The Business of Makeup.

Dec 2, 2014

Wanjiru M.

I have been working as a makeup artist for the past one year and it has been an interesting experience. I love beauty, it's my passion and I want to make a career out of it. I have faced a lot of challenges and I'd like to ask for advice from other artists who have been at it longer than I have.
My greatest challenge has been trying to making a profit from my makeup business. Since I am not yet established most clients are unwilling to pay for makeup services and thus I have to charge less than I should so as to build networks with clients. At what point should I charge the ideal price?
Another issue is keeping track of my assets. When buying products to add to my kit, should I keep an inventory list or put down accounting records so as to track my earnings and the value of my products?
Lastly, is it right to use the products I purchase for both personal or business use or should I separately buy my own products so I don't eat into the business assets

Dec 2, 2014

Shantal B.

Ideal price should be made when you start gaining more clients...since you want to show your skills! & gradually move up in price...what kind of promotions you do now matter as well...inventory list & recording earnings I think are both essential so you can see what products you use more and what cost it is to you & after awhile you can start seeing what you don't need to be using...or need to replace that's cost effective.

Dec 2, 2014

Shantal B.

Separate your personal use because then it's a more accurate count for you since you want to keep track...

Dec 2, 2014

Shantal B.

Also network like crazy! Separate your self from other artist by adding something different it makes your self a lot more marketable...for instance I used to do a mini facial prior to make up application, mention certain products that would be great for there skin type and that's how I got my facial clients and I would throw in eyebrow waxing...eyebrow and eyelash tinting etc. just be creative!!

Dec 3, 2014

Emily W.

Your prices reflect several factors: your experience level, the quality of your kit, your clientele, and your geographic region. Never give discounts, because people will just take advantage of you. Figure out your target clients: brides/special events, fashion/editorial, SFX, whatever. Market yourself: create a professional website, maintain your professional portfolio, and join professional groups and/or vendor listings for your chosen specialty. Note that social network accounts are okay for networking (be sure to keep personal posts out of business accounts) but are not substitutes for a website. A big note to anyone who reads this: INSTAGRAM IS NOT A PORTFOLIO. A portfolio should only include images produced professionally; that is, taken by a photographer with correct lighting and exposure. NO PHONE PICS OR SELFIES.

As for accounting and usage: always keep personal and professional purchases separate. You don't want to end up getting audited because you accidentally wrote off a product you bought personally as a business expense. As for using products on yourself: this is a slippery slope. Do you always scrape the product into a clean palette each time? With personal products we tend to overlook sanitation; you don't want to risk contaminating a kit product and forgetting to sanitize.

I highly suggest going on Facebook and joining the group In My Kit run by professional artist Kevin James Bennett. It has a lot of great resources for both product and business. Just be sure to read the rules before you decide to post.

Dec 4, 2014

Wanjiru M.

Thanks Shantal B. I have already started working on advertising my services, I will definitely keep your advise on making my services unique and networking as much as possible.

Emily W. I love your suggestion on having a professional portfolio with pictures taken by a photographer. Social media is not professional enough. Yeah, I definitely need a separate kit so that I keep my work kit intact. I'll be sure to check out the Facebook page, thanks a lot:)