A MAKEUP artist from Royal Wootton Bassett who has worked on films with Julia Roberts and Stanley Kubrick has won an international beauty award.

Tracey Curnock has spent the last 26 years in the hair and makeup industry for film, TV and theatre, and now specialises in bridal makeup.

She was surprised and delighted to win the International Beauty Industry Awards' Best Bridal Eye Makeup category.

Tracey, 46, said: "I'm absolutely elated to have won this award, it's a highlight of my entire career to attain it after so many years of hard work.

"It's a massive competition that people from all over the world take part in, so winning it was a real surprise.

"I'm really fortunate to do a job I love, some people don't look forward to going to work in the morning but I always do.

"A lot of people get engaged over Christmas and New Year, so I've already got 17 weddings booked for this year.

"It's good to have steady regular work, especially compared to TV and film work which comes and goes. My brides keep me sane, and it's an honour to be asked to be part of the preparations for their special day, making sure that they're all ready and looking their best."

Tracey first got her foot in the door while a film crew for Evita shot by her workplace in London and she got the chance to play an extra.

While popping up in the backgrounds of other films, like Last Chance Harvey with Dustin Hoffman and Closer with Julia Roberts, she met many makeup artists which was her gateway into the industry.

A few years later, she moved behind the camera to work in makeup and hairstyling, which became her focus and her passion, though she occasionally dipped her toe back into background acting now and again.

In front of the camera, she's appeared in Casualty, Bad Girls, Footballer's Wives and Holby City, and while behind it, she's assisted with makeup on Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut and a Mike Leigh film.

Tracey became a finalist in the International Beauty Industry Awards but didn't think it would be worth splashing out to pay for a trip to the glitzy ceremony in New York City because she had no idea that she'd win.

She added: "Thanks to this award, I'm now an officially-certified international makeup artist, which has made me certain that I want to focus most of my business on weddings now

"I've had the chance to work with great directors and I'm now heading a team of makeup artists to work on a locally-made sci-fi film noir called the Black Spot, which is being filmed around Swindon and Highworth."