I am Elissavet, a professional make-up artist and entrepreneur with activity in Greece and abroad.
I am a graduate of London Makeup Institute with certification from the International Make-up Association (IMA).
Knowing the difficulties, you will face as new makeup artists in a very demanding field, I would like to give you some useful tips to plan your professional future step by step.
Usually, schools offer us the knowledge but they do not prepare us for our next steps and most important on how to succeed.
There is the possibility to be employed in retail sales or you can work in a beauty salon but the biggest challenge and at the same time the most tempting is to build your own brand, your own personal business and highlight your talent.
Building your own brand is what we will focus on today.
It is not easy and above all it will take time... While you are laying the foundations for this venture you can work part-time to have some income (that's what I did too).
Also important…. besides talent and love for what you do, you should gain experience, networking, business thinking and organization.
GAINING EXPERIENCE
To start gaining some experience start with your family and friends. The more you practice the better you will get. Try makeup on all ages and genders. Later when you are on the set of a professional photo shoot you may need to do make up for a child, a man or a mature woman. Watch videos on youtube videos and learn from the best in the industry. I personally follow Lisa Eldrige. Mary Greenwel, Rae Morris etc. Then try and adjust your style.
NETWORKING
When it comes to networking, use your school contacts and especially those of your professors. They may help you in your first steps. Later and after you have built a small portfolio you need to create a contact list that includes:
Advertising Agencies
Model agencies
Photographers
Event planners
Contact them with an official e-mail, a beautiful presentation of your work and your personality and a link to your site. You may send a hundred e-mails… maybe more... even if you get two or three responses, you have opened the first and most important doors.
BUSINESS LOGISTICS
As entrepreneurs you have other responsibilities besides the artistic ones. Accounting, expenses, income, invoices, banks, rents, etc. will pass through your hands. Also, the creation of a site and its maintenance... like the rest of social media... Advertising... You need to have everything organized.
With these in mind, let's proceed to the practical part.
The first steps to start your own business are:
• A professional make up kit
• A professional portfolio
• Your professional working space
• A professional website
A PRO MAKEUP KIT
Your make up kit should be up to date and always neat and clean. You will certainly feel more comfortable using products you have worked with in school or for your personal care but now you are considered a professional. Research, try and make sure you learn important information about the products you use and also about new products and companies. Ingredients, country of origin, certifications. Only in this way will you develop your work and move forward. Choose and use professional makeup products. Products intended for professional use are designed for high performance in front of the camera (film, photo, video camera) give a flawless result and coverage without the mask effect. This is due to their special design and high pigment content (at a minimum of 30%), resulting in significant product savings in each application. Also very important is the fact that they offer space savings. What does this mean? They are packaged in simple, very small packages to save space. It is significally different to carry 5 glass foundation bottles in your kit instead of a small palette with a weight of 50 grams and 10 different shades of foundation. MAQPRO for example has the fard crème which is certified for 4K high definition and does almost everything. The better the quality of the products you use, the better the result. We will say much more about the organization and selection of the make up kit products in another section.
BUILDING A PORTFOLIO
Be prepared at the outset that you will be working for free to create a professional portfolio (unless you can finance it yourself). This is also the tool that will 'sell' you to your customers. Working for free is not a bad thing. This way you will meet people who may be useful in the future. There are many new photographers, new models and companies trying, with little or no budget, to create projects from which you may benefit too. Don't upload photos of your mom, your sister and anyone you know with makeup you did with a cell phone in bad lighting. Do not upload before and after photos (unless you are doing makeovers). Never! It is not professional, nor is it beautiful. Both for your client and for you. Trust the photographers you work with and only use professional photos.
A PROFESSIONAL WORKING SPACE
Your professional headquarters, your studio, is important to your status as a professional. Having a legitimate business you can invoice affiliates, accept remittances and payments in all ways from everywhere. You can start with a small tasteful space. Prefer an office on a floor rather than a shop. Design and use a logo for your business. Keep the same format on your labels, cards and your website.
A WEBSITE
Create a professional website. You can do it yourself or outsource it to a company. There are platforms like WIX that give you the tools to create a website yourself for a small cost. Make sure your site is aesthetically pleasing and attractive. Choose the photos you upload carefully to reflect your style and aesthetic. It is a good idea to have a variety of photos unless you decide to focus on one type eg bridal makeup. Make sure you have your contact details correct and clear and above all a professional e-mail. Last but not least and really important… your website should be in at least two languages.
These are the basics to start with. I hope this was helpful
I would be glad to answer your questions and let you know that in the next section/video we will talk about building a professional make up kit.
