How I started in beauty: Ruby Hammer MBE

In this new content series, TheIndustry.beauty takes a closer look at the early journeys of some of the beauty industry’s most influential leaders - from their first jobs, the skills they honed along the way, and the advice they would give their younger selves at the very start of their careers. We also invite them to share what the next chapter of their professional journey looks like - and how they hope to grow from here.

First up is makeup artist and brand founder Ruby Hammer MBE. With over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, she first made her mark with the launch of Ruby & Millie, created in partnership with Boots and Millie Kendall OBE (now CEO of The British Beauty Council). Today, Ruby is enjoying success with her eponymous brand, Ruby Hammer Beauty, launched in 2019. She describes it as a "highly curated range of products designed to elevate your beauty routine".

Hammer shares how her passion for beauty began at a young age, reflects on her early experiences in the industry, and reveals what growth means to her...

Have you always had an interest in beauty? Why does it appeal to you and why did you want to work within it? 

I’ve been interested in beauty for as long as I can remember, though not in a purely decorative way, it has always felt deeper. It began with watching my mother get ready in Nigeria. There was ritual in it, real artistry, and a visible shift in her energy as she moved from everyday life into an evening version of herself. I understood very early that makeup could be expressive and powerful. It was never about hiding. It was about becoming.

As a teenager I started working at Harrods as my Saturday job whilst studying. Besides earning money, the staff discount mattered more than people might expect... I was able to buy brands I loved like Biba and Starlight, magazines, and explore luxury brands not available in my local Boots. It allowed me to experiment, delve deeper into brands, formulations and finishes, and understand what worked - and why. I loved the idea that you could build an identity with colour, texture and finish, then remove it all and start again the next day. That freedom stayed with me. I wore make-up constantly and rarely repeated the same look twice. It felt intentional, like styling an outfit from head-to-toe.

Tell us about your first job in beauty. What drew you to the role? What was this experience was like?

My first proper job as a makeup artist came about almost by accident. I had finished my economics degree and was trying to work out what the real world was meant to look like. A friend of my future husband, a working makeup artist, needed help at London Fashion Week. One assistant was injured, another unreliable, and suddenly there was a space backstage. I stepped into it with no formal training and very little hesitation.

Backstage was a revelation. It is fast, practical, collaborative and completely alive... There is no time for preciousness. You learn quickly whether you can handle pressure and still make something beautiful. My role as an assistant was about being useful before being visible. Clean stations, immaculate hygiene, constant sanitising, skin prep under unforgiving time pressure. Dehydration, redness, stress breakouts, watery eyes. This is where I learned that skin preparation is everything. I remain unapologetically obsessive about it... and, above all, making my head artist better able to execute her brief, not hinder her in any way.

I was mixing shades on the spot, adapting to different skin tones and lighting, working quickly because timing is ruthless. I was also watching the lead artist closely - when to follow the brief exactly, when to simplify, and when to elevate. How to keep a look consistent while still respecting individual features. You adapt the technique to the face, not the face to the look.

That first experience made it very clear that this was not a hobby. I wanted to do it properly.

What were the most valuable skills or lessons you gained from that first experience?

The most valuable lesson I learned early on is that professionalism is a creative skill. Reliability, calmness, preparation and speed are what allow artistry to exist under pressure. Without them, talent is irrelevant. I also learned that makeup begins with skin. The best results come from thoughtful preparation, not from piling on product.

I learned to build relationships, not just a portfolio. Early in my career I worked for little or no money, not out of naivety but because I was building experience, trust and a reputation. Those relationships are what carry you forward. I also learned to take opportunities seriously, especially when you do not fit the expected template. As a South-East Asian woman, the industry did not always know where to place me. The solution was simple: do the work, stay sharp, and do not wait for permission. Through this I was lucky enough to experience fashion shows, shoots for editorial, advertising, commercials both in studio and on location.

If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of advice at the very start of your career, what would it be - and why?

If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to treat your career as both a creative practice and a business from day one. Creativity opens the door, but longevity comes from understanding value. Your rates, your boundaries, your time and your energy matter.

I would also remind her not to confuse humility with invisibility. You can be respectful and still be very clear about what you bring. I worked internationally, but didn’t leave the UK as my base (this was because I was married and had a daughter from the outset of my career)... I chose family first. Things may have been different career wise if I’d have chosen to live in Paris or New York. That said, I have no regrets.

What does the next chapter of your career look like and how are you hoping to grow from here?

I am building my eponymous line with the same principles I have always worked by: functional, versatile, and expertly edited products. Hybrid formulas that enhance, protect and perform, without complication.

Growth for me means deepening education and translating professional technique into real life routines people can actually stick to. No gimmicks, no shortcuts, no unnecessary rules. It means continuing to advocate for inclusivity as a standard, not a trend. And it means evolving the conversation around ageing and beauty, making "enhance, don’t erase" feel modern, confident and aspirational.

Ultimately, I want to keep making work that feels authentic and truthful. Beauty that supports the person wearing it and leaves them looking unmistakably like themselves, just a little more assured.