The Hard Part of Being a Makeup Artist...

Hi Bellas,

I wanted to share with you a makeover I did a few weeks ago.  This was a part of the community service program I participated in called the Help Portrait.  I worked with a team of photographers and the Center for Working Families for this National Day of giving back.  The premise of the Help Portrait is to give members of the community the opportunity to have a professional portrait taken.  Many of us take this for granted.  Sadly, some only have their portrait taken when being incarcerated.  Everyone should have a chance to have their picture taken...it gives a sense of confidence and a meaningful momento to take home.  I did the makeovers with the help of my two friends who assisted me. 

Note:  This isn't the typical happy go lucky post...it's my honest thoughts and my real experience that shows the other side of being a makeup artist.


I'm not going to lie, but the experience definitely challenged me as both a person and a makeup artist.  It was a 7 hour day of not sitting down or taking a break.  While there were five photographers, there was only one makeup artist.  I had to turn the makeovers around in an average of 20 minutes with a line of women watching every brush stroke.  Many of the women were not used to wearing makeup at all, or were older and set in their ways.  As a result, a lot of women weren't exactly pleased with the makeovers.  Mind you, this isn't my first time dealing with a client that didn't love their look.  However, a combination of exhaustion and negative comments was a bit much for me that day.  From an objective point of view, I think the looks came out nicely.  I tried to give most women a natural look that photographed well and enhanced their features.  Also, this was a complimentary service for the community.  I don't think everyone took that into account.  


Here is a picture of one client.  Prior to my makeover, the only thing that she wore was a silver lipstick that was a bit dated.  I wanted to bring more of a natural color palette to her lips and also clear up some discoloration on her skin.  I ended up using mainly my 88 Warm Palette to create a polished look for her eyes.  The client's reaction:  "Ughh, I look dead."  Not exactly what I was expecting.  She had seen my work on some other women who were in the chair before her, and liked it.  But when it comes to seeing your own makeover, sometimes it's a different story.

Honestly, I thought it came out pretty good.  I think it was hard for her to see her skin looking a bit lighter.  When people have discoloration to their skin, it really changes their skin tone.  It was hard for the client to see herself in a new light.  I had to take her reaction, and assure her that she looked great.  I offered some suggestions to change the look but she declined.  Looking at the picture objectively, I think maybe I could have added more blush to warm up her skin.  I had a bit on, but the camera didn't pick it up.  Something to take into account when doing photoshoot makeup...pack on the blush!  Oh well, you win some you lose some! 

What I learned from this is that being a Makeup Artist definitely makes you a stronger person. You learn to communicate with different types of people and handle both praise and rejection. The key is to be confident in your abilities, listen to your clients, and execute what you think is a good combination of the client's wishes and your expertise.  Keep your head up and always learn from an experience, but don't let it keep you down.

I have more makeovers from my Help Portrait coming up.  Stay tuned!