Full Biography
Born 30th September 1969 in Armthrope, near Doncaster, from an early age Gary always had an artistic flair. After completing his O-Levels he pursued this passion by studying Art & Graphic Design, graduating with a Higher National Diploma. Sadly, the demand for newly qualified Graphic Designers was all but non-existing in South Yorkshire and so his search for work proved fruitless. As a result, Gary new that these opportunities would exist, but perhaps more further a field in the more cosmopolitan cities and most likely London.

Moving ‘down south’ was going to be a costly gamble and so Gary needed funds to realise his ambitions and decided to take a job locally to boost his finances. Being from a mining community, the most convenient option for Gary was to take a job at the local mine. Although in the dying years of the Armthorpe Colliery they were still taking on new recruits and so Gary spent 6 months working the coal face in dark and often dangerous conditions. As soon as Gary felt he had enough funds, he packed up his belongings and headed for the bright lights of London. On arriving in the capital he began his search for work.

Despite contacting many agencies and applying for numerous jobs, his lack of design experience hindered his transition into immediate employment. However, the first job he took did make good use of his artistic skills and he was taken on to paint the faces of the mannequins in various shop windows. From the experience gained from working on mannequins Gary built on these skills, and moving away from paint to traditional make-up, he began teaching himself the skills which now form the foundations of his career today. At the same time he began to train as a hairdresser.

This gave Gary an additional string to his bow and as a multi-skilled artist it gave him a greater opportunity of work and success. Gary began to build a strong portfolio of work and it wasn’t long before he gained his first celebrity client and the ‘model of the moment’. As a result her photos and Gary’s work gained a lot of attention and very soon other celebrities wanted to take advantage of Gary’s make-up magic.

Over the past 10 years, Gary has accumulated a vast collection of celebrity clients and his work regularly featuring in celebrity & lifestyle magazines, music videos, high fashion glossies, advertising campaigns and on stage & TV.

In addition to Gary's make-up talents and vast array of female clients - Gary is also a grooming expert and has worked with many top male celebrities for both TV & photographic work.

In conjunction with Aramis Lab Series, he worked on both sides of the Atlantic offering grooming and skin care advice.  His skills have also been tested by several broadsheet journalists - who in turn gave their own glowing reports.

Gary has appeared as an expert & ‘talking head’ on a variety of TV programmes, including: 10 Years Younger, Make Me A Supermodel, This Morning, GMTV & Big Breakfast. He is currently working on a new series called ‘The Truth about Beauty’ airing in May 2008.

His skill and expertise has accumulated a vast collection of celebrity clients and his impressive CV of advertising campaigns and editorial features has given him an impressive portfolio.

Dedicated to providing an outstanding service to his clients, Gary is a true ambassador for the beauty industry; this has also included acting as a spokesperson for Estee Lauder & Sculptra.

In December 2005 Gary married his long-term partner and TV presenter Phill Turner in a civil ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The lavish and celebrity packed event was covered by OK! Magazine and the edition has became one of OK!’s biggest selling issues of 2006.

In addition to his busy schedule, Gary is currently working on his own make-up range.

Gary Cockerill’s expertise, versatility and talent have established him as the UK’s top make-up artist.