How To Be A Professional Make Up Artiste

Beauty is one of the industries that will always be popular with customers. Being the best makeup artist in the world unlocks so many opportunities for doing what you love and making people happy. Find out how to become a makeup artist right now!


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1. Practice

The first tip on how to become a great makeup artist will hardly surprise you: it’s all about the practice. Most future makeup artists become interested in makeup at a very young age, when they play with mum’s makeup or practice on their friends.

As you grow older, your interest in makeup should also progress. Instead of borrowing your mum’s products, you should get your own. It’s likely that you will take your first steps in applying makeup on yourself, but it’s also very helpful to practice on a model – it can be one of your friends or family members.

The key secret of how to be a makeup artist is that you need to have a very broad outlook on beauty. It’s okay to have a signature look or technique, but you need to be well-versed in all kinds of makeup and be familiar with hundreds of different purposes.

How to be a professional makeup artiste

2. Look for inspiration

In the past, girls who were interested in makeup had to look high and low for new beauty ideas and trends. Luckily, now there is no need to leave your desk to get lots of inspiration. Simply find several makeup artists on Instagram whose work you admire, follow them, and try to remember every single makeup tip and trick they share with the audience.

A good place to find beauty inspiration is Instagram accounts of popular makeup brands, especially professional ones like NYX, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Benefit, Urban Decay, and others. They will often post “How to apply makeup step by step like a professional” tutorials, introduce new products and techniques, and generally help you keep up with the ever-changing world of beauty.

How to be a professional makeup artiste

3. Complete classes

While finishing a makeup course isn’t a mandatory part of a makeup artist job description, doing it will benefit your career as a makeup artist in three major ways:

  1. You will get to learn from the professionals who have spent years in the makeup business.
  2. You will be able to practice on models other than your closest friends and family members, building up your experience with different appearance types.
  3. You will build your network of professional contacts in the makeup world. Who knows where your first paying customers will come from?
How to be a professional makeup artiste

4. Assemble your kit

Wondering how to be a good makeup artist and do it professionally? Make sure you have the right product and tool for every situation! The makeup products in your bag should come in every colour imaginable and fit any skin type.

Your professional makeup kit needs to contain everything from primer and concealer to dozens of lipstick shades. And don’t forget the variety of brushes and other tools needed for flawless makeup application!

How to be a professional makeup artiste

5. Find your niche

Very few of the professional makeup artists work in all fields – most of them have chosen a niche for themselves and build a career within it. Popular types of makeup artists include fashion makeup artists, personal makeup artists, and brand makeup artists.

Personal makeup is the most popular niche – here you will need to perform makeup services for weddings, birthday parties, photoshoots, and other important events.

How to be a professional makeup artiste

6. Build a portfolio

As you practice applying makeup and become gradually better at what you do, don’t forget to photograph everything for your personal portfolio. You can print out the photos or keep them online, but they need to be instantly accessible if you want to show them to a client for reference.

How to be a professional makeup artiste

7. Advertise your services

When you finally feel like a true makeup artist, it’s time to start making money with your passion! Create an Instagram and Facebook account to showcase your works and encourage customers to contact you, and don’t forget to place free ads on Jiji for millions of potential Nigerian clients to discover your business!


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My name is Inna. I am a content writer with an English and literature background. As a mother of a 4-year old son, I love learning about children’s health and development, as well as finding new interesting toys and activities for my little one. I am also in love with all things tech and always keep my finger on the pulse of new smartphone and gadget releases. Another big passion of mine is beauty and makeup – every day I read about new trends in skin care and makeup and always look forward to trying them. Plus, I love pop culture, travelling, crafts, and anything that can make our daily life more thrilling!