Here at Glam Angel LTD we believe that the making of a great, successful makeup artist is like the makimg of a beautiful cake. This may sound odd but it is very true in that the qualities, components or ingredients if you will, of what and who makes a great makeup artist need to all be present and work together in order to be successful just in the way the ingredients of a cake all come together deliciously!
If you are studying to become an artist or interested in becoming one, I'm sure you have asked yourself if you have what it takes to be successful at it. What we can't do is give you a secret formula that will make you a millionaire makeup artist over night, however, what we can do is give you a list of key qualities every makeup artist should have if they want to venture into and do well in this highly competitive industry.
1. Creativity
Like painting an oil canvass or designing a fabulous gown, this is an ART and therefore requires you to be artistic and creative in nature. You need to be able to enjoy and appreciate different colours and looks and have a flair for coming up with different ideas using different colour schemes and artistic themes as each client will have their own tastes, preferences and features like skin tone, bone structure etc. Whenever I talk to someone or am in a situation where I am around people, especially when they have a blank face I often look at them and see tons of different ways I can make their face. I analyse their bone structure and colouring and try to figure out their personality and create looks imaginatively, with hundreds of different colours going through my mind. A creative mind is a flexible mind in that it will be able to take a few colours and a blank face and turn it into something beautiful.
2. Passion
There is an amazing quote by Hardy D.Jackson that says “Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” This applies to all career and life goals and paths and certainly reigns true for becoming a makeup artist. Becoming a makeup artist takes a lot of hard work and if you aren't passionate about it, all the money, time and effort you put in will eventually go to waste. You need to have the drive to want to be the best in your field and love this industry enough to have the will to always be learning more and constantly be striving to improve and perfect your craft. Plus nothing is worse than hiring someone who doesn't really care for their job so its very important to keep that in mind.
3. Dedication
Dedication and Passion go hand in hand. When starting out in this industry, chances are that you will be putting in long hours for little to no money. Even artists that manage to clinch a deal working for Vogue magazine may not get paid but will instead do the shoot to gain credit in the industry. This is why you absolutely must be dedicated to your craft and to your career path in order to succeed. It is important that you are able to have an end goal in sight and be willing to put your time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into making it there (okay maybe not blood and sweat but you catch my drift =)) Dedication to your personal and professional growth and success is key.
4. Personality
As you will be working with people on a daily basis you must be friendly, warm, open, helpful and work well under pressure. One day you may be working with a teary, stressed out bride and the next your working for a spoilt top model who doesn't want anyone to look her directly in the eyes ( -_- ) . You will need to be able to deal with so many different characters and be sociable, smiley, calm and friendly no matter what the situation is. If you have a bad attitude or go off in a strop on the job the simple fact is that nobody will want to hire you again regardless of how brilliant you are as an artist. The only person who is allowed to be a diva in the room while you are working is the client!
5. Organisation
You absolutely must be organised!! We can't stress just how important this is!! You need to be organised with your time, tools and products. You will be booking clients who will be paying you and no client will appreciate you turning up late, without the right colours or without your brushes. Time is money and if you stay organised it will save you alot of time and help you earn good money. Keep your palettes labelled and tidy and keep your brushes organised. Make sure to have a diary or planner (electronic is best recommended) and make notes before the job so you will know if you need to bring anything extra. Go through your kit often and make note of what is running low so you aren't caught out on the job. Staying organised will help you appear professional and keep you from embarrassing yourself in front of a client.
6. Professionalism
See numbers 4 and 5 =)
Professionalism encompasses how you carry yourself on the job, how you present your business and ultimately how existing clients or potential clients will view you as a whole. As you are working as a makeup artist there is a big emphasis on appearance. This does not mean you will need to go to every job with a full face of makeup in fact it leans towards the opposite. Your clients need to see that you are there to work and just like you wouldn't dress like Jordan to go to a business meeting in a finance company you will need to apply the same rules to your business as a makeup artist. Make sure your hands are kept neat and polished as they will be near your clients face and I'm certain no one wants to look at grubby nails all day. Keep your kit neat ,coordinated and organised so when you need something, your client will not be sitting and waiting for ages while you dig out every eyeshadow or lipstick you own to find the primer at the bottom. Keep your hair neat and dress in clothing that allows you to move and is not distracting or over complicated. Always have your businesses image in mind and be professional in your behaviour and appearance wherever you go as you never know when a potential client might turn up.
7. Business Savvy
This one is so important as it applies to absolutely EVERYONE even if you aren't an aspiring artist (I should have put this at the top but never mind =))
You must be able to make good decisions, know how to prioritise and be savvy financially. There is no use spending incredible amounts of money on expensive brushes and palettes when your just starting out when you can get fantastic professional, good quality products at low cost. There are fabulous companies like BDellium Tools Crown Brush and BH Cosmetics and many more who supply fabulous brushes and makeup palettes for brilliant prices.
Know your budgets and capabilities and you'll save yourself alot of hassle in the long run. If your starting your own freelance business as a makeup artist, it might be a good idea to take a short course in business start ups so you put yourself in the best position to make educated choices. Educate yourself on marketing for small businesses and managing finance, read up and research as much as possible. Its all about acquiring the best tools and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls that cause many stumble and fail.
9. Believe in Yourself
I dedicated a whole post to self belief last year just as we first launched that you can read here. I decided to write it early on because it is so incredibly important for everyone in every walk of life. Self belief brings hope, happiness and success to millions all over the world every day, every hour, every minute and its something that remains incredibly important across the board from when you are first starting out right up to the veteran artists that so many look up to. Realise you have been given talents and passions for a reason and recognize where your abilities lie. Lean on every positive aspect of even the most difficult of experiences, take every experience as a lesson and take these lessons through life, be thankful for them and draw inspiration from others. The only thing stopping your dreams come true is you. Once you truly believe in yourself you will realise doors opening and recognize opportunities where you might have missed them had you still been wallowing in self doubt. If you believe you are able to achieve great things only then you will achieve them.
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