Freelance makeup artist 'devastated' after being robbed

Freelance makeup artist Jaz Garner /supplied

Jaz Garner is struggling to do the job she loves after a brazen theft left her unable to work.

The 23-year-old freelance makeup artist was reeling on Saturday night after her car was broken into and up to $10,000 worth of equipment was stolen.

Upon calling her insurance company, Garner was told contents insurance wouldn't cover her, and she needed to have commercial contents insurance.

"It's absolutely devastating," Garner said. "The hardest thing is that I can't do my job without it and the person that took it probably has no idea how much it's worth and what it means to me, and for my business."

The gear included makeup and hair products that Garner had collected over several years as well as personal belongings. Having parked in a busy side street in Epsom for half an hour, she came back to find her window smashed, and realised what had happened.

Garner, who also works at a dance studio, is taking on extra hours and as much work as she can to try and replace what she has lost.

"Starting from scratch is extremely hard," she said.

"I pride myself on having high-end, quality products for my clients so it's not cheap. I don't think people realise how much is in an artist's kit, you have to have foundation for every skin tone and skin type as a start."

With ball, wedding and event makeup and hair booked for the next few months, Garner's friends have started a Givealittle page to get her back on her feet.

The page has already raised just under $1,700 and Garner said she was overwhelmed with the response and the generosity.

Growing up, Garner said her dream had always been to do hair and makeup, and having worked at MAC for a year and a half, she decided to branch out and start her own business in March last year.

She now does hair and makeup for balls, weddings, modelling shoots and events.

"I was always the one friend when we were younger that would do everyone's makeup and it kind of evolved from there," Garner said.

"I think at the beginning I never thought I would be freelancing full time, but now I wouldn't want to be doing anything else."