Made Up Careers ~ Annalee Muggeridge

ANNALEE MUGGERIDGE ~ Clinique Sales Adviser and Beauty Vlogger (25)
Before we meet, I hope Annalee isn’t wearing makeup, while at the same time hoping that she
is. Her transformation from fresh faced girl-next-door to Hollywood cover girl is something
to behold. But to be honest, I’m a little intimidated by what I might find.

Annalee answers the door dressed in a casual chic ensemble of black leggings, denim shirt and black choker. Her blonded hair is worn straight down and she’s wearing ... a beautiful full face of makeup. I’m grateful we’re starting our session with a makeover for me, my face is as bare as the day I was
born and I might be intimidated if it wasn’t for Annalee’s friendly manner.
I may be the journalist, but it’s Annalee who’s asking me a bunch of questions from the first application of makeup to post-interview tea and croissants around the kitchen table.
She’s only been in the country two days when we meet and already she’s had two photoshoots and now an interview. Annalee has just returned from the trip of a lifetime, having beaten the nation’s best Clinique sales reps to attend the Star to New York Award with Clinique cosmetics.
“I started working for Clinique three and a half years ago and I heard about that prize and made it my job to get it,” Annalee says. “It wasn’t easy, I’m on a counter on my own and I was up against Wellington and Auckland where there’s four or five specialists to a counter.”
But as I soon learn, that’s the Annalee way.
In the last 18 months not only has she won Clinique’s top national prize, she was selected to speak to 400 people in the pharmaceutical industry in Fiji, had her work published in MiNDFOOD and Cleo magazines, was signed as the face of Collection Cosmetics and Simply Essential products and
helped judge the Rimmel Cleo Model Search.
“I can’t sit still. I want to be doing the next big thing and making an impact.”
Annalee and boyfriend Trent made the most of the Star to New York trip – getting engaged in Disneyland. She also rubbed shoulders with the families behind Clinique and Estee Lauder.
Days after returning, Annalee was flown to Fiji to present on the impact of vlogging on the cosmetic industry. She was invited by her employers Green Cross Health who run the Life Pharmacy brand. Olympic gold-winning rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond were also among conference
speakers.
Then earlier this year, Annalee was also flown to the Clinique Pep Start Conference in Sydney with singer Jamie McDowell, where they enjoyed dining over the water at Bondi Beach.
A constant bundle of energy, Annalee busies herself keeping her French Bulldog-Pug-cross Pete from jumping at my legs before she whisks me off to her makeup room.
There’s an art portrait of herself propped against the wall, a table littered with a myriad of brushes and products and a suitcase containing even more.
She says she felt sick when she learned of her friend Jaz having her makeup stolen, and had prepared a bag to help replace the pilfered stock.
That too, I learn, is the Annalee way.
“Everyone’s so supportive so I like to give back. It makes the world go round.”
A newbie to the whole makeup tutorial scene, I’m both intrigued and bemused by the vlogs I have waded into in preparation of meeting Annalee. I’ve found myself wanting to switch off and keep clicking all at once. There’s a lot of chatter, a few tangents and a heck of a lot of dedication and
talent. Makeup artistry is explained to the masses.
Annalee tells me she’s just dropped her hours at the Clinique counter to give herself a day for catching up on emails, wedding bookings and vlogging. Plus there’s the three to four hours she spends most nights cropping and editing her clips.
She has no trouble coming up with vlog ideas. There’s always new products to try, seasonal looks to learn and celebrity styles to emulate. Her Cara Delevigne-inspired makeover garnered more than 900,000 views.
But right now she’s at a crossroads. Does she climb the corporate ladder using the respect and contacts she’s earned in her career, gaining a more influential role for herself in her industry? Or does she carry on down the path of vlogging?
“I’m conflicted, if I go on the high profile road with the company, that holds me back from vlogging because I couldn’t deal with conflicting brands,” Annalee says. “I’ve got to make some ‘big girl’ decisions.”
Growing up on a farm, Annalee is a tomboy at heart. She loves her sports and was working at Rebel Sport when she found herself selling cricket shoes to the previous owner of Centre City’s Life Pharmacy, Lenise Young.
“She wanted to hire me because of my manner.”
Two years in to her vlogging career, more than 82,000 subscribers tune in to her YouTube channel, MakeUp by Annalee, each week.
The videos are slick. Viewers are drawn in by the images of a fresh-faced Annalee and her full-lipped, thick eye-lashed double and take in the carefully edited tutorial backed by emotionally-charged music.
Annalee doesn’t have a particular inspiration as such, more a bunch of inspirational people from various fields, whose ethics she takes from and applies to her own.
“There’s no written book on what we do. You’d think being a competitive industry, other vloggers would be closed minded but everyone’s willing to help.”
The people of New Plymouth have also been a huge support. She receives little but encouraging comments from customers congratulating her on her success and returning for repeat bookings.

HOT TIP
“Make sure your top liner is thicker than the bottom, it’s more flattering. So you don’t drag the eye down and look tired”.
“And your makeup is only as good as your skincare.”
Annalee noticed that cutting down on sugar helped keep her complexion in tip-top shape.