How To Be A Professional Makeup Artist

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If you've perfected the smokey eye and can tell what color lipstick would wait great on someone based on a quick assessment of their complexion, becoming a makeup creative person might be the right career path for you. To build a career in makeup artistry, start by developing your skills through online tutorials and practicing on friends and family unit. Consider enrolling in school to gain formal preparation, or getting a job at a makeup counter for professional feel. Either manner, yous'll need to create a strong network and portfolio to kickstart your career in makeup.

1
Study famous makeup vloggers on YouTube or Instagram. Online video tutorials can be an excellent (and free!) way to get started learning more well-nigh makeup artistry. Find makeup artists whose looks match the styles yous're most interested in learning.^[1]
- Keep in mind that, while tutorials are a corking starting indicate, there's no substitute for in-person preparation and experience.
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Practice applying makeup on both yourself and your friends. This will help you lot develop your technique and perfect your arts and crafts. Recall that even though yous may exist a superstar at doing your ain makeup, applying others' makeup takes a different set of motor skills and coordination.^[2]
- Apply makeup to people with different pare colors, confront shapes, eye colors, and ages. This volition assistance yous develop the skills you need to work with a wide range of clients.
- Begin to put together a "kit"—the brushes, makeup, and other tools you apply regularly. These can be drugstore brands to commencement out. Equally you develop your career, you lot'll be able to afford more expensive products.^[3]
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Familiarize yourself with current makeup trends. Read magazines, scour way blogs, sentry films, go to plays, and pay attention to the different trends and styles of face makeup. Information technology is important to be up-to-appointment on current beauty trends and then that y'all can advise clients.^[iv]
- Clients may request that you recreate a sure expect that a celebrity had at an awards evidence or in a magazine. You lot volition need to learn the terminology involved in makeup artistry so that you tin can effectively bring your clients' descriptions to life.
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1
Enroll in a makeup artist schoolhouse that suits your schedule and budget. Since makeup artistry is not a licensed profession, states don't mandate class offerings from makeup creative person programs—meaning that the curriculum varies widely between schools. Some schools offering full-time classes that cover all the bases, while others allow you to pick and choose courses that focus on item industries or skills. These programs also vary widely in toll, with full-time schools being the near expensive.^[v]
- Typically, makeup training programs run 300-600 hours and can be completed in less than 6 months.^{[half dozen]}
- Going to school is non a requirement for becoming a successful makeup artist. It may give y'all a boost in a very competitive field, withal.^[7]
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Earn a degree in cosmetology for a wider range of job prospects. Enroll in a private cosmetology school or, for a less pricey option, attend a community college with a cosmetology plan. With a cosmetology license, you can work in a beauty salon or spa applying makeup, which volition give you admission to a greater number of jobs.^[8]
- Full cosmetology programs require 1,500-2,000 hours and last 12-24 months.^[9]
- During cosmetology training, you volition also learn other beauty services including hair, nail and skin care.
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Observe a task at a cosmetics counter to proceeds professional experience. Use for positions at department stores or pharmacies. You'll have the opportunity to practice your skills on hundreds of people with dissimilar complexions, styles, and expectations. Best of all, you'll become paid to do your skills.^[10]
- Retail feel is helpful for landing jobs in department and beauty stores, since your job volition be selling cosmetics in add-on to your makeup artistry services.
- Search for a company that is dedicated to training its employees in applying makeup, rather than focusing entirely on sales.
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Join a local theater group to practice a different kind of makeup. Theater groups—at your school if you're a student, or in the wider customs—are a cracking place to explore your creativity. You'll get a run a risk to exercise a different mode of makeup, learn to use blackface, and work with theatrical lighting.^[xi]
5
Land an internship or apprenticeship with a respected makeup artist. Find a top makeup artist in your local area whose work you lot admire and ask if they would be willing to have on an apprentice or intern. Make information technology articulate that you're eager to get existent-world experience in the makeup industry.^[12]
- If they tin't commit to an internship, ask if you tin shadow them for a solar day or two. Even a few hours of observation could teach you tons of new techniques.
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1
Find models to showcase your looks. While they don't have to be professional models, find people whose makeup you lot savour doing and whose faces are uniform with your fashion. Consider snapping some "before and after" photos of your models to include in your portfolio.
- Consider doing merchandise-for-print piece of work with models.
2
Get creative with collaborations to build your portfolio. Ask your friend who's making a music video if she could apply your makeup artistry services, or offer to do your coworker'due south wedding ceremony makeup. You'll hone your skills and commencement making a proper name for yourself at the same fourth dimension.^[xiii]
- You may even need to volunteer your services in the beginning stages of your career to develop more content for your portfolio.
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Have high-quality photographs of your piece of work. Consider investing in a high-end camera or hire a photographer to assistance you put your portfolio together. The quality of the photographs can make or break a portfolio.^[14]
- If y'all're nevertheless early in your career, it's adequate to take photos with your phone photographic camera. Just make sure that your photos are well-lit and crisp.^[15]
4
Create a compelling portfolio that features all types of makeup styles. Your portfolio should reflect the brand you lot are creating. Your best, nigh creative work should be showcased at the front and so prospective clients become an immediate impression of your unique talent. Include a range of makeup styles, from mode to special furnishings to movie and telly.^[16]
- Your portfolio should exist both online and in print. The do good of an online portfolio is that information technology reaches a larger audience and can be promoted through diverse forms of social media.
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one
Focus on the fashion industry if yous're good nether pressure level. Once y'all've gained basic instruction or professional experience (or both!), yous'll demand to determine what industry to focus on. Makeup artists who work in way are typically asked to employ their services at runway shows and manner shoots.^[17]
- Yous may be chosen upon to piece of work fast in stressful environments, like cramped backstage areas at fashion shows or outdoors in inclement conditions during shoots.
- In this field, looks are led past the editor, designer, or fashion photographers rather than the makeup artist.
- Yous'll ofttimes piece of work as part of a stylist and hair squad to help prepare models.
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Look for jobs in the television or film industry for a broad range of gigs. Almost makeup artists are employed past the television and moving-picture show manufacture, which offers a variety of opportunities in dissimilar styles of makeup. Applying makeup to a newscaster calls for a more than natural look, while doing makeup on a sci-fi telly prove would require special effects work and a more imaginative mode.^[18]
- Precision is important when working as a makeup artist in this industry. The crisper and clearer our television screens go, the easier it is to tell if someone's makeup isn't perfectly applied.
3
Freelance as a makeup artist for a more flexible work schedule. Many makeup artists build a lucrative career from freelance projects, moving from gig to gig with their kit in hand. People often hire makeup artists when preparing for photo shoots of bridal and wedding parties, family reunions, or graduations.^[xix]
- Employ word-of-mouth to promote your talents. Ask friends and family to consider hiring you to do their makeup for weddings, parties, or other formal occasions
4

Market place yourself, particularly on social media. Whether you want to country a full-time job with a particular company or piece of work as a freelancer on a projection-by-project basis, start marketing yourself to get the word out that you're looking for makeup artistry piece of work. Social media channels like Instagram and YouTube are very important, likewise as a personal web log or even a Pinterest page.^[20]

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Question

How do I stop comparing my makeup looks to other makeup artists?

Yuka Arora is a self-taught makeup artist who specializes in abstract eye art. She has been experimenting with makeup art for over 5 years, and has amassed over 5.6K Instagram followers in just 5 months. Her colorful and abstract looks have been noticed by Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Kat Von D Beauty, Sephora Collection, among others.

Makeup Creative person

Expert Respond

Expect to other artists for inspiration, only avoid comparisons. When you're being creative, there's no time to look around and compare yourself to other people. That's a waste product of your energy, your talent, and your time. You just take to create — you lot tin can't wait for people to tell you that it'southward good.
Question

Tin can I become a makeup artist at 13 years of onetime?

Kickoff past doing makeup on yourself or friends and family and upload your work to Instagram, Facebook, etc. Practice your skills. You lot could likewise commencement a YouTube channel to gain publicity and get known.
Question

I'm currently doing my first yr at a academy in my land and I desire to start applying people'due south makeup role-fourth dimension while I'm at school. How do I start and what I volition demand?

Start past working at a beauty counter in a beauty or department store. That manner, yous will not demand any supplies. You could also piece of work in theaters or haunted houses, and you build your ain makeup kit or purchase ane specifically for theatrical makeup.
Question

Exercise I need a cosmetology license to become a professional makeup creative person?

Not necessarily. Cosmetology school is merchandise schoolhouse specifically for hair, with minimal nail and skin education. If you want to do makeup, y'all want to await for an artistry school.
Question

I am coming up to the age of twoscore and never washed annihilation of this subject. Am I too one-time to acquire?

Yous are never too old to learn. Take a makeup technique form and see where information technology takes you.
Question

Who old do I have to exist to become a makeup creative person?

You can start practicing and learning at whatsoever historic period, simply yous must be 18 or older to get a licensed makeup artist.
Question

Is it necessary to go a make-up creative person since I retail cosmetics?

Yes, as you need to be familiar with the products and how to use them to make a certain look.
Question

Is it all right for me to wear makeup at 12 years old?

Wearing makeup every bit a twelve year old is fine, as long every bit your parents corroborate. If yous're afraid of judgment or feel uncomfortable, vesture more than neutral makeup and practice a natural expect.
Question

I'thou 16 years old and I'g obsessed with make up. I really want to be a make upward artist and work for the X-Factor, where should I start?

Blessing Oben

Community Answer

Start by beingness an intern or go to i of local makeup stores and enquire for an apprenticeship.
Question

I'm from Vietnam. To which country should I move to acquire makeup professionally?

If you're serious nigh condign a professional person, you should move to Los Angeles in the US. If you just want to enhance your skills, there are plenty of bully YouTube tutorials you lot can sentry in your own country.

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1 important factor to consider when pursuing makeup artistry is whether or non you are totally committed to the craft. Because information technology is a competitive field, you may spend your first few years working very hard for very lilliputian pay. Somewhen, your hard work volition pay off if yous stay committed and love what y'all do.

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Commodity Summary X

To become a makeup artist, enroll in beauty school then yous can learn how to exercise everything from wedding makeup to special effects makeup. Yous might likewise consider condign a licensed cosmetologist, which tin give yous an advantage over competitors. Effort to go a job at a section or beauty store cosmetics counter, where you lot can practice your skills on people of different ages and with different complexions. Also, read fashion magazines and blogs to keep up with what's trendy, and practice new looks on yourself and your friends. To learn how to build a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential clients and employers, read on!

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