Olivia Hallinan at the ‘Make a Wish’ event

Olivia at BAFTA
Hair, make-up and styling.

It is the night before Christmas and all is still, aside from my niece running around like a mad thing having over indulged in chocolate buttons. I feel that after the year that I’ve had, both fabulous and really tiring, the only thing to do was escape to Ireland for lots of sleep and a very family Christmas. That does not mean that I have forgotten about the wonderful world of film and television and with lots of exciting projects coming up in 2012 there will be plenty for me to blog about. Have a great Christmas and a marvellous New Year. See you on the other side.

I can’t help but think back about 2011; a crazy, sad, fun, dangerous, fabulous and ultimately enlightening year. I lost my grandfather, Colly. I had no idea it would hurt so much, but it did and I gained an inner strength I never knew I had. I faced fears, I fucked up, I fell over, but in the end I got up and dusted myself off and carried on. I realised that being a make-up artist was what I was meant to do.

Working with wonderful actors has further confirmed this for me. I have particularly fond memories of spending a week with Victoria Prichard in the jungle. Actress, vocal coach and one of the greatest mimics I’ve ever heard…”It’s meee life Peers, not a soap opera.” (Cheryl Cole). Of all the actors it has to be the fabulous Sam Barriscale. One minute he’s crying to camera because he’s about to die on a volcano and never see his children again and seconds later, after the director says, “Cut!” he’s back telling the filthiest jokes I’ve ever heard.

It was also this year that a very wise man told me to do my job to the highest standard possible and have fun doing it, but to always remember that film is about capturing the imagination and entertaining people and not about saving their lives.

As my current film shoot comes to end, so does this year. But with every end comes a new beginning. Yes, the start of Dominic Webb The Blog and the launch of my website.

But back to 2011 and what a year it has been. It started on the side of a mountain in Canada, weeks later I was on top of a volcano on an island in the Indian Ocean, and it is now ending on the set of an Indian restaurant in East London. The film in question is ‘Magnificent Eleven’, a new British comedy set in the glamorous world of Sunday league football. The highlight for me has been the incredible Robert Vaughn taking a cameo as ‘American Bob’. But best of all was his advice to use Ben Nye foundation on him. He told me and I quote, “It works great on camera, I know this because an actor named Cary Grant told me”. Well, if Cary says it’s good, who am I to argue?!

Throughout my travels this year I have noticed one thing; in London we rush too much.I went to see my family in Ireland in January this year and even travelling by bus is relaxed. The driver smiles hello and when you get off the bus at the Spanish Arch, every single passenger says good bye and thank you. In White horse, northern Canada, if you order a latte it takes two very pretty lesbian girls 45 minutes to pick out what mug you should have it in. I went to a French island in the Indian Ocean and for the first three days, the afternoons in particular seemed to go very well. By the fourth day, we all knew why. Every cup of coffee we drank on set was brewed with fresh beans and a bottle of their regional drink…dark Rum! No wonder I enjoyed that job so much.