|
return to main Magazine page
Ruby Hammer
Ruby Hammer, 37, is one of Britain’s most successful make-up artists, as well as being half of the duo who launched the highly successful Ruby & Millie make-up brand last year. She works for fashion titles and commercials and is a regular on the BBC’s Style Challenge, She is also responsible for glamming up the faces of various pop stars including Eternal, Lisa Stansfield and Heather Small of M People. Born in Nigeria to Bangladeshi parents, she emigrated to Britain when she was 13. She shares a flat near Baker Street with her husband, George and 12 year old daughter, Reena.
“We never really meant to move to England. My parents wanted to return to Bangladesh, but war broke out there - it was still East Pakistan then. We were holidaying in England at the time and just stayed.
“I love London but the last year and a half has been a real time of change. Professionally, it was great, but personally it was hard. I had to learn to juggle being a mother, running a new make-up range and still being a make-up artist. To top it all, after 14 years of marriage, my husband temporarily left me.
“It was a time of mental anguish and it showed on my face. Looking so closely at people’s faces all day I can tell a lot about them from how they look. That was the first time I had suffered grief or loss and I developed lines around my mouth which still haven’t gone - like a permanent scar. By the end of the year, I was at the point where I felt ready to move on, although I never stopped loving George. But this Christmas he came back.
“I am still reeling from the whole thing, but we have just spent a wonderful holiday in Thailand together so, with luck, things will continue to go w.
“When we lived in Nigeria, where nothing was available we used to come to Britain every couple of years to go shopping and I would be fascinated by all the beauty products on sale. Mum would go to all the major department stores and stock up on enough make-up, clothes and underwear to last for two years. Since then, I have always had a hoarding mentality; my house is crammed full of products.
“Being Asian, my house is very sociable, so I make sure that I always have food in the fridge. I never learnt to co.
“My kitchen is functional. We have all our meals in there, and as I don’t have an office, I often use it to do paperwork, call people or clean my brushes. I even developed the Ruby & Millie range in there.
“I still get excited by products and by the people I am working on. Each face brings a new challenge. If I ever get bored with that I will move on, but I don’t think my fascination for people will ever fade.”
Ruby Hammer features in RSVP, Nescafe’s limited-edition guide to modern entertaining. For details, write to Red Rooster, Level 3, 84-86 Regent Street, London W1R 6DD.
|
