Want to be a Make-Up Artist?

If you used to sneak into your mom’s dresser and paint your face with all her Maybellines and Revlons, there’s a good chance you’ve got a future in the glamorous make-up industry. Artist Lorie Abraham dishes on the ins and outs of painting faces professionally.

Art and Science. Being a make-up artist doesn’t just involve knowing how to cleverly apply liquid eyeliner without a hitch. Aside from the pre-requisite passion for make-up, an aspiring make-up artist has to know how to study a client’s features well, in order to bring out the person’s assets. You’ve got to study colors, combinations and even how certain colors can react to different skin tones. You’ve also got to be well-versed with all the different types of make-up and how to apply them using the different cosmetic tools available. Make-up application is a form of artistry, so if you pay attention to detail and are creative, you’ll definitely make it in the business.

Beauty Brains. It’s fine if you know your makeup so well you can put it on with your eyes closed, but making makeup your career does require a certain degree of professional training. The makeup industry is a pretty competitive workplace nowadays, and you can’t afford to commit errors that are simply due to a lack of training. Most makeup artists accept apprenticeships—if you’re a student who’s looking at a prospective career in makeup, it would be good to get in touch with professionals and ask about apprenticing. The work hours are usually flexible so you’ll be able to fit a few jobs in between classes.