A deep love for make-up and all things is the first step for budding make-up artists. Make-up is all about enhancing a person’s features and soothing out the flaws, not altering them.
Here are the few things to keep in mind before setting your foot in this field:
- Finding a good academy:
It doesn’t have to be a well-known or foreign institute; even a local academy would do, as long as the trainers are good. It is very important to learn from someone experienced who is currently working. This way, you can be sure training and techniques are not obsolete.
- Assistance / Internship:
After the course is completed, it is highly advisable to take some first-hand experience. This ensures you have practical knowledge of the market. Having a mentor who can show you the ropes is invaluable when you’re starting out. Assist a professional, observe them, and try to grasp their techniques. The counter is the best place to get the most exposure and experience, you’ll have the opportunity to practice your skills on hundreds of people with different skin tones, types, and expectations.
- Stock up with your favorite high-street brands:
Starting kits can be an expensive investment. The make-up kit is the most prized possession of an MUA, henceforth, make sure you put an equal effort in stocking it up. It doesn’t have to be all high-end brands; there are so many good drugstore brands available in the market. Explore them. Mix and match the foundation as Indian women have a wide range of skin tones. This way you know, where to splurge and where to save.
- Create a Portfolio:
An MUA is mainly dependent on the portfolio. A portfolio is basically showcasing your talent to future employers and clients to view. Ideally, it should highlight the variety of styles and looks the artist can create. Collaborate with the photographers to create pieces that can be used in both artists’ portfolios. Find models to display your work, they don’t have to be professional. Consider snapping “before and after” looks to include in your portfolio.
- Client handling:
In the field where you get different clients almost every day, it is very important to be patient, a good listener, and leave your ego at the door. Do your research, be up-to-date with the latest looks, check their images online to understand better. Most importantly, respect the client’s privacy. Ask for permission before posting their pictures online. Being friendly is acceptable as long as you remember you are there to work. It is a part of your job to make sure the client is in a relaxed state of mind.
- Market yourself:
It is important to establish yourself as a brand, as well as establish a daily presence in the world of social media. Thanks to the internet, the beauty world has changed drastically. If you want to be successful, you have to have a web presence.
- Love what you do:
Feel proud of your job and love it. Take every opportunity you can and bring your best attitude. Nothing is ever beneath you; no job is ever to too small. You never know who you’re going to meet, and where that person will end up next. Getting paid to spend all day about beauty trends, experimenting with various looks, and working with cool clients is what makes being a makeup artist a serious dream job, but like any other awesome project, it also takes a lot of hard work.
- Others:
- Broaden your skills and learn about the tools
- Be professional
- Be willing to learn, it’s an ongoing process
- Inspiration is good, influence is not
- Practice, practice and practice some more
- Always treat everyone the way you’d like to be treated
- Know when to talk and when to shut up
- Aspiring artists put that brush down and take notes.
- The more you expose your work and are exposed to others’, the more you’ll grow.