Makeup Artist Characteristics and

Qualities
Are you interested in a career as a makeup artist? Wonderful! It's an exciting and
creative way to make a living. Are you interested to learn what makes a good makeup
artist? Also good! Asking that question is the first step to becoming a professional.

Click HERE to Find a Makeup School

What Makes a Good Makeup Artist?

We've talked with MUAs from many different cities and asked them, what are the
makeup artist characteristics and qualities that someone would need to succeed?
Here's what they said.

They're Quick and They're Capable

This one seems obvious, but it came up again and again. A successful makeup artist
knows what she or he is doing, and will be able to quickly and efficiently create the
look that she or he has been paid to produce. They've got the skills.
That can be challenging, because the look you're requested to produce can vary quite a
bit! You have to be able to quickly understand a person's skin tone and facial contours
and what would look best on them, but sometimes you'll need to create a look that
surprises you.

Here's what we mean by that: It's often assumed that makeup artists get paid to help
people find their best look... but that's not always the case! Very often you'll work with a
photographer who wants an avant garde look, or a commercial director who wants the
makeup to express a certain emotion state (such as sadness, anger, loneliness), or you
may even work with a bride who is CERTAIN she wants a look that doesn't quite work
for her.
In other words, you'll need to have a great amount of control over the looks you
produce, because the longer you're in the business, the more you'll be get some pretty
odd requests.
The makeup artists who are able to make a living are at the top of their game, and
they've worked hard to get there.

That brings us to the second of the makeup artist qualities, which is...

They Are Experienced

There's only way to develop your makeup artist skills, and that is through
EXPERIENCE. You just need to get out there and work with as many people as you
can.
Here's the good news: you've got a face, and it is always available for practice. So
try everything. Different looks, different products, different lighting. Find what works and
what DOESN'T work. Become an expert on your face.
Here's the bad news: your face is not nearly enough! Every human face is different, and
being an expert at what looks best on you isn't enough. Your goal is to be able to work
with absolutely anyone, so you need to work with people with drastically different
features and skin tones. You need to be working on new faces, all the time.

Experience is important because it'll prepare you for the trillions of different experiences
you'll face as a MUA. But there's another reason why it's super important: the more
experience you have, the more confident you'll be. You will KNOW that you can
walk into any situation and kick some butt, and that is a pretty wonderful feeling.
We've written a couple posts on how to get experience, and they'll help you find people
to work with.

Click HERE to Find a Makeup School

They Show Up on Time!
Believe it or not, being punctual and showing up on time might be the most important of
the makeup artist qualities. That sounds weird, right? But think about it: if the MUA
doesn't show up on time, she can't do the job she was hired for! For most gigs, makeup
is applied before anything else happens---before the photoshoot, the runway, or the
walk down the aisle. Being there at the appropriate time is INCREDIBLY important.

Here's the good news: punctuality, like everything else, is a skill. Even if you're bad at it
now, you practice it until it becomes second nature. Some of the most capable makeup
artists around had to really work on being on time, and--if we're being honest, we're still
getting the hang of punctuality!--so we've written a post about how to get places on
time. 

They Know How to Work with Other People

This also sounds a little bit silly, but it's true: you will never work alone as a makeup
artist! There will always be at least one other person around, and very often, dozens of
people around! You'll need to be able to work with others and collaborate with them.
A big part of a MUAs job is interviewing/having meetings with a "decision maker" and
determining the right look for the job. The decision maker is the person who has the
final say on what the style of the makeup will be. If it's a wedding, the decision maker is
usually the bride; if it's a photo shoot, it may be the photographer; if it's an
advertisement, it's usually the creative director of the company paying for the ad.

Very often, those meetings are collaborative exercises, where both the MUA and the
director/photographer/client brainstorm ideas (although sometimes it's not that
collaborative, and the decision maker will say, "This is what we need"). So being able to
communicate with others and intuit their desires is important.

But there's another reason why people skills are important: if you're a MUA, you're
going to come across some difficult personalities. It may be a bride who is freaking
out on her big day, a model who is bit of a prima donna, or a photographer who is not
quite certain about the look he wants. You will definitely meet some sparkly magical
people, but you'll also meet a couple of monsters, and you'll need to be able to get the
job done, even when they person you're working with is a little "prickly."

They LOVE Makeup

Last but not least, you've got to love it! This is usually the easiest of characteristics
we've mentioned, because most of the people who are seriously considering a career in
makeup absolutely love makeup. This, really, is the most important characteristic. If you
love makeup, applying makeup, and coming up with looks, you'll keep going until you've
built a great career.

Practice Makes Perfect---In Other Words,

You Got This
If you're a little freaked out by any of the makeup artist characteristics above, DON'T
BE. You can do it. The great news about each of the items above is that you can
practice them. Lack experience? Offer your services to people in your area for free. Do
you always run late? Practice being on time. Terrified of working with others? So are
most people who are starting out! If you're nervous, that is OK. You've got what it takes
to make it, and if you keep trying, it's only a matter of time before you are living the life
you want to live!
Image Credit: "Sydney Fashion Week - Backstage at Fashion Assassin - Cargo Hall" by
Charlie Brewer via Wikimedia Commons (changes made to original: image resized)