If you’re thinking about becoming a makeup artist – this post is for you! We cover the top traits of being a professional makeup artist, and how exactly to make makeup artistry your career.
What To Expect As A Makeup Artist
Like every job, there are pros and cons. Makeup artistry isn’t all glitz and glamour – it’s a ton of hard work and can often be very challenging.
Are you easily frustrated or flustered?
If you are, then makeup artistry may not be for you.
Working in a client facing industry can be fun, yet it can be pressurizing. While most clients are a gem, there are clients who are unrealistic on their expectations, found fault with everything, or plain rude. These are far and few, but when they do happen, you’ve got to learn to take things in your stride.
Being Booked Back-To-Back
If you’re working through holidays such as Chinese New Year and Christmas, you may struggle with being booked back to back.
Celebrity or event makeup artists also work in fast paced environments. Models need to be on the runway. Clients need to be on hair and wardrobe. If these environments sound stressful, reconsider which route to take in building your artistry career.
Hands-On, Feet Down
You’ll be clocking your steps in this industry. As a makeup artist, we’re on our feet almost all day. We’ve got to be in client locations ahead of time, tending to the finest details.
Can you handle people?
You don’t have to be a social butterfly be a makeup artist, but you do have to be a people person. Maintaining good client relationships can make or break your business. People will to want to work with you not just because you’re good, but also because you’re great with people.
What kind of MUA do you want to be?
Wedding Makeup Artist
Wedding makeup artists have to be great with people and excellent with time management. Weddings run on very tight schedules, so keeping on schedule is crucial. Brides can also be very emotional clients (as is their right), so it’s important to be able to get clear feedback as to what style the bride is looking for and how she’s feeling on the day of. Doing a bride’s makeup on potentially the biggest day of her life is a huge honor!
Retail Makeup Artist
Retail makeup artists are not only pushed to keep up with the latest in makeup trends, but also have daily, weekly, monthly, and annual sales goals to hit.
Freelance Makeup Artist
Freelance makeup artists can work in a whole host of settings. From working behind the scenes on theater productions to graduation photos to headshots for large corporations, freelance artists truly get a variety of experiences. As a freelance artist, travel is absolutely part of the equation. Be prepared for each day to look and feel different and to have a very on the go lifestyle.
Celebrity Makeup Artist
If you’re looking to do celebrity makeup artistry, be prepared to spend time on smaller jobs before becoming connected with bigger names. You should also be prepared for some, ahem, potentially diva behavior.
Makeup Artist For TV or Set Film
Another potential career avenue is a professional makeup artist is to work on set for TV or film. If you’re a fan of special effects makeup, this career path could be a really fun thing to explore! Movies and TV programs need talented artists to help make scenes truly come to life. Travel and long hours are a possibility with film makeup artistry, but at the experience is priceless.