The 30-year-old mother and owner of Ethereal Makeup went from playing around with makeup while studying nursing in 2008 to being named one of the top six in the NYX Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand Face Awards for 2019.

"Art was my favourite subject at school. I sort of just left that behind and then started nursing and forgot about it a bit," she said.

"It's been 18 months since I started up my makeup business and I'm wishing now that I kept doing it back then."

With her children Sophie and Ella growing up, Mrs Carter said now was a good opportunity to get back into her hobbies and passions.

"My idea of relaxing is literally sitting in my makeup room, getting my make up out and having a play," she said. "That's my release from life pretty much, just to sit in a room and paint."

Looks that the self-taught artist has created on herself range from Halloween horror, to movie star transformations, to tributes to the natural world.

Mrs Carter said her children and husband were very supportive of her art, and often contributed ideas.

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Documenting the process of creating characters and creations on video has been an enjoyable part of sharing her work.

"When I entered the NYX Face Awards they required entrants to have a YouTube channel," she said.

"Ever since I entered the competition in August I thought I needed to keep putting videos up, so I started putting up more videos of my makeup."

Mrs Carter said she hoped that by filming herself she could inspire others to follow their own creative pursuits.

"It's the joy of people watching my videos and thinking, 'that is pretty cool, I could do that myself' and it's just the joy of showing people what I can do and what I love," she said.

Mrs Carter said being recognised in the NYX Face Awards was 'incredible'. She plans to enter again this year.

"I couldn't stop crying, I was just so happy that I got in. I didn't expect it at all because there are so many creative people out there it would have been so hard to choose. I am just thankful and blessed," she said.

Mrs Carter said social media had created flexible opportunities for women to run their own business.

"I just love the freedom of it; that's the beauty of it," she said.

Mrs Carter said she had seen a boost in her followers since the NYX Face Awards, as well as an increase in bookings.

While she hadn't received any formal training, Mrs Carter said she was interested in pursuing professional learning opportunities once her children were older.

"I've just taught myself through YouTube videos how to use liquid latex because you have to be really careful with it," she said.

"Everything that I have used I always researched thoroughly because I have to ensure I cover myself so I don't lose any eyebrows for example."

While raising her children has been Mrs Carter's main focus, she has developed aspirations to work as a special effects make up artist.

"If someone ever offered me a job in a movie as a make up artist I would definitely take that into consideration. It would be my dream," she said.

Mrs Carter said the main question she got asked was "how do you paint on yourself?".

"It's a hard one to answer, I just do it," she said.

"I use water activated paints and most of them come off pretty easily except for blue, red, green and pink.

"So you'll know I've been painting if I've got a little bit left on me."

Mrs Carter Instagram account is @ethereal_makeup_by_jaz, she is on Facebook at @etherealmua and her YouTube channel is Jaz Carter.

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