How to Become a Makeup Artist
Develop your skills., Familiarize yourself with different "looks."
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Develop your skills.
Practice applying makeup on both yourself and your friends so that you can develop your technique and perfect your craft.
Remember that even though you may be a superstar at doing your own makeup, applying makeup on others takes a different set of motor skills and coordination.
Practice applying makeup on people with different colored skin, different face shapes, different eye colors, and different ages.
Find people with fair, medium, olive, and dark skin.
This will help you develop a breadth of skill so that you can work with a wide range of clients.
Experiment with different brands of makeup.
Many makeup artists prefer certain brands of makeup over others, because the quality of the finished product varies between brands.
You should also experiment using different textures like liquid and powdered foundation, and learn which ones work best on different skin types (i.e. dry versus oily skin).
Try using different kinds of brushes, makeup wands, and other tools.
Makeup brushes come in different shapes, sizes, and textures. -
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with different "looks."
Read magazines, scour fashion blogs, watch films, go to plays, and pay attention to the different trends and styles of face makeup.
It is important to be able to deliver a look that your client describes to you, and be up-to-date with the current beauty trends so that you can advise him or her on what looks best.
Learn to determine between day and night looks.
Keep the following pointers in mind:
In general, daytime makeup should be minimalist; stick with pink tones when it comes to lips, and keep the color within two shades of the persons' natural lips.
Eye makeup should be subtle, with nothing more than some mascara and a neutral shadow.
Nighttime makeup can pop more, with either a dramatic eye or lip (but not both), and defined cheekbones.
Another timeless look is having a stand-out red lip with little to no other makeup.
Learn to identify which shades of red look best on which skin tones.
For example, people with very dark skin look good with wine-colored lips while people with very fair skin look good with orange tones.
Clients will oftentimes request that you recreate a certain look that a celebrity had at an awards show or in a magazine.
You will need to learn the terminology involved in makeup artistry so that you can effectively bring your clients' descriptions to life.
Detailed Guide
Practice applying makeup on both yourself and your friends so that you can develop your technique and perfect your craft.
Remember that even though you may be a superstar at doing your own makeup, applying makeup on others takes a different set of motor skills and coordination.
Practice applying makeup on people with different colored skin, different face shapes, different eye colors, and different ages.
Find people with fair, medium, olive, and dark skin.
This will help you develop a breadth of skill so that you can work with a wide range of clients.
Experiment with different brands of makeup.
Many makeup artists prefer certain brands of makeup over others, because the quality of the finished product varies between brands.
You should also experiment using different textures like liquid and powdered foundation, and learn which ones work best on different skin types (i.e. dry versus oily skin).
Try using different kinds of brushes, makeup wands, and other tools.
Makeup brushes come in different shapes, sizes, and textures.
Read magazines, scour fashion blogs, watch films, go to plays, and pay attention to the different trends and styles of face makeup.
It is important to be able to deliver a look that your client describes to you, and be up-to-date with the current beauty trends so that you can advise him or her on what looks best.
Learn to determine between day and night looks.
Keep the following pointers in mind:
In general, daytime makeup should be minimalist; stick with pink tones when it comes to lips, and keep the color within two shades of the persons' natural lips.
Eye makeup should be subtle, with nothing more than some mascara and a neutral shadow.
Nighttime makeup can pop more, with either a dramatic eye or lip (but not both), and defined cheekbones.
Another timeless look is having a stand-out red lip with little to no other makeup.
Learn to identify which shades of red look best on which skin tones.
For example, people with very dark skin look good with wine-colored lips while people with very fair skin look good with orange tones.
Clients will oftentimes request that you recreate a certain look that a celebrity had at an awards show or in a magazine.
You will need to learn the terminology involved in makeup artistry so that you can effectively bring your clients' descriptions to life.
About the Author
Natalie Hill
Committed to making creative arts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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