NETTA SZEKELY
Senior Artist
Growing up on a small settlement in the northern part of Israel, Netta Szekely had very little exposure to fashion or makeup. Longing to play with colours, she used to secretly buy makeup in the market and practice applying it on herself,
longing for Purim (Jewish Halloween) when she was allowed to paint herself and others. Netta spent her high school years colouring
the
lips and drawing eyeliner on the faces in magazines. “All my teen magazines were painted,” says Netta. “Years later, when I joined M•A•C,
this finally got a name – Face Charts – and I discovered it was an art!”
Netta adored art class, drawing (especially faces), painting, colouring, gluing and sketching. “I did a lot of miniature sculpting in
clay, a bit of jewellery, beading and anything I could get my hands on,” she says. Art practice created an outlet for her quest for colour.
“Not only was there no makeup growing up but during my two years of military service we were not allowed to wear colour. Everything
blended into khaki.” Music also provided needed brightness; Netta played the piano and flute, and was a ballet dancer. Most importantly,
the introduction to rock and roll provided by Netta’s older brother was, and remains, her greatest source of inspiration. “It seems as if
every bit of my life has a specific soundtrack to go along with it.”
M•A•C was still unknown in Israel eight or nine years ago and Netta did not know much about it when she left her previous career
in tourism. “I was looking for an opportunity in makeup when I saw an ad about M•A•C arriving in Israel,” she says. A week later,
having researched the company and gotten the job, Netta was in “Basic Training” for M•A•C. From that moment, playing with colours
and literally getting her hands dirty with makeup was no longer a secret, but a daily occurrence. “What I love most about my job is
that it’s ever expanding; there’s no manual to learn. It’s always changing and evolving with what people want out of makeup.”
In her current role as Senior Artist for Israel, Netta works to fine-tune international materials into what works in the social and cultural
climate of Israel. “I’m fortunate to travel quite a bit,” she says. “I got inspired by China where I lived for two years and India. Both places satisfy my vision of colour and taste for the exotic.” These days, Netta bounces between meetings with senior team members,
makeup editors and VIPs. She also loves working with local and international celebrities including Trinny and Susannah on their TV
show in Israel as well as the two seasons she worked as key makeup artist for Dancing with the stars.
