Become A Professional Makeup Artist
Hiring a makeup artist to come on location for weddings or special events has become the latest addition to wedding services.
Most women have a trusted stylist they see on a regular basis. On occasion when styling is only needed and their regular stylist is unavailable, they will usually let someone else style their hair. As for makeup it is a different story. Most women who are not public figures or celebrities do not have a personal professional makeup artist in their rolodex. When a special occasion arises, most do not have a clue on where to find one or even the process in hiring one. They began to ask around or search the internet, or find themselves at a cosmetic counter where they may leave with products they did not want in the first place. In the beauty industry, new makeup artists emerge everyday. Some work at cosmetic counters, some sell for cosmetic lines and others who work in Fashion and Entertainment. Then you have the more extreme artist that work in Special effects, creating monsters and transforming stars into some our most hated Villains and loveable characters. Oh I forgot the artist who did nice makeup on their sister for prom who now is a makeup artist.
There is a major difference in finding someone to do your makeup, and booking a professional makeup artist. Most professional makeup artist have gone to school and most are licensed esthetician or facial specialist. Some makeup artist started from the ground up working for years with hands on training servicing the public. Brides and private events are not their only clients. They make a living without any side jobs working in areas of production, film, television, print and runway. They understand skin types and facial bone structure. They know the proper sanitation and sterilization for their tools, how to prevent contamination of there products, and how not to transfer germs from one client to another. They understand the importance of facial contouring and shading which is used to change eye shapes, correct noses, create cheeks bones etc… They understand skin tones and usage of the right color pigmentation that will match your complexion on the spot, without error, no matter how light or dark your skin may be.
When a professional makeup artist arrives, their main concern will not be to sell you products. If they sell a product that you want to buy, then that is just business and your happy. However, the goal will be to give you a perfect even complexion while enhancing your best features and hiding imperfection. Remember, shopping for a makeup artist with the cheapest price is not a good idea. Good quality makeup and talent cost. The cheaper the price, the cheaper the products and skill quality, you will get what you pay for. Your search should be base on the best artist with the best work that can do the job, even if you have to save for it. A good photo is timeless, look at the makeup in old photo’s of Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayward, Elizabeth Taylor timeless or what? Do your home work and hire smart. Check credentials; ask if they carry a professional license to perform the services you will need. A licensed hair stylist will either be a full cosmetologist, or carry some sort of license to touch your hair. Hiring a licensed professional protects you, and secures you that the person you’re hiring has the proper training and skills. Would you hire an unlicensed plastic surgeon? No, you check credentials, years of experiences and you want to see a lot of work they have done in the past.
Check the States Department of Business and Professional regulations to search the license number or name of the person you’re hiring.
In the State of Florida it is Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations.
Make them back up the years of experience they are claiming and charging you for. Ask questions; ask to see their work and more work. Trials for hair styling are essential and should be for both client and artist to collaborate. Trials for makeup should be your choice to do and not a suggestion from the artist. A professional artist does not need a trial to do beauty makeup. In production we can not do trials, we are presented with ideas and it is our job as the artist to produce. Do not get caught up in advertisement words, the proof is in the WORK! A makeup artist who has had been in the industry for years, licensed or not, will have a portfolio and a website filled with there actual work (not bought stock photo’s). When a makeup artist is consider for a job any where else in this profession, without the proper creativity, skills, license, resume and images to show, they will not be hired.
