Makeup artistry is an independent business that puts creative people on the edge, big profits, interesting jobs, flexible work schedules, meeting people and being a majot player in the lives of many people and their businesses. However, There are several Makeup artists in the business today.
Like there is always competition in any and every business. The question is how do you stay ahead of the competition and be even better, having a Makeup business that grows and expands daily.
4 major skills a Makeup artist must have:
1)Ability to work long and undefined hours-: You have to be able to put in long hours of work; sometimes undefined. This is not a kind of job where you have defined number of hours to work like a 9-5 job; this kind of job keeps you for hours that are sometimes unplanned.
2)Administrative Skills-: This is a business and you would be self-employed so you must know how to employ your resources effectively and use them to achieve desired results
3)Effective Listening and Communication Skills-: You would be working with different types of people and you must know how to communicate with them. You must also be a good listener and listen to instructions effectively.
You must also possess the ability to read, understand and interpret information correctly because you would be required to read movie scripts and understand them well in order to perform your job effectively.
4)Creative and Imaginative skills-: Another skill that you need to possess is creativity. You must be very creative and able to use your sense of imagination and visualization to create desired looks.
The Market Of A Makeup Artist
Your clients can be just about anybody who wants to look good, although they'll likely be female. You can target brides by establishing relationships (be sure to leave brochures and business cards) with wedding-oriented businesses like bridal consultants, bridal shops and caterers. Work up referral networks with event and party planners, too, along with public relations agents.
Nab clients who want a beauty makeover by placing ads in local Yellow Pages and newspapers and leaving brochures at hair salons, trendy boutiques and dress shops.
Give workshops for women's groups or experiment with home parties à la Mary Kay--but keep in mind that if you sell your beauty products, you'll need a resale license. If you plan to work with disfigured clients, introduce yourself and leave brochures with plastic surgeons and oncologists.
TRAINING
If you don’t have any makeup skills, then this should be the stage where you get some. Even if you do have the skill, going for a training will also be wise in other to fine-tune your skills and give it a magic polish.
Some professional makeup artist can be ridiculous with training fee, but if you’re serious, looking for one you can afford should be your priority.
specialized make up schools where aspiring movie makeup artists could get trained. If you live in the US, you could find such schools in New York or London if you live in Europe. There are also such schools in Los Angeles. If you can afford it, it’s better to attend such schools where you can be given professional training and certification however, you can still get one-on-one training from an already-established movie make-up artist.
There are some professional makeup artist who learnt the skill just by watching tutorials on YouTube. So, YouTube should be a popular hangout for you as a beginner.
Currently, YouTube have a feature where you can save a video for offline usage. This will surely help you manage your bundle data without having them zapped away.
LICENSING – First, you’d need to get licensed. Register your business and own rights to work freely and run your business. This would curb you of any trouble and show people that you are genuine and professional at what you do. Getting a licensed business name is not a difficult task at all.
MAKEUP KIT - No one will have a makeup kit waiting for you when you walk into a photo shoot. Be prepared. You will need foundations, concealers, eye shadows and blushers in every color. At many photo shoots, you'll need tools to cover up a tattoo or birthmark. You need to have everything with you at all times. Keep it clean and stay organized. Your makeup kit represents you as a makeup artist. If people see you have dirty brushes and missing color palettes, your career could be threatened. Your reputation is what is going to get more work.
Building your makeup kit can be very draining, especially to your finance. As a starter, you don’t have to acquire all the products at once. Make it a gradual process and you won’t feel the impact a bit.(TAKE NOTE: Many clients look at your makeup kit as a reflection of your experience)
HERE ARE LIST OF MAKEUP KIT PRODUCTS
1.Full Brush Set and Brush Cleanser
Minimum 4 Liquid Foundations (you can mix to get the perfect shade).
2.Setting Powder (control shine)
Minimum 15 Eyeshadows Depending on Skin Tone (palette form will save you space later).
3.Lipsticks/Gloss (don’t go crazy most brides will want to carry their own).
4.Mascara (waterproof).
5.Eyeliner (black/brown).
6.False Lashes (assortment).
7.Skin Care (do not ignore, very important to achieve that flawless skin).
8.Primer (need to smooth out texture in the skin and control shine).
Tools – Eyelash Curler, Lash Glue, Sponges, Spatula, Tester Wands
Please, remember to always go for quality. Fake products in the markets are alarming. Quality should be your uttermost aim cause this will keep you in business.
BUSINESS NAME
Choosing a business name might look like an easy task at the surface, but when you engage in the act, you’ll discover how daunting it is to get the perfect name for your business.
Choose a name that’s memorable and easy to pronounce. Try as much as possible to get a name that reflects what the business is all about.
MAKEUP ARTIST PORTFOLIO
As a freelance makeup artist, your portfolio will be your resume. You don't need years of experience to develop an impressive makeup artist portfolio; all you need is talent and models. Where will you find your models? You can find your makeup models by volunteering at local fashion shows and photo shoots.
Since fashion shows typically employ the services of 12 models, you will have added 12 new makeup looks to your makeup artist portfolio in just one night. If that doesn’t work out right for you for one reason or another, you could make models off your friends! Invite them over to a studio and get creative.
Make sure your images are presented professionally. You could spend some money on a website, get a leather-bound portfolio or, if you are on a budget, create a web gallery. Just make sure it looks clean and professional.
No matter what you do, keep building up your portfolio. Your potential clients aren’t going to ask about your school degree or report card, they are going to ask for your portfolio.
Your policyrtfolio is like a CV as long as the makeup industry is Make up is an art, an art that brings out the beauty in every living creature. Watching makeup transformation images is a sure way to getting inspired.
Frankly, this business allows you to put smiles on faces, people who thought they can never get more beautiful than they already are. As they smile, your bank account smile in return.
MAKEUP ARTIST WEBSITE - Create a website. All makeup artists need a website. A website can serve as your online portfolio, your rate sheet and your business presence on the web. You can hire a graphic designer to create a chic website for you for a small fee. All you need to supply is the domain name, your portfolio and your text. You can even have the graphic artist create a logo for your makeup artist services (for an extra fee of course).
BUSINESS CARD
Create a business card. Most people say that flashy business cards aren't necessary, but quite the opposite holds true for you. You, my friend, are a professional makeup artist. Your career is in the beauty/fashion industry, so a flashy business card is a necessity. Hire a graphic designer to create a makeup artist business card that is right for you and that has the proper amount of glitz and glamour. After all, you do not want to hand out ho-hum business cards to your prospective clients.
MARKET YOUR SERVICES /ADVERTISING
You are not just a makeup artist, you're a freelance makeup artist. As a freelancer, your business relies directly upon your marketing efforts. If you don't get clients on a regular basis, you won't have food on the table.
Start marketing your freelance makeup artistry services aggressively by hiring a graphic designer to create attractive and professional caliber brochures of your services. Be sure to include your logo, rate sheet, service menu, whether or not you travel to the client's location, your website and your contact information. Include at least two images of your work in your makeup artist brochure (just so people can see what you can do). After your brochures are delivered, hand them out to local wedding boutiques, hair salons, spas and any other location that seems appropriate.
As stated above you have got the skill and the kit, the only thing standing on the way now is awareness. Head out and start marketing yourself. Start from the people you know, like families and friends. That will surely be a good start. This business is very competitive, engaging in word of mouth can go a long way into gaining you an exposure.
In this era of technology, gaining exposure have been made easier if you play your card well. Update your facebook wall and talk about the service you offer. Having thousands of friends isn’t for fancy. They are potential clients. Getting a facebook page is also another step in creating a brand. With facebook Ad, you expose your business the more.
NETWORK
Talk to artist reps, talk to photographers, talk to producers, make friends with modeling agents and go to industry parties. The more friends you have in your line of work, the better connected you'll be. Follow up with people. When you update your portfolio, send out an email to all of your contacts. If someone gives you a card and tells you about a potential gig, call them the next day. Be aggressive. Make friends with other makeup artists. Many people think of other makeup artist as competition, but they can be big help!
DISCOUNTS
Once you start getting clients on a regular basis, you want to give them incentives to keep you as their go-to makeup artist. Give your clients rebates on your services for each client they bring your way. For example, if a client refers you as a makeup artist for her sister's wedding, offer your client a makeup application for 50% off next time. Additionally, you can create a more advanced and aggressive rebate plan. An example of an aggressive rebate plan would be, "refer 10 clients to me and you get 1 free makeup application and a makeup artist goodie bag."
No comments:
Post a Comment