Facebar London is a new make-up project by Nicola Fiveash, appearing on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch. Facebar London claims to be London’s first professional pop- up makeup bar and offers women the opportunity to get their make-up done by professional make-up artists in its stylish backstage style space. Aimed at the professional woman, it features a range of cult independent brands such as ILIA and Rodin which can all be applied by highly experienced industry professionals. We caught up with the founder, Nicola, to hear more about her exciting new venture.
Tell us your background story, where did your passion for make-up start?
Growing up I loved art and painting and always enjoyed drawing women’s and men’s faces. I studied fashion make-up artistry at the London College of Fashion in the early 90s in the amazing era of the supermodel, built my portfolio whilst there and was then fortunate enough to be taken on by one of London’s biggest agencies at the time, ‘Carol Hayes’, as a junior make-up artist. I then freelanced working on editorial shoots and fashion week shows in London and New York.
Why do you think there’s a need for an affordable make-up bar?
Until now women really only had 2 options - either have your make-up done while getting a hard sell from a retail make-up artist or arrange to have a professional make-up artist come to you for a hefty fee. So we’ve created an enjoyable professional make-up experience that everyone can afford.
Why did you choose East London as the location for it?
Shoreditch is the heart of London’s incredible fashion scene and the only place we wanted to be for Facebar London’s first make-up bar.
Who is your target customer?
Professional women who have a passion for fashion and beauty.
Tell us more about the design of the space. How have you tackled the problem of creating a professional feel in a temporary space?
Luckily the space already had some nice features like exposed brick wall and original floorboards, so to create the ‘backstage’ studio feel we were after we kept the fit out very simple. The beautiful make-up and skincare brands we use and sell also create an impressive feature in the space.
Who is among the professional make-up artists helping you in the bar?
Facebar London’s artists are highly experienced industry professionals, who work freelance on International Fashion Week shows, high-fashion magazine editorials, beauty advertising campaigns and with various celebrities.
What do you want to achieve with this pop-up?
We're looking to get more exposure for the Facebar brand and ‘make-up bar’ concept, while also building our customer base of wonderful women (and some men).
What’s been your biggest challenge so far?
Finding the right size space in the right location. There was no point launching Facebar in the wrong location and we couldn’t be happier where we are now!
What advice would you give someone looking to launch their own pop-up studio?
Work out exactly where you feel your business will work best. Then be patient and wait for the right place to become available.
Find the best space for your idea with our Shoreditch destination guide.