Technique before everything else
Where Oakmont started and what it does now
Oakmont began in 2015 with one clear premise: foundational makeup skills are teachable to anyone, regardless of prior experience.
The program was built around structured technique rather than product promotion. Each lesson addresses a specific skill — blending, colour placement, skin preparation — rather than presenting a finished look to replicate. Students learn to understand what they are doing and adapt it to different faces and conditions.
Instruction is delivered entirely online, which means students in regional Queensland, rural Western Australia, or suburban Sydney access the same material at the same pace. No commute, no waiting for a local class to fill, no geographic disadvantage.
The curriculum has been updated regularly since launch. Techniques that proved unclear in feedback were restructured. Modules that students consistently skipped were replaced with content that matched actual learning patterns rather than assumed ones.
The person behind the instruction
Each student works with the same instructor from the first module to the last — no rotating staff, no anonymous feedback.
Tamsin Vreeland
Tamsin developed Oakmont's curriculum after working in session makeup across print and event contexts for several years. Her teaching focuses on transferable mechanics — understanding why a technique works means students can apply it in situations the lesson never covered. She reviews student submissions personally and provides written feedback on each practical exercise.
Coaching sessions
Most makeup instruction shows a finished result and works backwards. Oakmont's approach starts at the mechanics — grip, pressure, product load, timing — and builds toward the result. Students who complete the program can explain what they are doing at each step, which makes troubleshooting their own work considerably more straightforward.
Practical exercises are submitted as photographs. Feedback addresses specific elements rather than general impressions — what worked, what to adjust, and why.