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WHAT TO DO BEFORE STARTING YOUR CAREER AS A MAKEUP ARTIST (1)

Pursuing a Career as a Makeup Artist

There are no wrong reasons for starting a business; our reasons differ from one person to the other. It could be because you want the have time for yourself and loved ones or you want a work-life balance, you want to be your own boss, or because you want to do what you like when you like. Or maybe you’re bored with your present job. It could even be because you have a product/service, which there’s high demand for. Whatever your reason(s) may be, make sure it resonates deep within you. And where your vision meets purpose, you will be sure to stand out from the crowd.

Operating a successful makeup business (or any business at all), depends on these four (4) conventions;

1. A practical plan with a solid foundation
2. Dedication and willingness to sacrifice to reach your goal
3. Technical skills
4. Basic knowledge of management, finance, record keeping, and marketing.

The keyword will be to research. Do proper research on basically everything about makeup artistry before you start. It will set the pace for your business, go a long way, make you look like you are sure of what you’re doing, and help you stand out from others. Below are lists of things you must know and research about before starting

• What Type of Makeup Artist are you? Find out the kind of makeup artist you want to be. There are various career prospects in the makeup industry. You can either choose to become a bridal, editorial, celebrity, movie/media, special effect, or fashion makeup artist. I am not telling you not to learn makeup as a whole but knowing which one interests you the most, can serve as a guide to which makeup artist you want to become or upgrade to. There is just that one that always gets your attention. And you just want to be part of someone’s big day.
• Qualification vs. Experience: A lot of makeup artists today, are where they are because of experience. But everyone had a starting point of where they learned their skill. You can decide to go to a beauty/makeup school to get a formal qualification, backed up with a certificate and license, or even decide to learn by watching and following videos on YouTube. I also learned from a makeup outfit even though I didn’t eventually pick up my certificate but I also learned a lot of things that helped me upgrade by watching videos online. To be quite honest, going to a makeup school could be expensive and their curriculum may not prepare you adequately for the real world. But they do offer opportunities like where to start work. However you choose to learn, gaining further experience, makes you relevant which leads me to say,
• Practice, Practice and Keep Practicing: You probably must have heard it before, and truthfully you will hear it more often. If you can, practice till your fingers fall off. It is the best thing you can do for yourself in your makeup artist career. investing your time is just as important as investing your money. You gain confidence by continuous practicing. Your first models can be friends and family. Take pictures as you work so you can keep track of your progress and create a portfolio for exposure. In practice, you know how to work best on different skin types, shapes, ages, and colors.
• Getting Your Makeup Kit: you sincerely do not need to spend so much money trying to get your kit when you are starting. Really what you need to do is to research makeup products that are affordable and have good quality. And since you’re still practicing, you build your kit as you grow and when you start to have paid clients. One thing is for sure you will need to keep buying as you advance. Importantly, make sure whatever you are getting has good quality. You want to focus on quality rather than quantity.
• Getting Clients: You will know when you’re ready to get paid clients. As you take pictures of practice work you’ve done and get to post it on social media, people will see it. As you work on family, friends, models, and colleagues for their occasions and events, people will begin to notice your work and by default end up in your chair. Be transparent. Let people know that you’re just starting so they don’t have high expectations of what to get from you. And stand your ground when it comes to pricing. You will meet rude people, nice people, and generally indifferent people but you just be polite to everyone and if it doesn’t favor you, you can walk out of the deal. Also, build relationships with your clients. Don’t lose touch with them. They are the ones who will return to your chair, and even refer their friends to you.
• Pricing: Determining your price as a beginner can be tricky. This is something most makeup artists struggled with at the beginning. You obviously cannot price too high because you may not have gathered enough skillset to match the price. And you don’t want to price too low so that people won’t take you as ‘fake’ and then don’t have trust in the quality of your work. You want to set a moderate price that says “though I’m a beginner, I know what I’m doing”. What you can do is to research to know what makeup artists ranging from beginners to pros, in your local area are charging for theirs and set your price somewhere in-between that’s comfortable for you. At this stage, you’re going to be doing some free work but you can make sure that there’s at least some sort of remuneration. You can tell people who you’re doing free makeup for to pay you for your transportation or feeding or even consultation so that you are not at a total loss. After all, it’s a business you’re about to start.
• Sanitation: Sanitation is a golden rule every makeup artist must learn. Not because of the pandemic but because of the nature of our jobs. Before the pandemic, there were germs and they will always be there. You don’t want a client to end up with skin problems after a session with you. Learn proper hygiene and follow it. Clean your brushes regularly, spray your products with at least 70% alcohol and don’t use applicators directly on your client’s face. You can take a little and put it on the back of your palm or in a tray before applying it on any face. Throw away used products that have spent a long time in your kit (for mascaras and eyeliners, throw them away after three months). If you have to work in between clients, you obviously cannot wash your brushes, but you can clean them with alcohol. It’s fast and it takes off all the products on the brush. Separate clean brushes from used ones. Have wipes and napkins with you. Look fresh and smell fresh. You don’t want to spread open your armpits over a client’s head and an unpleasant smell is coming out. Have mint gum in your mouth so that you smell fresh when you talk.
• Safety: Safety first! Let your family members or friends know where you are going. And call them when you get there. You can give them the address and or contact details of the client you’re going to work for especially as a freelance makeup artist. Call them also when you are about to leave the place. This is to ensure your safety in the case of anything. If possible, get a lawyer as a friend should in case anything goes wrong.
• Growth and Development: Don’t at any point in your career think that you have gotten to the best place you can be. Upgrade, learn more, impact more. Just make sure you keep growing. You want to start professionally. You may not need a website immediately but have a structure in place that gets clients’ emails and phone numbers. You can make use of simple tools like Canva to create a simple logo which is not necessary as you start. You can make use of sites like Tailor Brands to create logos and websites for your business. Have a working contract that you present to your clients. Get deposits for jobs and get the full payment when your job is done. If you’re using messaging platforms like WhatsApp, make sure your messages are backed up. Mark calendars for dates when you have work. Be punctual to appointments. Work on being a pro by acting like one. Let people perceive you as a professional.
• Be Patient: Everyone wants to start seeing results quickly but be patient. The results will come. The money will come. You will thrive and you will not give up. You will work on building a sustainable business. Be consistent and committed to growth. Don’t let pressure from others overwhelm you to the point of forgetting yourself.

I want you to know that you can do this. I think you’re going to be an amazing makeup artist. There’s enough room for everyone to shine. The sky is wide enough. And I believe in you!