Styling and makeup have always been an important part of personal image, and when it comes to special occasions or parties, makeup is a key aspect that helps to enhance the appearance and increase the self-esteem of women. This is why the makeup artist side job is so important.
Professional makeup artists are in high demand for this purpose, but there is a way to do this work on a freelance basis, without it being a regular job, and still get good earnings for it. Want to know how to do it? Here we show you how!
- What does this job consist of?
- What do you need?
- How to become a freelance makeup artist?
- Schedule and earning expectations
What does this job consist of?
A freelance makeup artist is in charge of applying makeup to people who need to look good for any occasion; be it a party, event, television show, or even a costume party. The difference is that freelance makeup artists work under their schedule and perform makeup on demand for their clients, without working for a particular company or salon.
Makeup artists must know the different makeup techniques to meet the needs of their clients. However, there are different types of makeup, and each makeup artist can specialize in a specific one, or know several of the most popular ones according to the latest trends.
If you want to become a freelance makeup artist, you must choose the type of makeup you will specialize in, as it will depend on what types of clients you can get. You must define your target audience to start getting clients. If you are specific, it will be much easier for you to have visibility and profits.
What do you need?
To become a freelance makeup artist, you must take a makeup course or workshop, where you can learn the different techniques required. Thanks to this you will be able to work on different types of faces. Remember that not all people are the same, and there will be situations in which you must highlight certain features more than others.
In addition to the techniques and skills, the makeup courses will teach you to know what shades work best for each type of person. This refers to combining not only the clothes that the client will wear, but also knowing what colors go best with the hair tone and skin tone, because some will flatter more than others.
After you have taken courses and have sufficient skills, you will need to acquire a complete makeup kit, that is, the instruments with which you will apply makeup, as well as different products that you will apply to your clients. You must make sure that the products are as non-toxic as possible and that they are from a certified brand, so they will last longer on the skin and will not hurt your clients’ faces. Keep in mind that you should have variety in your product selection to cover all color combinations.
A good addition to your makeup equipment is a light ring or a makeup lamp. This is necessary to be able to have enough light to apply makeup on your clients since you must have good visibility; and if the place where you make up your clients is not illuminated, this can harm your work. Although makeup equipment can be somewhat expensive, they are worth it and are an investment to perform your work, then you can recover it with the income obtained.
If you have already done makeup professionally, or are just starting on your makeup journey, you must create a portfolio with pictures of your best work, so you can attract the attention of clients who want to have similar makeup for their events. Be sure to include a variety of sets and a type of makeup in which you specialize, this will give you more clarity when offering your services.
There is another aspect that you must take into account when you become a freelance makeup artist, and that is that you must define a place where you will provide your services, if you will rent a space to do it, you will receive clients at home, or if on the contrary, you will attend the clients’ homes to apply makeup. You must be clear about this and communicate it to your clients.
How to become a freelance makeup artist?
If you want to start working as a freelance makeup artist, you can do it in these ways:
- Promote your services on social media. Nowadays, social media are the perfect vehicle to promote your business; here you can create a profile where you can share your experience, portfolio, services, and rates, and soon followers and clients will start to arrive. Be sure to add a contact method for your clients. We also recommend consulting with an expert in digital marketing, so you can position yourself above the competition. We suggest you prioritize Instagram as the social media for your business.
- Offer your services to friends and acquaintances. Although it is an old-fashioned method, this way of getting customers never fails, as it will create a chain of recommendations if you perform a good service, this will lead to more and more customers and better opinions about what you do. If you combine this method with social media, you will be able to grow your business quickly. Remember to ask your clients to leave a review of your work on your social media or recommendation platforms.
- Create a website and advertise your services in your locality. If you create a website with the help of a web developer or using the tools offered by Google My Business, you can create a page where you can show your services, experience, rates, and a contact form. With the help of a marketing expert, you will be able to position yourself above other makeup artist searches in your area. You can add your profile to this search engine and ask your customers to leave reviews on your page, which will give you more credibility and get many new customers.
Schedule and earning expectations
The work schedule of a freelance makeup artist varies a lot. It all depends on the number of clients that request you, but in general, you can create your schedule and distribute your availability to serve customers. Best of all, if you specialize in an event or party makeup, it will almost always be on weekends, so it won’t interfere with your regular work.
In terms of earnings expectations, makeup artists can earn a good salary, on average a makeup artist can earn between 1.000€ and 1.300€ per month. But it can be even more, depending on your rates and the difficulty of the makeup, you can make a good profit!
Are you ready to become a freelance makeup artist?
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