How to Be a Freelance Makeup Artist

freelance makeup artist

What is a freelance makeup artist? A freelance makeup artist is an individual who performs makeup on clients on a freelance basis rather than working for a beauty salon on a permanent employment basis. This means that anyone who works on a per order basis and not under an employer to provide makeup services can be referred to as a freelance makeup artist. The freelance artist has more of a flexible and comfortable job and develops their own clientele who can request services either through a phone call or email etc.

Any person who works as a freelance makeup artist may either perform duties at the home or address of the client or may set up his own studio and then perform the services there.  These individuals may charge clients on the basis of services, quality of products and duration of the services. The basic duties of a freelance makeup artist are no different from a regular permanently employed artist. If you are interested in becoming a freelance makeup artist, then the following information will help you:

Freelance Makeup Artist Jobs 

A freelance makeup artist may have to perform a number of duties like makeup in the model scout on a day to day basis.. If you are interested in becoming a freelance makeup artist, then you will need to fulfill the following given freelance makeup artist job description

  • The basic job duty of a makeup artist is to provide facial makeup and body make up services using cosmetics and other products.
  • Assessing the skin type of the client and determine which makeup products to use is a duty.
  • Preparing the skin for makeup by doing cleansing, toning, and moisturizing is also an important task of a freelance makeup artist.
  • Using tools such as sponges, brushes and other materials is also needed.
  • The makeup artist may also be responsible for doing the hairstyling if it falls within his/her area of expertise.
  • To develop a clientele through promotions or word of mouth is another duty.
  • Applying for jobs through various portals or by making phone calls to prospective employees is yet another duty.
  • To perform eye makeup, lip makeup, media makeup, bridal makeup, party makeup, light makeup, dark makeup are also duties of a freelance makeup artist.
  • To collect payment after services are provided is also a duty.

Makeup Artist Skills

Only if you possess the right skills and creativity can you really become a makeup artist or a freelance makeup artist? The following are some of the necessary skills needed to be in this profession:

  • Knowledge of different skin types and the makeup products suitable is a needed skill.
  • A freelance makeup artist must be creative, artistic and bold enough to try new things.
  • Must have stamina and fitness as this job requires long hours of standing and working without taking breaks.
  • Knowledge of different products, makeup brands, brushes, and other tools is also vital.
  • Having good communication skills to be able to talk and communicate with clients is extremely important.
  • The ability to work on deadlines and take pressure well is also a skill needed by a freelance makeup artist.

Being Successful As A Freelance Makeup Artist:

To be a successful freelance makeup artist, you must not only be artistic by nature but should also have a passion for this field of work. It may be a freelancing job, but requires as much hard work and effort to really build a brand image.  If you wish to know more about the same, you can go through the following information.

  • You must be willing to experiment with different products, ideas, looks, and colors in order to develop your own style rather than following the crowd.
  • You must purchase your own makeup kit and make sure it is of good quality.
  • Practice as much as you can and create a strong portfolio.
  • To be successful in this field, you must offer better yet competitive rates as compared to other artists in the same field and try and build a rapport with all your clients so that they are interested in reusing your services.
  • Make convincing proposals to clients and communicate well with them to know what exactly they are looking for in your makeup services.
  • Offer that additional touch of friendliness, comfort, and quality so as to attract maximum clients.
  • Use online portals like Elance.com or O-desk to find work and send your proposals to clients looking for freelance makeup services.

Average Remunerations

The very fact that most people these days are interested in using the internet for finding services and service providers makes the prospects within the freelance makeup artist field very bright and interesting. There is a lot of scope for an artist, given the demand for quality makeup services not only at beauty salons but also in fields like media, fashion, entertainment, and others. In fact, most of these industries heavily rely on makeup services and so does fashion photography where photographers may need a freelance mua for their projects.

Entry-level freelancers can expect to earn a maximum salary of $17740 per year which translates to $8.73 per hour.  Those at higher levels can expect to earn an average salary of $15000 to $30000 per year.

Finding Work

Being able to find maximum work is the very secret of the trade as far as freelance makeup artists are concerned. (1)  Entry-level artists can start off by searching for jobs at bridal parties, theatres or by volunteering at local photo studies.  By using these opportunities to do maximum networking and building a client list is a good idea if you wish to become a freelance makeup artist.  For those who have gained a few months of experience in this field can build a portfolio on online freelance work finding websites such as Elance, Freelancer.com or O-Desk.com.

These websites bring together service providers as well as those who are looking for services and are a great way to promote, advertise or sell your services.  Banking on the word of mouth is a smart way to find more clients.