A talented makeup artist from Letterkenny is having a brush with fame as he appears in a popular TV competition.
Kris Cannon is one of the creative contestants appearing on Glow Up, where budding makeup artists battle to prove they have what it takes to become the best in the makeup business.
The glamorous programme has been added to Netflix in Ireland and the UK this month, leading to a growing fanbase for Kris and his impressive portfolio.
The fourth season of Glow Up first aired on BBC Three last summer, but we’ll not give any spoilers on Kris’s journey as he navigated through the challenges.
The 29-year-old is largely self-taught in makeup artistry for editorial, stage and screen and makes incredible prosthetics. Having initially studied fashion design, he later branched into costume and developed his skills in makeup as a drag performer.
Kris, who is the son of Pat and Mary Cannon, said the programme brought his work to new heights and to a much bigger audience.
“It could take you 10+ years to get the opportunities we did, like working on Doctor Whol and Cirque du Soleil.
“Soon after I got the opportunity to work in TV and film.”
Kris Cannon on Glow Up Season 4
A look by Kris in celebration of the beautiful and wild nature of Donegal
Kris is now continuing to move further into the film and TV industry as a freelance MUA.
Appearing on Glow Up was a top goal of Kris’s when he moved to London to pursue makeup last year.
“I saw a friend of mine do really well in season two, and I felt my style was unique enough to get noticed in the audition process,” he said.
Amidst the whirlwind of the challenges, Kris said he was delighted to be able to show his creative process to a wider audience.
“My biggest thing going into it was to show my perspective and my train of thought for each work. When I managed to do that I was really happy,” he said.
One of Kris’s challenges on Glow Up
Kris has seen his online followers grow over the past year thanks to Glow Up showing first in the UK, then worldwide on Netflix and now closer to home in Ireland.
From being a young man who struggled with self-confidence growing up, makeup has helped Kris find his hidden strength and power to make his own mark on the world.
During the programme, he said the differences that made him an outcast growing up have now become the talents that people celebrate, and his appearance on the show is proof that hard work and dedication can pay off.
You can see more of Kris Cannon’s work on his Instagram: @kris.cannon.fx
