How to Become A Professional Makeup Artist
By Suzann Kale

The creativity and freedom a makeup artist enjoys is alluring. The income can be enough to live on and more. But there are many pitfalls. Know what they are, and get that much closer to success.

Before considering a career as a makeup artist, you must do field research. That's the primary way to avoid pitfalls. Is there room in your geographical area for another makeup artist? What is the competition like? Are you willing to travel for, say, a wedding? How far? Is your car dependable? If you don't want to travel, is your city big enough for you to get the client base you need?

Also get the scoop on pay in your area. It will vary, even in one town, depending on your clientele. Working for a wedding planner, you will make more than working for a mall photography shop. Find out what the highest and lowest income opportunities are.

Freelance or Corporate: Perks and Pitfalls

If your research gives you a green light, the next step is to decide between the freelance life and the employee life.

Working for a company, perhaps being a sales rep for your favorite cosmetics brand, or being the on-call makeup artist for a film production company, you can count on a regular paycheck and perhaps even benefits.

Joining the growing group of freelancers, you'll need to spend at least 50% of your work day on marketing yourself.

Licensing

In either case - freelance or corporate - the next step is to become accredited.

Get the information on the legal, health, and educational certification required by your state, county, or town. Take classes from an accredited beauty school (many have generous scholarship programs).

How to Get Work

Now you're ready for the most critical part of becoming a professional makeup artist: marketing yourself.

If you want to work for a company, you can send resumes to spas, beauty salons, and specific cosmetic companies. Once you get a job, you are on your way to a career. You can make contacts, work your way up in the organization, acquire mentors, and get that most magical benefit of all - experience. If you get a job with a specific cosmetic company, they may require you to take additional classes focusing on their products. Usually they will pay for that.

A plum job with great pay would be one with a special effects makeup company that does film and television work. Getting that job will require additional training, lots of pavement pounding, and living in the right city. L.A., Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are important film industry hubs. Other cities, like Austin, Texas, attract film professionals, but these people often bring their own makeup artists with them.

Choosing the freelance route means that self-promotion becomes a way of life. But once you reach a point where you have a little bit of paying work, you'll find that word of mouth will exponentially increase your customer base.

Freelancing: Special Considerations

As a freelance makeup artist, you can approach wedding planners, photography studios, film production companies, ad agencies, and theatrical groups. Make sure, too, that all talent agencies in your area know about you.

You're creative - that's one reason you're going into the makeup profession. And you can use that creative mind to make a list of marketing ideas. Here are a few to get you going:

• Print up business cards and always have them on you. Leave them with everyone you meet during the day.

• Join a networking group. These groups are extremely effective. You'll meet perhaps once a month either for lunch or happy hour (some troopers have breakfast meetings!), and there will usually be an agenda, followed by a social time of mingling. Some networking groups are free, some charge a fee. If you're just starting your networking experience, definitely join the free groups. You will have to pay for your meal and drinks, though.

• Walk tall and exude success. It always shows. Read books on your own. Study magazines. Try makeup techniques on your friends. Read makeup sites on the Internet. Try My Makeup Mirror and go from there. Get your confidence up as high as it will go!

• Make a list of all your contacts. You have more than you realize. Friends, your accountant, your church or social groups, the shopkeepers you see regularly. Don't worry, you're not going to hassle these people. But you can send them a cute postcard announcing the opening of your new makeup business.

• Which brings us to the next item. Print up some eye-catching postcards (you can do it on your computer), and send them out. Always have extras so you can send them to new people as you meet them.

• Get yourself to any and all beauty-related events in your area. Whether it's a trade show, a trunk show, a store opening, or a book signing, be there with your business cards.

• Put up a website. It's easy, even if you've never done it before. Today, a website is more important than a business card! See Website - Do It Yourself to get started.

• Design and print up a resume-type introduction that you can give to the local spa directors and wedding planners. It must be unique - not bland like a business resume - and colorful. Use your imagination. Make it irresistible.

Today's Freelance Makeup Artist Needs:

The other requirement of being a freelancer is that you'll have to stock your own makeup kit. This is an investment, and if you make money, chances are you'll be able to deduct the costs of your cosmetics.

Many women are going "green" these days, so be sure your makeup kit is filled with earth-friendly, skin-friendly, and non-animal tested products. If you want to specialize and use only vegan products, you could use that as a compelling marketing tool. For extra information on animal-friendly cosmetics, read Internet articles like Makeup Without Cruelty.

Being "known" for a unique niche is also a great way to catch business. You could specialize in makeovers, anti-aging looks, head shots for actors (although many actors prefer to do their own makeup), or runway and catalog makeup for models.

Whether you apply to work for a company or go freelance, remember: there is no guarantee that you will immediately earn enough money to live on. Go into the process with enough money saved up to keep you in the black for at least six to twelve months. And decide ahead of time how long you're willing to go without clients. Market your services with an organized plan, and be persistent.

Going into the makeup artist business can be an awesome life change - financially and emotionally. Do it with care, do it with intelligence, do it with a plan - and you could be living your dream.

Suzann is a technical writer and copy editor, with many pieces published both for the web and in hard copy. A graduate of Northwestern University, she runs the website My Makeup Mirror. http://www.MyMakeupMirror.com

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Photo courtesy of The School of Professional Makeup.

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The School of Professional Makeup Partners with Wal-Mart, Proctor & Gamble for New Makeup Promotion

The School of Professional Makeup was recently invited to participate in an exciting new cosmetic promotion. In addition to raising thousands for charity, the event offered students a valuable opportunity to work with some big players in the cosmetic industry.

After choosing the right makeup school, one of the biggest challenges facing aspiring makeup artists is how to gain valuable industry experience. The old adage "practice makes perfect" is especially applicable to those in the makeup arts. A good makeup school will offer it's students fieldwork opportunities for exactly this reason, which is why The School of Professional Makeup leapt at the chance to work with some big players in the cosmetic industry.

Canadian fashion & style gurus Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman have been promoting products for a few years now. Recently,they've been hired on as spokespeople for Proctor & Gamble's "Everything for the Family, Something Just for You" program to share their knowledge and expertise of the fashion and beauty industries. The objective is to not only pitch Proctor & Gamble products,but to also raise money for various charities, which include the Canadian Cancer Society and the Children's Miracle Network.

Wal-Mart will play host to in-store events, giveaways and fundraisers. Both Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble are hoping to raise an estimated $460,000 for charity through this partnership, while also encouraging women to do something special for themselves at the same time. Shoppers will not only be introduced to the latest in health and beauty information, but also to a wide range of new P&G products.

The School of Professional Makeup was the only makeup school invited to participate in the most recent promotion, titled "5-Minute Oasis" with Olay™. "Coincidentally, the advertising agency promoting the event, plus Chris Hyndman from The Designer Guys both approached me at the same time." Says Robert Closs, Founder and Managing Director. "They both felt that it might be a great idea for the school to get involved."

With the theme being personal style, this was a live appearance with Steven & Chris on stage. A model was chosen from the audience, who then received a live makeover complete with Hollywood tips and tricks. Three students from The School of Professional Makeup were chosen to help out with the offstage makeovers. The offstage makeovers lasted on average about four hours, and included skin care analysis and recommendations, plus a mini makeover using Cover Girl™ products.

Shoppers were delighted to have the opportunity to take some time out for themselves. This not only translated into a wonderful opportunity for the aspiring makeup artists to gain some practical hands on experience, but it also represented the type of fieldwork opportunities The School of Professional Makeup looks for on behalf of their students.

"Our school is known as "the industry school", says Closs. "Our instructors are all working makeup artists, and this allows us to be connected to what's happening in the industry. We make sure we pass these opportunities onto our students, so they can gain invaluable industry experience."

"This was a great opportunity for students to actually do something in the field." Says Lisa Mandel, an instructor at the school. "They're excited to get the chance to actually see and apply what they've learned."

Recent graduate Natalie Sanchez appreciated the chance to get out there and network. Networking and self-promotion is vital to any aspiring makeup artist - industry veterans estimate that eighty percent of jobs come through networking and self-promotion.

"Through this gig I got the opportunity to meet many different people, it's one of the best opportunities for networking." Says Sanchez. "Working with Rob and The Designer Guys made me realize first hand that this industry is so fast paced and diverse, and you can take it as far as you like depending on your own ambition."

Previous fieldwork opportunities have included gigs for The Discovery Channel, The Miss Universe Canada Pageant, and the Miss Latina Canada swimsuit calendar, to name a few.

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The School of Professional Makeup is one of the premier makeup schools in Canada, offering courses in special effects, prosthetics, bridal and fashion makeup to stage, television & film. Course information can be found on our makeup course calendar.

Article by Meade Internet Services.

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Airbrush Makeup Update

Professional Makeup Artist Rob Closs elaborates on the leading edge technique of Airbrush Makeup

Making your mind up about makeup can sometimes be overwhelming. Just nailing the right color of foundation is hard enough, never mind having to deal with the application side of it. So you put it off for a while and the next thing you know, ten years has rolled by. Then you're faced with your face again, and the dread of all the decision making revisits you. Thank God for the evolution of beauty!

Between manufacturers making better colors of foundations and the rise of qualified beauty experts residing at neighborhood makeup counters, chances are you will leave looking better then when you walked in. The same can be said for the growing available service of “ air brush beauty makeup.” Now women are having their foundation blown on - and the finish will blow you away! The buzz in the past has been air brush tanning or air brush nail art, but now, air brush beauty makeup has made it’s cross over from the television and film industry into salons, spas and in the trunks of the traveling makeup artist.

What is so remarkable about this classic technique is that the most refined droplets of foundation are directed and deposited on your face through an air delivery system. The resulting finish is flawless skin with natural looking coverage. When the air fuses with the foundation, it oxidizes it into a high opacity…you get maximum coverage with a breath of product, a girl’s best friend! The last thing the skin needs is to be weighed down with too much product, collecting in areas that exaggerate flaws instead up minimizing them. This is a strategy that any good makeup artist strives for in an application; perfect skin and undetectable foundation. However, it gets better!

The longevity of the water or silicone based airbrush foundation is good for ten to twelve hours. Brides can now dance on into the night knowing they haven’t budged or smudged. Dare to wear that short skirt that’s loitering in your closet? Have your legs airbrushed with a water base formulation. Not only will you take years off them, but with a shade adjustment, you can bronze them up to carry through that sultry summer tan.

I know what you are thinking. If this guy is telling the truth then I want to be able to do this at home. And I have. I was the all the rage at the neighborhood barbecue block party. All you need is an air gun, a compressor, and the right attitude.

Now air compressors have come down in price and weight. What use to be three thousand dollars and thirty five pounds has been refined and reconfigured to meet the beauty side of this procedure. “Dinair”, a U.S. based company has a mini compressor which weighs less then one pound. “ Studio pro portable compressors ” offers a nifty black model that has the option of battery power. Great for the girl on the go when the wires are down! And this unit weighs less than two pounds. Pricing for the compressor and gun will run you approximately five hundred dollars.

Before you go out and spend a whack of cash on a gizmo that just may end up hanging out with that short skirt in your closet, treat yourself to an airbrush application by a professional for your next special occasion. Remember, the end result is only going to be as good as the artist behind it. Do your homework. Take into consideration how long the technician has been airbrushing. More importantly, view some of their work. A portfolio or even some casual digitals shots is more then telling. If you want to look like the woman in the photographs then hang your hat and rest your heels. If the photos are uninspiring, walk away. Second, clarify whether you are having only your foundation airbrushed, followed by a traditional eye, cheek, and brow application or will these be delivered by airbrush as well. Pricing will vary on how much airbrushing is being done coupled with the city you are in and the history and credentials of the artist. Eighty to two hundred dollars is fair pricing (and dinner is not included).

If you are felling completely overwhelmed …stick to bottled foundation. It’s better then ever! Just get some pro-advice and direction on what color and formulation is your best suitor. Remember, seventy percent of makeup art is the foundation. Get the skin looking good and that will be the start of your beauty evolution.

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