Clara make-up artist meets Gok Wan
It's not every day that you get to work with Gok Wan, but 24-year-old Katie Rabbette from Clara did just that and it was a dream come true for the young make-up artist.
Having been in the business for three years, Katie has always been a fan of the straight talking, fun loving Gok Wan, so when she got the call to assist in his fashion brunch in Limerick, just weeks after having undergone major surgery for Crohn's Disease, there was no way she was going to be deterred.
'I had three parts of my bowel removed a few weeks beforehand. I was on a liquid diet for weeks, but now thankfully everything is right again,' she tells the Offaly Independent.
'I had taken a make-up masterclass with Danielle Mahon in Dublin the previous October and she interviewed for the Gok Wan brunch. It was the week before the brunch and I got a message from her asking if I'd assist her on the day, I was so delighted I thought it was a joke at first.
'But it wasn't and I asked my mam what should I do and she told me to just go for it - so I did.
'My surgeon would have gone through the roof if he'd found out but I couldn't miss it, it was such an amazing opportunity.'
So what was he like in person? Well everything you'd expect and more according to Katie.
'I was seriously star-struck when I saw him, I didn't know if I'd be able to speak to him, but he was so nice. He's exactly how he is on TV. He was laughing and joking and you know, he's all about the real woman.
'I never thought in a million years I'd get to work for Gok Wan. Especially after what I went through. I've had Crohn's all my life and you can either let it hold you back or you can go out and achieve your dreams and that's what I'm doing.'
Katie writes a popular lifestyle blog on fashion and travel called Life Through The Rabbit Hole and continues her quest in make-up artistry, hoping to get more involved in the bridal end of things. For more check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and check out the blog where it has all your beauty questions answered.