By SGN | 16 August 2021
Nigel lived in Singapore until he was 22, and after his conscription, moved to Melbourne Australia for his design degree for 5 years then subsequently moved to Sydney after 8 years. After more than – decade in Australia, he moved to NYC before landing back in Melbourne, where he is currently living! We had a chat with him about his adventures thus far!Â
What is life like in Melbourne? Are there any similarities to Singapore?
I have travelled for quite a few years and in 2019, I must clocked up almost 50 flights flying around the world for both work and family. However, there is always a city that you feel you understand most. Â
I love Melbourne because it’s a mix of an old world sophistication bubbling with an eclectic modern mindset. The culture in Melbourne is wonderful, the city is small and cosy enough showcasing a global standard, especially for our world famous brunches, bars and dinners. Sans Pandemic, Melbourne hosts a stunning line-up like the Tennis, Grand Prix and we even have a comedy festival. It’s a great place to go on dates with little alleyways filled with bars and Italian cafes.Â
Singapore is quite different. She is a city that fearlessly propels into the future. It’s almost sci-fi. Super clean, super sleek, super impressive. I do enjoy my stay when I return and somehow wish that the land of Singapore is somehow big enough to preserve our older architecture and make history and heritage cool. Learning and loving to live and know about ones heritage is so important to me. I always believe you need to know where one comes from to know where one is going in life.
What is a typical day like for you? Tell us more about your exciting work!
My day at work changes dramatically and it’s quite exciting even after two decades. I could be directing my team at fashion week in NYC one day and touring with an artiste like Australian Songstress Tina Arena another day to shooting the cover of Elle China with Troye Sivan. I could even be judging on a panel for Asia’s Next Top model in Singapore or standing in front of a 500 strong crowd flown into Shanghai for an APEC launch just to hear me speak for beauty product.
It’s been a wonderful life, and despite the hard work, many thinks my life of global travel is like a permanent holiday from getting lost amongst art in Florence or getting merrily tipsy in Paris. At one point, I had three residences around the world and would have this weird habit for buying household groceries from across the globe and carrying them with me to where I was going next. For example I would always buy artisan sourdough and lemon curd tarts from Bourke street Bakery in Sydney and hand carry them on a flight to Singapore for my mum. Sometimes I even buy washing detergent from NYC back to Melbourne. Or Swiffer mops from LA back home too. I know – It’s quite wild.Â
What kick started your career and interest in makeup and do share some key highlights of your career thus far!
I love to paint and illustrate. Even though I have never been to beauty school ever because my learning years was formally trained in Graphic design, makeup comes very easy to me. It just makes sense. I am hopeless with anything involving a pie chart or numbers, but textures and luminosity I am very confident.Â
Being a judge on Asia’s Next Top Model, Working with faces like Bella Hadid and Adriana Lima and directing my team for an upcoming CBS tv show – Come Dance with me to be aired in USA in 2022. I love working with wonderful celebrities like John Legend, Troye Sivan, Gigi Hadid and Tina Arena and Filipino actress , Anne Curtis. Oh, Jenna Dewan from the cult film Step Up is also a new favourite of mine!Â
Finally, do you have any tips for people looking to pursue their dreams?
Now that I have done it, I must say I have been very fortunate to have parents allowing me to do so. I totally recommend it. Even if it’s for a couple of years in China or London. It totally changes your outlook in life. Your mindset changes and gives you resilience. I must say, it could get lonely sometimes, but if you are true to your calling you will find your way. I have found my dream and I must say not many are that lucky.
Join us and meet others like Nigel.
About Nigel
Nigel Stanislaus was born and raised in Singapore with an education that spanned between Sydney, Melbourne and New York City, completing degrees in both Fashion and Graphic Design. His unique duo discipline comprising knowledge of fashion history and the technical precision of graphic design allowed Nigel’s creativity to move seamlessly into the world of makeup.
His works can be seen in editorials such as Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel, Elle, Marie Claire, GQ, and Esquire among many others. His list of celebrities include Ruby Rose, Coco Rocha, Suki Waterhouse, John Legend, Erin Wasson, and Scary Spice – Melanie Brown.
Nigel is a hybrid makeup artist, media-trained presenter and a published fashion illustrator. He currently works between Australia, Asia and the USA and splits his time between Maybelline based work and freelance jobs. You can connect with Nigel on Instagram @nigelstanislaus.
