Freelance Makeup Artist

Freelance Makeup Artists can make so much money. Who doesn't need an artist? Look around you people, artists are needed every single day for t.v. shows, magazines, photo shoots, videos, women going to interviews, holiday parties, first dates, weddings, birthdays, graduations, and the list goes on and on.

First thing is first- you must build that loyal clientele. The word of mouth can make you the most money and it is free advertisement. There are a million people who claim they know makeup-why you? what sets you apart?

You are a walking advertisement for your work every day. Show off what you got! Someone asked me at work today-Do you know how to put on lashes? That told me right off the bat that I have not advertised myself as a lash person. Advertise yourself for whatever artistry skill set you have, maybe tomorrow I will apply some falsies. If you work in makeup already, gain the respect of your peers and help them fine tune their skills. Just another way to get noticed.

Discover what type of artist you are. Do you do special effects? Drag shows? natural looks? just men? Find your niche.

If you do free shoots, make sure you are getting retouched images! I don't feel you should do any free makeup work, unless it's a career changer. For instance, I did makeup for Fashion Week 2011 for free, but it is a great thing to add to the resume. Know your worth, if you keep doing makeup for free, you are devaluing your work.

I suggest having a contract set for those of you who are hired for a specific day. This may be the most important thing. Let me share some examples:

1. My makeup artists for my bridesmaids cancelled two days before the wedding over a text. She mentioned she booked something with more money. She left me high and dry on the most important day of my life. If we had a contract, things may been different! She now claims to be a "celebrity" artists and brags about cancelling on them as well. Remember your reputation can make you or break you!

2. Two of my cousins had weddings and cancelled on me days before the wedding. One as a matter of fact, had me on stand by the day of her wedding. This contract rule has to be implemented more than ever for family members. The first cousin who cancelled had me do several days and hours of makeup trials for her wedding. I did research on pictures and videos. All my free time with no cash or tip ever handed. All this work for the next person to use all my ideas. The second cousin, actually wanted to buy my products for someone else to apply it on her (she told me this the day of the wedding).

Doing makeup is exciting because there is always something you can learn. Man, I can sit on youtube and see videos all day. Talking about Youtube, if you make videos of yourself, that actually may work against you if you want to charge your clients for tutorials. Why pay you, when did can look at your work on the internet. Be smart about how you market yourself.

Does anyone have any interesting freelance stories?

B.B. Creams?

"Bb cream originated in Germany and was used by Dermatologists as a healing aid for their patients, who have gone through laser skin surgery and also on patients who has burn; this cream can help to smooth and regenerate the skin" (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140443399667). An Asian client went into Sephora, and she asked for a B.B. cream. I heard B.B. creams are the latest craze from Korea to Japan and now making its way to the U.S.A. In Korea, B.B. is suppose to stand for Blemish Balm. I was told Boscia is coming out with a B.B. cream soon, but just because blemish balm is what it stands for it is not just for pimples. B.B. creams have a category of their own. They help even out the complexion like a tinted moisturizer- but it is not makeup. So let's get things straight, a B.B. cream is a treatment for blemishes, looks like a tinted moisturizer but is not in the makeup category, gives radiance, sun protection, and is anti-wrinkle as well.
Has anyone tried a B.B. cream? What do you think of it?

Real deal with Retail!

NOT BE A DEBBIE DOWNER OR A NEGATIVE NANCY, but Retail is the hardest job in the world! You have to try to relate to hundreds of clients you come in contact with. It is mentally and physically exhausting. Long gone are the free weekends to party and relax at the beach. No more making plans with friends to go out because your schedule is not fixed. It will consume all your energy. You will bend over and do back flips and someone will still leave unhappy from the store.

However to those aspiring makeup artists, I say yes retail can be your friend because you will learn so much about the beauty industry. I came into to Sephora not having any knowledge at all! I was a Mary Kay consultant for 3 weeks and then quit when I was getting all these orders and no cash to back it up. I literally dropped my application to every Sephora I came in contact with. No one gave me a chance....until Jennifer Negron, a Store Director, looked at my application and said "Come in for an interview next week." I was ecstatic! When the interview day came, I was up against ten other people who wanted the job. Now, I have a quiet personality at times and do not like to be the center of attention, but this day I said I have to stand out! I answered every question first and was a star and I got hired. That was my shot into makeup. Now this is not the only retail route you can take. You can freelance with a makeup company and get your feet wet. Freelancing somethings requires more experience and can be intimating due to goals. Starting off with a company and then freelancing is also great. There is also the great option of starting your own makeup brand or freelancing company like we did with Glam Box.

It can be rewarding helping women on a daily basis look their best. In addition, you will get a chance to work with different eye shapes, face shapes, skin types, and skin tones! This can be a career path for some or just a hobby. There is money to be made in this industry. The lowest & highest income in retail for Makeup Artists (sales not management) $10-$25 an hr (keep in mind the commission jobs will pay more of the $25 dollars an hr).

Artist be wary of:
1. If you have worked for a company for a few years and have not gotten any promotion or there is no sign of growth...GET OUT!
2. If they call you a star sales associate, but come raise time you get an insignificant amount like a twenty cents...Get your running shoes!
3. If you always feel down going into your job and never happpy.....ever...Okay you know what I am going to say.
4. If you are not learning or challenging yourself on a daily basis, choose another career choice!

To clients shopping at these places:
1. Please when stepping into a cosmetics place, do not expect the sales associate to know every ingredient and price of 4,000 + products.
2. If you ask an artists at a retail store, "Hey I like the shadows you have on, what are they?" Do not expect a honest answer-if they are promoting Dior that day then Dior is what they will tell you they have on.
3. If a store is swamped with people, do not complaint you cannot get someone to help you. And also if someone is with another client,do not jump in and ask for help.
4. Always ask the sales person why they are showing the brand they are showing you....they can be just promoting that line that day, even if that product is the best fit for your needs.

Let me know you would ever consider this field of work?

One month Experiment

I love to learn new things about makeup. I think it is a faulty way of thought when artists feel they know everything. You can be in the industry 10 yrs, 5yrs, or 2yrs, you are a growing artist!
So in my previous blog,http://beautygurumbe.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=7865124
I did an experiment where in seven days I was going to change my look. It was really fun and successful. In my last experiment that ended yesterday, I decided I wanted a compliment everyday and every time I go to work from either a stranger on the train, a client, or a co-worker FOR ONE MONTH STRAIGHT. So sure enough every single day I did a different look whether it was cat eye, sparkly eyes, bold hot pink lips, or a smokey eye, I did get a compliment (without fishing for one). I even got offered a Chanel job from someone on the train. If you want to be an artist I say YOU ARE A BRAND and you can ADVERTISE yourself as such. It was a blast! I wonder what my next experiment will be?

Do you have a makeup experiments you want to share with Glam Box?