I often come across people who have finished an accredited Makeup Course in Adelaide with the hope to start working in the Makeup industry straight away. They want to start paying off the thousands of dollars it cost them to complete their Makeup studies but find themselves being forced to undertake a completely different job, loose their confidence as a Makeup Artist and slowly begin to loose hope of the dream they once had.
Can you relate?
I also come across people who have such a passion for Makeup. They watch Makeup education YouTube videos all the time and practice their art on themselves. They might occasionally try it out on their friends and family but unsure how to take the steps to work in the industry as a paid freelance Makeup Artist or at a Makeup counter and turn it into a career.
It was these people that inspired me to think about writing my guide on How to get paid work as a Makeup Artist in particular in Adelaide.... so here it goes.....
My guide to getting paid work as a Makeup Artist
1. Find a Great Educator - I have a motto that I learnt from the incredible Val Garland when undergoing a makeup Education Course with her, “never stop learning” ! This is so true, knowledge is power and the more you learn the more inspired, excited and confident you become. So find an educator who has been in the industry for a long time and still actively working, who has experience in all areas from bridal to photography to runway to TV, is passionate about your success and has a personal interest in your future. Most of all, you need to find someone who you connect with, feel comfortable expressing your goals to and can gain valuable learning from. Do your research and ask for testimonials from past students to see what they have done since their course.
2. Accredited Courses- Just because you have a certificate does not make you a Makeup Artist. There are a lot of myths in the Industry that you need a certificate of makeup to work as a Makeup Artist. I’m here to tell you this is not true. There are so many successful Makeup Artists who never completed tertiary qualifications but are leaders in the Makeup industry, getting plenty of paid work and producing stunning makeups published across all mediums. Makeup Counters put you through their own Makeup Courses training and a practical test to see if you know how to apply a makeup so all you need to do is to learn from a credible school or individual, soak up as much education as you, practice, practice, practice and the rest will come. A certificate does not guarantee you a job, there are many other things that are required instead, so don’t let your financial restraints stop you from following your calling to be a Makeup Artist.
3. Perfect your Art- Practice! Practice! Practice! on as many different skin types, colours, ages, for different occasions, styles from bridal Makeup to Photographic Makeup. The more variety you do, the better you will become.
4. Build your portfolio - Learn to take a stunning photo in perfect light showing your Makeup work off to look as good in a photo as it does in real life without any filters! Take as many photos and videos as possible and share them with your friends & family on social media.
5. Market your self- this is a key to success as a Makeup Artist! Know how to create a website, how to register your business name, your identity and have it flow every channel of engagement to the right audience, leaving the them longing for more!
6. Be a good communicator - This is a must, and once you know how to create communication flows between you and your customer and between you and other businesses, your Makeup work will be flowing in but keeping the admin time to a bare minimum.
7. Assist! Assist! Assist! - find a Makeup Artist who works in the industry who you respect, admire and would love to work with and offer your services to them. The more you assist the more you will be confident and ready when it’s time for you to go out on your own. If you continue to impress the Makeup Artist you are assisting, they will very likely start giving you work either with them or on your own, so the opportunities are endless!
8. Know your products - product knowledge is so important. Knowing which Makeup product to choose for a oily skin, dry skin, a mature skin, which product is build-able or long lasting, has the highest pigment or minimal fall out will give you confidence in your application and end result. They will help you to work quicker with less mess and you will increase repeat clients coming to you for advice on what’s best for their skin turning you into an expert in your field.
9. Find your support- find someone who believes in you and wants you to succeed as a Makeup Artist. You don’t want someone that looks at your Makeup work and tells you it’s good when you know there are areas you can improve on. You want constructive criticism as that’s the only way you can improve and it’s better to get the feedback while practising than by the client in a form of a bad review or worse bad word of mouth!
I hope you found this guide useful in finding your path to living your dream life as a Makeup Artist .
If your interested in pursuing your makeup career I’d love to hear from you.
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