Nicole Groch Melbourne’s Cruelty Free, Vegan and Natural Hair and Makeup Artist

I am a hair and makeup artist with over three decades of experience, deeply committed to animal welfare. My work allows me to combine creativity with ethics -creating beautiful, considered results for my clients without compromising my values or my long-standing commitment to helping end animal testing in cosmetics.

Having worked with thousands of private clients for weddings and events, as well as across the fashion advertising and music industries, I genuinely love what I do and the people I get to work with.

I work with clients of all ages, ethnicities, genders, skin tones and hair types. I specialise in creating personalised hair and makeup looks, from natural and minimalistic through to polished, fashion-forward and creative styles. My aim is always to help my clients feel relaxed, comfortable and confident, and to work collaboratively so they are completely happy with the final results.

I completed my hairdressing apprenticeship in the late 1980's at Katan/Kabu - a high-end salon in High St Armadale (Melbourne), and went on to complete a Makeup Artistry course at Flagstaff College in the early 1990s.

After branching out on my own, I have freelanced for over three decades and have been fortunate enough to have worked on a wide range of projects both in Australia and internationally. This has include working for various fashion and cosmetics brands, fashion and couture magazines and with some incredibly talented recording artists and actors such as Tina Arena, Vanessa Amorosi, Ricky Martin, Jimmy Barnes, Kylie Minogue, Lauren Hill, Rachel Griffiths, Madeleine West and more.

Over 2 decades ago I started volunteering as a hair and makeup artist for the non-profit organization Choose Cruelty Free. Once I understood how animals are tortured and killed for cosmetic testing, I made a firm decision to never work for brands that test on animals. This meant turning away a significant amount of high-end fashion work, as many brands were complicit in animal suffering.

In the early 2000’s, I went on to volunteer with Choose Cruelty Free as their PR and Marketing Director, where I created their Cruelty Free Beauty and Fur Free Campaigns, and in 2019 I took on the role of President. in 2021, I merged Choose Cruelty Free into the global nonprofit, Cruelty Free International, taking on the role of Australian Programmes Manager until mid 2025. Cruelty Free International is working hard to end animal testing worldwide.

All the products I used in my work are vegan and cruelty-free, and come from ethical companies that have achieved third party, independant certification.

My work shows that it is not only possible, but entirely achievable, to create professional, modern, long lasting, fashion-forward hair and makeup while working ethically and safely.