Monday, January 10, 2011

Life As a Makeup Artist (1)

Hey divas,
being a makeup artist is tons of fun, but don't think that there's no work involved. We play with color, get creative, and wear black clothes, BUT we work long hours, WEEKENDS, and usually holidays. Its a payoff for sure, but to me, its worth it. I love it so much that I never think of it as work. And its always amazing to make more money in one day than most people make in a few weeks. 

This is a shoot we did in my unfinished basement. My photographer and one of my models. Fact of the Day: Most photographers rent out empty warehouses for photo shoots!

Being a MUA means being of help sometimes. To make great pictures, you have to help in any way possible- even if it means holding up lights!

 
It means learning how to quickly tweak hair and wardrobes so that the pictures look good. It means thinking fast, and working hard!

 Its SO rewarding when your models look beautiful- just like Zohra here!

You have to straighten outfits when there are SNAKES around! Haha..this was not your conventional shoot. The snake is a LIVE, MOVING, LIVING, BREATHING PYTHON! I love the expression on Zohra's face! Shes laughing while holding a poisonous reptile...this shoot was all her idea too! I think I asked her a million times if she was sure she wanted to go ahead with this shoot!
This is one of my favorite edited pics from the snake shoot! What do you think?

Being a MUA means being PATIENT. You have to explain things to customers in non MUA language- break it down for everyone to understand. Be prepared to repeat yourself, and explain things over and over. But it feels great when someone does what you explained, and is so happy when she sees herself in the mirror!
It means LAUGHING when you're stressed and on a deadline. Laughter is the best medicine to relieve STRESS! In the above picture, our shoot was supposed to take no more than 6 hours. By this time, the models had been there for 9 hours, and we were nowhere close to finishing. Thankfully, we all laughed and talked, and enjoyed our long day together.
It also includes lots of hunching down- which causes back and neck pains, and lots of tylenol. Haha..but well worth it!

Long hours get rewarded with beautiful pictures like the above one! 

Overall, being a MUA has given me an outlet to channel my creativity, a way to get away from the norm, a place where NO isn't an answer, and best of all, a way to meet numerous talented people that I would not have met otherwise. It is a rewarding experience each and every day, and I look forward to it no matter what my hours may be. 

I hope reading this made you want to reach out and finally give something that you have always wanted to do a try. Its worth it!

22 comments:

  1. beautiful post! thanks for sharing!

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  2. This is such a fantastic post, you have a talent for writing too!

    The photos are stunning and the make-up on both ladies gorgeous, I couldn't help but notice the lovely cut crease & use of colours on the 2nd model, love it.

    This was a very inspirational post and yet really important that you didn't gloss over the less glam aspects of it.

    Do you have a preference of the type of work you like to do the most? i.e. photo shoots, bridal, editorial etc

    Thanks so much for this, you look amazing yourself in those pics by the way :-)

    Diane x

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  3. diane, i always look forward to your lovely comments. they really brighten up my day. I look forward to trying out different things during photo shoots, but the hours get very long. I've done 12-14 hour shoots before, and they are beyond exhausting. I like doing all kinds of makeup for different reasons.

    Weddings are always fun because everyone is happy and jovial, and excited! It always feels good to work in such a loving environment. However, weddings don't push the creative envelope, so they can get a bit repetitive and boring. Editorial is always fun because the creative team knows exactly what they want and its my job to deliver- a bit nervewrecking, but to see your work published is unbelievably exhilarating! Due to that I can't say which is my favorite type of work...it depends on the day and my mood.

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  4. hi, i love ur blog.
    how did u became a make up artist??
    cuz that's my dream !!

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  5. Such a great post.

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  6. I can see how good you are as a makeup artist and you are really having a great time. I think a life of a makeup artist is so much fun. Just like what you are now experiencing.

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  7. Ooooh, could you do a break down of Zohra's hair and makeup? It's gorgeous! x

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  8. yeah absolutely! I will actually try and film a look on this because its one of my all time favorite looks!

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  9. I love this. I'm feeling more confidence after reading this THankYOU

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  10. Hi! Firstly This post is amazing! Seccondly i would really like to be a makeup artist but i dont know if i should be self employed and do it as a mobile makeup artist or to work for films and tv creating exciting makeup and prothstetics? I am 16 years old and am in high school... I am expected good grades and to go onto college and study fashion! :-) xxxx

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