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7 Skills & Traits You Need to Be a Successful Makeup Artist

Do you want to learn what it takes to build a career as a makeup artist? If YES, here are 7 skills and traits you need to become a successful makeup artist.

Having carefully considered the following:

  1. Definition
  2. Makeup Artist Job Description
  3. How Much Do Makeup Artist Make?
  4. Benefits of Being a Makeup Artist
  5. Facts, Figures, Labor Market Situation
  6. Tools of the Trade
  7. Educational Requirements
  8. Professional Bodies and Associations
  9. Career ideas for Makeup Artists
  10. Skills and Traits You Need to Succeed

I will now highlight the skills and traits needed to become a successful makeup artist, so that you will know what to expect while pursuing a career as a makeup artist.

Skills and Traits You Need to Become a Successful Makeup Artist

1. Creativity: Any profession with “art” in the title requires a creative imagination and a strong visual sense. Makeup artists should understand the different shapes and features of a face and recognize how to highlight them. Perception and visualization is important, as cosmetic application relies on the ability to mentally rearrange details of an image to create an attractive look without mistakes.

2. Customer Service: Most of a makeup artist’s day involves working closely with other people, like models, actors, photographers and clients or customers. Makeup artists should be able to communicate with a variety of people to understand client goals and provide necessary feedback. Artists need to be confident and tactful when suggesting changes that may benefit a customer’s appearance.

3. Detailed Orientation: Makeup artists must be able to complete their work under pressure without letting the details slip. Some jobs require extended periods of concentration to complete meticulous cosmetic requests. Artists must be able to reason and solve problems, weigh costs against benefits, and design new ideas with a creative way to implement them.

4. Management: A makeup artist has to manage her time and the time of others. She’s in charge of analyzing each client’s desire and obtaining the equipment and products necessary to complete the job. Particularly when first starting out, makeup artists must market themselves and manage their online and physical presence to gain clientele and build a strong client base.

Tips and Advice to Help Advance your Career as a Makeup Artist

  • Never Take Anything Personal: Learn to never take anything personal and to remember to have fun! Keep in mind it’s an art, and so know what kind of artist you want to be first. This is the way you can find and develop your signature style.
  • No Hard Rules: There are no rules to makeup, but always try to learn new tricks and ways of expanding your craft. Never talk back to a mentor or try to outshine the key artist when you are only an assistant. If your work is good, it will be noticed. And always try something you think you are not good at to get better and perhaps discover a new talent.
  • Spend Time to Create a Portfolio: If you aspire to a career in NYC or LA, then I would spend time working on a portfolio, and then call a few agencies to see if they might be interested in seeing your book. Another way would be to go to salons and see about assisting or find photographers who need makeup artists.
  • Never Stop Practicing: For the beginning artist, but practice, practice, practice! Use your face to try looks on yourself every day. Try things you saw in videos and note areas you needed to work on.

You should also practice different methods to perform a skill so that you will know a hundred ways to do the same things. Never be afraid to try many different products and find cheaper versions of expensive products. Lastly, make sure you attend classes and conferences to get the insight from pro makeup artists and experts.