Glen Edward McGuinness has been crowned as the first winner of Glow Up Ireland, after eight intense and challenging episodes that pushed makeup artists to their limits.
Taking its inspiration from the UK show, Glow Up Ireland saw a host of ambitious and boundary-pushing makeup artists facing off in weekly creative challenges, as they vied for a full professional make up kit, €5,000 in prize money to help further their career and the title of the first Glow Up Ireland winner.
Glen emerged as a forerunner early on, with an eye for colour, a love of SFX makeup and prosthetics, and a love of all things spooky, kooky and grungy. That said, he developed a reputation for building his looks slowly, often working right down to the wire and eventually revealing a jaw-dropping creation.
Speaking about the win, Glen said: "Being the first ever Glow Up Ireland winner means so much it's hard to explain! Simply being a winner is such an overly positive statement that I'm not entirely used to. Being able to excel in something I love so dearly means everything to me and it will hopefully open even more doors and opportunities than it already has!
"It also means so much to be a little queer boy from the Liberties proving that being different and being working class doesn't mean you are set up to fail but that you can push yourself to become anything you want!"
And Glen has wasted no time in getting into the makeup field, as he's just started a job with premium makeup brand Morphe.
The final episode was a true test of their talent, with the three finalists – Michael Ryan, Niall Casey and Glen – asked to present a masterclass on a make up style they felt represented them to Irish industry heavyweights from around the world.
For the creative challenge, they were tasked with creating a makeup look based on the theme "My Pinch Me Moment", which saw them draw inspiration from milestone moments in their lives when they had to make the most of the moment.
And all of this in front of guest judges Samantha Barry, Cork-born editor-in-chief of Glamour magazine, makeup artist Maria Malone Guerbaa, makeup artist to the stars Aidan Keogh and Kelidh Cashell, who had previously acted as a judge on the show.
Resident judge Cathyanne Mac Allister celebrated Glen's win, saying: "Glen seemed to always walk an artistic tightrope, it was nail biting to watch. We never knew if he would finish his work - sometimes he would finalise only in the last couple of minutes.
"The ideas that he brought were completely different and demonstrated magical and unusual colour schemes. Glen brought himself and us all on a wonderful makeup ride!"
Judge Emma O'Byrne added her praise, saying: "Glen Edward was a fantastic competitor. He just kept surprising us and challenging himself. When you see all his work together, it's just so good. We think he has so much potential."
She added: "We loved all our make up artists (MUAs) and I wish them all the very best in the new jobs and courses."
By the sounds of it, arriving at the winner was a challenge for the judges, as the standard was exceptionally high. Mac Allister calls eliminations "a nightmare", adding: "It has been great to see them all, watch their evolution, their drive, their wish to become better at what they do!
"Their attitude towards each other and the professionalism they demonstrated are gold for a career that requires great tenacity, talent and teamwork."
Catch up on Glow Up Ireland on RTÉ Player now.
