From contouring to colour pops, glow ups to gloss, makeup is an important tool in many people’s lives and careers. Whether you specialise in SFX, weddings, fashion, theatre or as a social media influencer – no matter how skilled you are – it can be a difficult path to forge a career as a successful makeup artist. We take a look at what you can do to progress your career if you’re coming to makeup artistry later in life.

Seek experience 
If you’re new to the world of commercial makeup, look for opportunities to gain experience as an assistant to a senior makeup artist. In the meantime, build up your skills through courses and workshops. While assistant opportunities will likely be unpaid, they provide invaluable experience in the field and enable you to start building up your own network of industry contacts.

Keep up to date 
Makeup trends move fast, and what is ‘in’ right now may be old news later down the line. Stay inspired by consistently researching makeup trends, scouring magazines and following artists on social media. That’s not to say you should dismiss history, though. It’s just as important to build your knowledge of the history and evolution of makeup by reading books and researching artists.

Work for a brand 
Seek experience working in a retail store on behalf of a brand, selling their products and getting the opportunity to refine your technique. Not only will you develop your own skills through their training and expertise, but you will also benefit from a staff discount, enabling you to build up your own kit more quickly.

Showcase your work 
Popular social media platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube, allow you to show off the great work that you can do. Many successful channels pick a unique theme and work with it to gain traction quickly, but most good ideas don’t always come straight away. Many makeup artists find their niche after posting different looks and allowing the reaction of their audience to move their work forward. 

Build up your network 
Work your social media channels by interacting with others in your field, initiate collaboration and build up a strong network of your own. Social media can open up a multitude of opportunities, putting you within reach of endless models, makeup brands, photographers and more. Focus on building up an organic following with lots of engagement as this is more important to companies than simply the number of followers you have. 

Protect your trade 
If you’re hoping to work as a makeup artist, or you’re already successfully working in the makeup industry, you’ll understand that there will always be unforeseen risks associated with it. If a client suffers an allergic reaction to your product, or you drop a bottle of foundation on their cream rug, you could be held liable. Furthermore, if your kit is stolen, lost or damaged having spent time and money building it up, you could find yourself unable to work while replacing it. We can arrange tailored insurance for your makeup business to ensure that these risks, amongst others, are covered for.

Call Watkin Davies on 02920 626 226 to find out how we can help.