The make-up artist’s job
Being a make-up artist
If you have chosen this training it is obviously to realize your dream of becoming a make-up artist.
Yes, but what is a make-up artist? Who do you work for? Where do we work? And how do you do it?
This preamble aims to inform you about your future profession. The word “makeup artist” has entered our language and is often, unfortunately, used wrongly. We often confuse makeup artists with beauticians, youtubers or beauty influencers. All these jobs are very different from each other!
A make-up artist is a professional of make-up and beauty. He/she has a degree in make-up and/or significant experience in this field.
The make-up artist knows how to apply make-up to all types of faces, skin and morphology and knows a large number of different techniques. From beauty makeup to special effects, the makeup artist is all terrain.
The make-up artist is above all a very good technician, he knows how to recognize immediately the needs of his model and knows how to meet the requirements of current technologies, 8K make-up for example.
Finally, the make-up artist has a very sharp artistic sense. The make-up artist works in many fields, we will see them in detail later.
To fully understand this wonderful profession, let’s explore it in more detail:
Our missions
The make-up artist must show versatility and creativity while knowing how to adapt to imposed specifications and to his clients.
Indeed, he can be brought to work in studio, in backstage of fashion shows, on a movie set, for television or for demanding customers during private events such as weddings. He must therefore master all make-up techniques.
This profession requires great adaptability, patience and the ability to understand the expectations of the clientele. Obviously, a high artistic sensitivity is essential as well as keeping up to date with make-up trends.
For example, a make-up artist can be called on the shooting of a series, his or her mission will be to apply make-up to the actors and actresses while adapting to the director’s requests, the script and the shooting conditions. You will sometimes be surprised to have to do your make-up outside at six o’clock in the morning, without a table or chair.
Adaptability will be more than essential! The make-up artist knows just by reading the script, which technique and which make-up he will apply to the different actors and actresses.
During our various interventions, we also have the role of confidant, our customers spend a lot of time with us, makeup has a relaxing power, our mission changes at this time and we reassure, encourage, advise our customers, so we create a real link.
We are often compared to beauticians, but our two professions are very different.
The professional make-up artist is to the beautician what the specialist is to the generalist. The beautician is the generalist of beauty and body care while the make-up artist is the specialist of beauty.
Our environments
The profession of make-up artist offers many possibilities. From fx makeup (special effects) on a movie set to a shoot for a big magazine, this job is able to make you change environment, universe from one day to another. Routine will never exist.
The world of brands:
Cinema:
The shooting of a film lasts from a few days to several months, in a studio, outside, in an unusual place, this environment can make you travel in a few days. The makeup must be professional, simple, flexible, spontaneous and especially adapted to the technology used (4K…).
It is difficult to make a place for yourself in this environment, but not impossible.
Fashion :
Doing make-up for fashion is very stimulating but also exhausting. Exchanges are of utmost importance, creators, stylist, fashion designer, models all count.
To get assignments in this field, you have to use your connections.
Live show:
The make-up artist works under pressure, he must ensure a constant performance. His mission is to create and bring out the character of the character embodied. In this field you can be hired by a production for a long period of time.
Television:
As a makeup artist our work is very diverse, from a simple complexion for a newscast to an extravagant look for a TV series.
As in the cinema, we have to create a character entirely thanks to our art. The difficulty is that on a TV set, time is limited: 20 minutes for make-up and hair for a woman and 15 minutes for a man.
Event:
Education:
Web :
Medical:
Beauty:
Photography:
The status of make up artist
How and for whom does a make-up artist work?
The different statuses:
Salary
How much does a make-up artist earn?
It all depends on the status, the contract your experience, the mission but also the number of people that you have to makeup.
THIS PRACTICE IS ILLEGAL !
On average, a professional makeup artist can cost between 90$ and 475$ nationwide, depending on the services you select. For different event styles, makeup application can require more or less products, time and expertise, and therefore, costs vary significantly.
The national average salary for a makeup artist in the United States is $31.44 per hour with a salary range between $7.25 and $94.45 per hour.