How To Get Started As A Makeup Artist

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If you've perfected the smokey eye and can tell what color lipstick would await great on someone based on a quick assessment of their complexion, becoming a makeup artist 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 training, or getting a task at a makeup counter for professional experience. Either way, you'll need to create a strong network and portfolio to kickstart your career in makeup.

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Study famous makeup vloggers on YouTube or Instagram. Online video tutorials can be an fantabulous (and free!) fashion to get started learning more than nigh makeup artistry. Observe makeup artists whose looks match the styles you're about interested in learning.^[1]
- Proceed in mind that, while tutorials are a great starting bespeak, in that location'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 y'all develop your technique and perfect your craft. Recollect that even though you may be a superstar at doing your ain makeup, applying others' makeup takes a different set of motor skills and coordination.^[two]
- Utilise makeup to people with different peel colors, face shapes, heart colors, and ages. This will assistance y'all develop the skills you lot demand to work with a wide range of clients.
- Brainstorm to put together a "kit"—the brushes, makeup, and other tools you use regularly. These can be drugstore brands to start out. As yous develop your career, you'll be able to afford more expensive products.^[3]
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Familiarize yourself with current makeup trends. Read magazines, scour fashion blogs, watch films, become to plays, and pay attention to the unlike trends and styles of face up makeup. It is of import to be up-to-engagement on current dazzler trends so that you tin can advise clients.^[iv]
- Clients may request that y'all recreate a sure await that a celebrity had at an awards show or in a magazine. You will need to learn the terminology involved in makeup artistry so that you tin finer bring your clients' descriptions to life.
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Enroll in a makeup artist school that suits your schedule and budget. Since makeup artistry is non a licensed profession, states don't mandate course offerings from makeup artist programs—significant that the curriculum varies widely betwixt schools. Some schools offering full-fourth dimension classes that cover all the bases, while others allow you to selection and choose courses that focus on particular industries or skills. These programs as well vary widely in toll, with full-fourth dimension schools being the most expensive.^[5]
- Typically, makeup grooming programs run 300-600 hours and tin can be completed in less than half dozen months.^[half-dozen]
- Going to schoolhouse is not a requirement for becoming a successful makeup artist. It may give you 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 individual cosmetology school or, for a less pricey option, attend a customs college with a cosmetology programme. With a cosmetology license, you can work in a beauty salon or spa applying makeup, which will give you access to a greater number of jobs.^[8]
- Full cosmetology programs require ane,500-two,000 hours and terminal 12-24 months.^[9]
- During cosmetology training, you will likewise learn other beauty services including hair, nail and skin intendance.
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Find a job at a cosmetics counter to gain professional experience. Apply for positions at department stores or pharmacies. You'll have the opportunity to practice your skills on hundreds of people with different complexions, styles, and expectations. All-time of all, yous'll get paid to exercise your skills.^[10]
- Retail feel is helpful for landing jobs in section and beauty stores, since your job will exist selling cosmetics in add-on to your makeup artistry services.
- Search for a company that is defended to training its employees in applying makeup, rather than focusing entirely on sales.
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Bring together a local theater grouping to practice a different kind of makeup. Theater groups—at your school if you're a student, or in the wider community—are a cracking place to explore your creativity. You'll get a chance to practise a unlike style of makeup, larn to use greasepaint, and piece of work with theatrical lighting.^[eleven]
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Land an internship or apprenticeship with a respected makeup artist. Detect a top makeup artist in your local area whose piece of work y'all admire and ask if they would exist willing to take on an apprentice or intern. Make information technology clear that you're eager to get real-world experience in the makeup industry.^[12]
- If they can't commit to an internship, ask if y'all can shadow them for a day or two. Even a few hours of observation could teach you tons of new techniques.
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Detect models to showcase your looks. While they don't have to exist professional models, find people whose makeup you enjoy doing and whose faces are compatible with your fashion. Consider snapping some "before and afterwards" photos of your models to include in your portfolio.
- Consider doing trade-for-print work with models.
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Go creative with collaborations to build your portfolio. Enquire your friend who's making a music video if she could use your makeup artistry services, or offering to exercise your coworker's wedding makeup. You'll hone your skills and commencement making a proper noun for yourself at the aforementioned time.^[13]
- Yous may even need to volunteer your services in the outset stages of your career to develop more than content for your portfolio.
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Take loftier-quality photographs of your work. Consider investing in a high-finish camera or hire a lensman to help you put your portfolio together. The quality of the photographs can make or break a portfolio.^[14]
- If you're nonetheless early in your career, it'south acceptable to take photos with your telephone camera. But make sure that your photos are well-lit and crisp.^[15]
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Create a compelling portfolio that features all types of makeup styles. Your portfolio should reverberate the brand you are creating. Your all-time, most creative work should be showcased at the forepart so prospective clients get an firsthand impression of your unique talent. Include a range of makeup styles, from fashion to special effects to film and tv.^[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 exist promoted through diverse forms of social media.
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Focus on the fashion industry if y'all're good under pressure. Once you've gained bones education or professional experience (or both!), you'll need to make up one's mind what industry to focus on. Makeup artists who work in fashion are typically asked to employ their services at rails shows and fashion shoots.^[17]
- You may exist called upon to work fast in stressful environments, like cramped backstage areas at fashion shows or outdoors in inclement weather condition during shoots.
- In this field, looks are led past the editor, designer, or fashion photographers rather than the makeup creative person.
- Y'all'll often work as part of a stylist and hair team to assistance prepare models.
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Look for jobs in the television or film industry for a wide range of gigs. Most makeup artists are employed by the television and film industry, which offers a variety of opportunities in different styles of makeup. Applying makeup to a newscaster calls for a more natural look, while doing makeup on a sci-fi television show would require special effects work and a more than imaginative style.^[xviii]
- Precision is important when working as a makeup artist in this industry. The crisper and clearer our television screens get, the easier it is to tell if someone'due south makeup isn't perfectly applied.
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Freelance equally 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.^[19]
- Use word-of-rima oris to promote your talents. Inquire friends and family unit to consider hiring y'all to practice their makeup for weddings, parties, or other formal occasions
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Market yourself, particularly on social media. Whether you lot want to land a total-time chore with a particular visitor or work as a freelancer on a project-by-project basis, start marketing yourself to get the give-and-take out that you're looking for makeup artistry piece of work. Social media channels like Instagram and YouTube are very of import, every bit well equally a personal blog or fifty-fifty a Pinterest page.^[twenty]

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Question

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

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

Makeup Artist

Expert Respond

Wait to other artists for inspiration, but avert comparisons. When yous're being creative, there's no time to look around and compare yourself to other people. That'southward a waste matter of your energy, your talent, and your fourth dimension. Y'all only take to create — you tin't look for people to tell you that it'due south good.
Question

Can I become a makeup artist at 13 years of old?

Start by doing makeup on yourself or friends and family and upload your work to Instagram, Facebook, etc. Practice your skills. Yous could also offset a YouTube aqueduct to gain publicity and get known.
Question

I'm currently doing my first year at a university in my land and I want to start applying people's makeup part-time while I'thou at school. How practise I commencement and what I will need?

Start past working at a beauty counter in a beauty or department store. That way, yous volition non need whatever supplies. Yous could also work in theaters or haunted houses, and you build your own makeup kit or purchase ane specifically for theatrical makeup.
Question

Do I need a cosmetology license to become a professional person makeup artist?

Not necessarily. Cosmetology schoolhouse is trade school specifically for hair, with minimal nail and pare instruction. If you want to practise makeup, you want to look for an artistry school.
Question

I am coming up to the historic period of xl and never done anything of this subject. Am I too old to acquire?

You are never too old to learn. Have a makeup technique class and run across where information technology takes y'all.
Question

Who one-time do I have to be to become a makeup artist?

You tin start practicing and learning at any age, but you must be 18 or older to get a licensed makeup artist.
Question

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

Aye, equally 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 as a twelve year old is fine, as long as your parents approve. If you're afraid of judgment or experience uncomfortable, wear more than neutral makeup and practice a natural look.
Question

I'one thousand xvi years old and I'm obsessed with make upward. I really want to be a make up creative person and work for the X-Factor, where should I outset?

Approval Oben

Community Respond

Offset by existence an intern or go to one of local makeup stores and ask for an apprenticeship.
Question

I'm from Vietnam. To which state should I move to learn makeup professionally?

If you're serious nigh becoming a professional, y'all should move to Los Angeles in the US. If you only want to heighten your skills, in that location are plenty of great YouTube tutorials y'all can sentry in your ain land.

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One of import gene to consider when pursuing makeup artistry is whether or not you are totally committed to the craft. Because it is a competitive field, you may spend your first few years working very hard for very little pay. Eventually, your difficult work will pay off if you stay committed and love what you lot do.

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Article Summary Ten

To go a makeup artist, enroll in beauty school so you can acquire how to practice everything from wedding makeup to special effects makeup. You might besides consider becoming a licensed cosmetologist, which can requite you lot an reward over competitors. Effort to get a job at a department or dazzler store cosmetics counter, where you lot can practice your skills on people of different ages and with different complexions. Also, read mode magazines and blogs to continue upwardly with what's trendy, and practise new looks on yourself and your friends. To acquire how to build a portfolio to showcase your skills to potential clients and employers, read on!

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