organising - and my salon sponsoring huge events like gala nights and fashion parades. I would gather additional sponsors for prizes etc, do the press releases, hire the models, find designers, choreograph the parade, compare the event, meanwhile facialing, waxing and tinting my heart out in the salon and, of course, doing acting classes and learning lines when I had a moment spare! I look back now and clearly, I was mad! It was a great achievement and I learned so much from it - but I have since learned the art of delegation!"


Q: Considering that, would you own another salon?

A: "Never say never, but I have my finger in a few pies at the moment, so next time around I'd prefer to work 'on the business' rather than in it."


Q: One of these 'pies' would be your new range of cosmetics. What was the reason behind developing Evolve?

A: "It seemed like natural progression I guess. I've used all kinds of products over the years and you soon learn what you like and what works best. If you work long enough in any industry, you tend to always see something that could make it better or easier. I simply wanted to culminate my likes and what has worked best for me into one range."


Q: What was the process like to develop your range?

A: "I was like 'Sybil' developing this range. As a Make Up Artist I wanted a good quality, practical range - in packaging that had a 'no waste' policy and had everything I needed at an affordable price. As an Actor it had to be user friendly, look fresh and last all day and as a Beauty Therapist it had to be good for the skin and be appropriate for all skin types - so yes, I had a few people to please! But all in all the process was relatively easy. I knew what I wanted. I sought out manufacturers and packaging companies for products I specifically wanted made and then affiliated Evolve with established products that would compliment".


Q: How did you come up with the name?

A: "I called my sister for suggestions and after a few moments she blurted out 'Evolve'. The word EVOLVE has 'EVE' and 'LOVE' in it. I said 'that's perfect!' I had to use it - it was a no brainer."


Q: Tell us about your acting, how did you get started?

A: "As per make up - it was an obsession from an early age. It's the film and television medium I love. Whether it is behind the camera or in front - it's all a creative process and having experience with both has fulfilled many needs in me to express myself creatively. My first acting job was on a kids show when I was 17 years old and have been basically doing it ever since. From kids shows to adult drama, presenting, commercials, short films and features. I did all kinds of courses and workshops including dialect. Things really kicked off when I went to Melbourne. Melbourne was great for television series - I got to work on such shows as Janus, Blue Heelers and Man From Snowy River. I also did quite a few commercials and short films. I have a couple of commercials on air at the moment and I'm in a film called Konstrukt-3 which is due for release 2005."


Q: You're the lead in this film; tell us about the film.

A: "It's a full on Sci-Fi thriller, lots of action, lots of special effects. It's a feast for the eyes - in fact 70% of the film is digitally composed. We shot most of the film in the Arizona desert and in Lake Powell - amazing scenery! So basically it's me saving the planet, oh make that the universe - and of course one has to kick some serious butt in order to do that - it's the first action film I've ever done and it was so physically demanding. There were days in the 50 degree desert when I really thought - what the hell am I doing! But... it was the challenge I needed in my life at the time."


Q: Did you choose to do this film based on the fact it was a new challenge for you?

A: Absolutely. I had worked with the Director (Neil Johnson), before as a make up artist and I was mucking around on camera one day and apparently it struck him that I was the look he was after for this film he was developing. He didn't say anything at the time but a few months later he said 'we have to go to America and make this film'. I said 'sure' - thinking I was doing make up for it and so starting rambling on about character looks etc, he said 'no Eve, I want you to be the lead'. Well I was shocked, embarrassed, terrified and excited all at the same time!" she laughs. "He knew I was an actor and had seen a show reel, but I hadn't worked with him as an actor before, so it was completely unexpected. He put a lot of faith in me and even though I was a little daunted at the physical ness of the script - this style of character I'd never been given an opportunity to do before - so yeah I jumped at the chance - literally!"


Q: Can we expect more action films from you?

A: "Sure, but it has to be character and story driven - if we are going to blow stuff up - let there be a reason! I liked the undertone of this film - it's message, it's probability - it's very clever in it's concept."


Q: Actually, I did hear they are making an action figure of your character - is this true?

A: "Yeah.... I think so - I hope so, because it means they'll give her bigger boobs and smaller hips - this is good!" (much laughing)


Q: You also worked as a dancer while you were in New York on Club MTV - how did that come about?

A: "I was staying with a friend in Manhattan and her boyfriend heard about these auditions on the radio for Club MTV with the host 'Down Town Julie Brown' and he suggested we all go along - I had some dance training when I was younger, but boy... it was like 'Flashdance', I walked into this small room with a mans suit on and a brimmed black hat, well it seemed like a good idea at the time and all I can say about that - is it was the eighties", (laughing) "anyhoo, there was this line up of people staring at me with this stereo system and they flicked the switch and said 'dance'. So - I did - for all I was worth. The music stopped abruptly and a voice said 'you're in - don't loose that hat' Next thing you know I'm bumping shoulders with Quincy Jones, Janet Jackson, Donnie Osmond, Salt n Pepper, the list goes on! It was nuts!"


Q: You are probably one of the busiest women I know, you're running a cosmetic company, working as an actor, you're a painter with an art exhibition coming up in the new year, you are a single mother with a three year old and I also heard on the grape vine you've written and are publishing a children's book.

A: "Well when you put it like that I do sound a bit busy!" She laughs. "It's all creative outlets; it's like air to me. Besides it's just not my style to be any other way and I guess the secret is time management, and oh yeah delegate, delegate, delegate! And yes, I wrote a children's book called 'Mummy's House, Daddy's House'. It's an issue close to my heart and I'm putting it out there, I thought - this is a useful tool for separated parents with small children. It's basically a week in the life of a small child with separated parents - from the child's eyes - and it works on the theory of 'how many sleeps'. Everything else I'm doing is great and I love it, but this I'm really proud of. It has helped my son immensely. His happiness is my priority and motivated me to find a way to help him understand the changes that happened in our lives. There are so many separated parents and little people out there who really need this book!"


Q: At 32 years of age, you've achieved so much, where does one go from here?

A: (laughing a lot) "On a holiday I would think! A friend once told me 'if you're not living on the edge you are obviously taking up too much space' - I totally subscribe to that!"

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