How to Shop for a Makeup Artist
If you need a makeup artist, where do you start?
We’re talking about your face here. And, if you’re hiring a professional, I’m guessing it’s for an event where there will be photos. So you need to find someone you trust completely - not just in their talent, but the products they use, if they’ll be on time, etc.
As a successful professional makeup artist myself, I’ve moved on to teaching folks how to do their own makeup, usually for every day wear. But the majority of my on-site experience was for weddings, aka one of the most important events in one’s life.
So, from this side of the makeup chair, here’s how to find the best makeup artist for you.
Ask
If you have a friend whose style you love, or even a blogger/personality in your area with great makeup, ask who did their makeup. Word of mouth is how I got most of my business - this was before Instagram - plus an endorsement of a trusted friend is the best. So just ask!
You can also go to your local beauty store or makeup counter. Many of those folks are makeup artists who would love and appreciate the extra work. At the very least, they probably know someone who is a great mua.
Of course, your hair/nail/brow/lashes salon is a treasure trove of experience. My salon, for example, boasts and incredibly talented makeup artist who, if she’s available, will travel to your event (shoutout @lmmirra). But of course the salon experience for your event can be ultra relaxing.
Takeaway: ask for a referral!
Stalk Their Insta
Once you’ve gathered a few makeup artists, spend some time going through their Instagram page, website and/or online portfolio.
One of the most frustrating things I’ve seen is folks refusing to work with a particular artist because of the way the artist does his or her own makeup. Makeup is such a creative outlet for a true artist, and what they do on themselves doesn’t mean that’s all they know how to do.
Pat McGrath, one of the world’s foremost makeup artists, wears barely any makeup if any at all. And she can literally do anything. So be a smart consumer, check the artist’s work and see if it fits with your aesthetic.
Interview 2-3 Makeup Artists
After you’ve narrowed down some great candidates - and don’t toss those who weren’t your first picks just yet, you might want to go back to them later - you’ll want to have a chat. Be respectful of their time, and know that this might be an email versus a phone call or FaceTime, but you might even get a coffee date. I would have LOVED if clients interviewed me, it would have saved so much time and let me know how invested they were in the process.
Here are some things you might want to ask:
Cost - price can vary wildly among artists, as well as what their services include. You’ll want to know if there’s a down payment to book, whether or not a trial is included, if they have military/teacher/first responder discounts, if any of the makeup they use is included or available for purchase (i.e. you’ll want to have the lipstick they used on hand), if they charge for mileage, etc.
How long they’ll be with you - for weddings, some artists do your makeup then leave, while others can stay with you through the reception. Towards the end of my career I was starting to charge makeup application by the hour because the client might be pulled in several directions, which turns your one-hour job into a two-hour service…and if you have other jobs to get to, the artist is put in a horrible position. Get all the details on how long you have your mua before your event.
Access to touch-ups - if the artist isn’t around for anything other than makeup application (or you can’t afford to keep them around - my rate started at $1000 for up to 6 hours), ask if they can either add on a makeup lesson and/or provide a touch-up kit (for an additional fee); if this is out of your budget, ask if they’ll let you take a picture of the items they’re using so you can purchase them on your own. The last thing you want is to have a makeup mishap, like getting wedding cake smashed in your face, and not know how to touch up on your own (PS this is a service I currently offer).
How many people can one artist serve - one of the worst feelings I’ve had as a makeup artist is having to tell paying clients “no.” Even when we’re already short on time, when they’d see how good my work was, they’d ask to throw in a flower girl or bridesmaid…or, “can you just put lashes on my sister?” This is a business, and like you wouldn’t ask a restaurant to throw in an extra lobster tail for free, you cannot ask a makeup artist to “just apply a little blush and lip gloss.” That gloss, that blush, the applicator and brush, the cleaning, and the time all cost something to the artist, and should be considered like menu items. Once, while I was packing up to leave, I had a jealous sister-of-the-bride, after seeing how beautiful the bride looked, scream at me for not also putting lashes on her (even though she said she didn’t want them during her application). Please know that everything has a cost, including little things, and while a good makeup artist will go out of their way to make you happy, the best thing you can do as a client is be upfront with your expectations. Also, please know that makeup artists cannot bend the confines of time, and if you have nine people who need makeup, one artist cannot reasonably do good work on everyone in an hour (unless it’s suuuuuuper simple!).
Experience - especially with everyone wanting to be Instagram- or YouTube-famous these days, there are a lot of “aspiring” makeup artists who have zero experience painting faces. This doesn’t mean they aren’t excellent, but you need to make sure your artists can do what you want. For example, I’ve completed private makeup training, am certified, worked at a makeup counter, and have done hundreds of makeup applications on all ages, races and faces since 2007. Like a job interview, it’s a good idea to ask about past experience, get testimonials from past clients if available, and/or see their previous work.
Worst job - since nothing ever goes perfectly, ask about their worst job experience to get an idea of how they can adapt. Mine was my first bride ever. She kept popping out of the makeup chair and suggested that everyone who came into the room (and there were several) get their makeup done, too. Then, she asked me to hold her dress while she shaved her nether regions. I kid you not. It was chaos. I got through it, smiling, and thankfully she paid me for everyone, but it taught me to set boundaries not only for myself, but so the client would have the best experience.
Favorite makeup style to apply - I’ve done every look under the sun (including yellow eye shadow for a bride), but y’all know my favorite look is a soft, smokey eye with a nude lip. It’s classic and looks amazing on everyone. While a great artist can do anything, if you need a tie-breaker, finding an artist who shares your creative vision will help.
Cancellation policy/refunds - things happen and plans change, that’s understandable. But again, this is a business, and if you cancel last-minute during the busy season, you’re not only taking away that job for the makeup artist, but also the opportunity to book another job. To book me, I would ask for a 50% deposit that was refundable until a month before the event; after that, it was non-refundable. Period. Also ask about refunds. Another part of my contract was that if I had to cancel for any reason, or if I was late, or something of that nature, a full refund was issued (that never happened, though!). I had to put that in place because I cannot tell you how often a client (usually a bride’s mom…sorry…) with wedding jitters would “hate” her makeup, even after doing exactly what she “loved” at the trial. You need to be protected against bad work and bad service, but so does the artist. Just talk it through beforehand. Which leads me to the most important question…
How makeup trials work - I cannot stress this enough: YOU MUST GET A MAKEUP TRIAL. Okay maybe “must” is a bit strong but if you have any reservations, it’s a really, really good idea. I included trials in my pricing because I thought they were so important. And, way before we were all conducting life via Zoom (and how I got the idea for teaching makeup lessons online!), I would offer virtual trials for long-distance clients. Basically, you want to see the artist apply makeup in real time and talk you through exactly what they want to do and WHY. You also want to find out how many looks you get to try. For my wedding, the makeup trial was trash. I had to pay like, $100 for something that made me look ill. My makeup artist asked me what colors I liked, turned me around, applied the makeup, and then I faced the mirror and that was it. Zero collaboration. So, as a mua myself, when I did makeup trials, I would (like many of my makeup lessons now) start out with a basic look, then build to something more glamorous, so the client could get an idea of the range of looks.
The Makeup Trial
So you’ve narrowed it down to your favorite artist and are ready for a makeup trial. You asked all the good questions, so you know what to expect, but here are some things to make the experience even better.
Take pictures for inspiration - find makeup you like and show it to your artist, but also try to figure out WHY you like those images. Is it the feeling they evoke? That the makeup focuses on a specific facial feature? How glam or how natural the makeup is? Also take note if there is a common theme among your photos. This will help you and the artist speak the same language when communicating exactly what you’re after.
Be respectful of the artist’s time - as fun as it might be to play dress up, unfortunately you probably wont’ be able to try all the different makeup looks you want. As I mentioned before, I would stop at different points throughout the trial to discuss different aspects of makeup knowing the client might not know what she wanted. But, assuming you’ve already settled on a time limit for the trial and the artist is collaborating with you to achieve your desired look, please know that there might not be time to start from scratch multiple times.
BE HONEST - I once had a client say she loved the look at the trial, she loved the way it looked in photos, she seemed so happy, but then she fired me. It still haunts me! There are crappy artists out there, but this whole post should help you find a good one. And even the best makeup artist can’t read your mind. So please, please be honest throughout the trial! During a makeup application I wouldn’t let the bride see the work until it was done, but throughout the trial would keep a mirror in her hand so we could work together and ensure her happiness at every brush stroke. Then, I’d take copious notes and pictures so I could exactly replicate the look at the event. If anything bothers you, please, please speak up now!
Trust
No matter how highly recommended your artist comes, if you don’t trust them and feel 100% comfortable, you won’t have a good experience. Sometimes it just comes down to a gut feeling, so make sure your artist is a good fit.
Wow that was a lot of info. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you learned something. Trust me, I’m extraordinarily picky about anyone doing my makeup…and that’s one of the reasons I learned to do it myself! Please reach out with any questions, and good luck finding your perfect makeup artist!
If you like what you see, share it! Appreciate you, mean it. JY