Like a lot of make-up artists of my generation I watched Michael Jackson turning into a were-wolf in Thriller and I was hooked! The 'Making of' video showed Rick Baker doing such an amazing job on the then-young Michael and he made it look fun, interesting, creative.

Growing up I started doing make-up as a hobby for my local amateur dramatics and took to giving people make-up advice, notably my mother who had to be coaxed out of her 80s make-up into the 90s with a little help. My parents advised me to get a degree, see the real world and then if still interested in make-up go back to train. So I did just that...got a degree, worked in advertising in London, travelled and still had the make-up bug!

So in 2000 I enrolled at Greasepaint! I never looked back. The course itself, though a short 6 weeks as it was then, gave me a tremendous amount of confidence in the basics and was an excellent educational stepping-stone to the real working world of being a make-up artist. I desperately wanted to work in film, so on leaving Greasepaint I worked and trained and practiced with as many people as possible.

Always up for an adventure, underlined by my love of travel, I was drawn to the dynamism of Mumbai and the world of Bollywood at the end of 2000. I embraced life as a make-up artist in India, working in Bollywood and on international projects. One of these was Slumdog Millionaire.

These last 9 years have been an incredible journey for me, discovering a new frontier to conquer, and learning to adapt to a different working culture and a totally different aesthetic sensibility. It's been a fantastic challenge and I have never looked back.

I have now set up my own make-up company in Bombay... fat mu, with an Indian make-up artist Natasha Nischol and we have just finished designing Disney's first Indian live-action feature.

My advice to all aspiring artists is to focus on what you want, work hard, practise, practise and keeping practising as you never stop learning!