How to Get Started With a Career as a Makeup Artist

Choosing your dream career isn’t always an easy decision. Sometimes you are years into another industry before you realize it’s time to switch to a career that suits you better. Even if you’re starting with a clean slate, there’s often a lot of prep before you can start work.
This is true of any career, including a career in the beauty industry. Here are a few of the things you should know before you can start working as a makeup artist and reclaim your career options.

The Right Training

Makeup artistry is a skilled job that requires a lot of knowledge and, ideally, the right training. You can be a self-taught makeup artist and find a lot of success, but formal training gives you the basic tools to work with and build your skills from. Not only this, but a lot of jobs in the makeup industry require qualifications and certifications to prove you have the skills they need.
The training you need does differ depending on the type of makeup artistry you want to do. It’s a good idea to explore different options, such as color theory, a basic makeup course, a Russian lashes course, and a course about basic skincare in relation to makeup.
Once you have a good foundation of makeup skills, you can better market yourself and build a career you’re confident in.

Finding Your Niche

As mentioned before, not every makeup artist’s job is exactly the same. There are lots of different niches to choose from. If you have basic makeup knowledge and skills, you can get an entry-level job in a lot of these niches.
Some of these different jobs include bridal makeup, television makeup, beauty makeovers, or even prosthetic makeup.
As you can imagine, specializing can help you narrow down your skills and training. This is especially important if you want to start a makeup artist business.

Getting Started

Whether you want to start a business or move into a career, there are a few basic steps to take to achieve success.
If we assume that you’ve already received appropriate training and know what niche you want to work with, the next step is to get the right tools for the job. If you’re working in a salon, they may provide you with makeup and brushes. But it’s still a good idea to invest in a good collection for yourself, so you can practice and experiment at home. If you work for yourself, these tools are necessary.
When looking for a job, you might need to apply using your qualifications and a portfolio of your past work. An employer might also want to test your skills by asking you to demonstrate a basic look on a model.
If you’re starting a business, a portfolio will also come in handy as you try to find clients. You also need to advertise with your niche in mind. Things might start slow to begin with, but as you build your portfolio and experience, word of mouth can spread your business very quickly.

This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links