How to Become a Professional Makeup Artist in the Gold Coast

The beauty industry has boomed to new heights over the past couple of years. Beauty influencers and professional makeup artists have changed the game. If you are a makeup artist and wanted to showcase your own styles, you can also be setting a trend in the online world, like the famous Jeffree Star, Nikki Tutorials, and James Charles did.

Even though it is a very competitive industry, there is enough room for everyone. If you are an aspiring MUA (Makeup Artist) in the Gold Coast, then there is nothing stopping you to reach your goals.

To help you reach the dream, we’ve compiled a list of expert tips on how you can become a successful MUA.

Get the Right Tools

You can’t be a beauty guru without the right tools. Rather than buying a lot of cheap branded eyeshadow pallets or knock offs, invest in the real deal. Make sure you have all the basics, foundation in all different skin tones, and a lot of different colors to play with.

When you invest in good quality makeup, you’ll be able to ask a much higher fee for your services. People usually want an MUA who know their brands and who give them a luxurious experience when they sit in the beauty chair.

Read this to learn about must-haves of a beginner’s makeup kit.

Be Clean and Hygienic

Nothing in the beauty world gives you a worse wrap than uncleanliness. Working on people’s skin requires you to keep all your brushes clean and sanitized. Invest in high quality cleaners and do some research on hygienic application techniques.

Neglecting cleaning your equipment and working space can have embarrassing and even harmful consequences. Bacteria live on the skin and you wouldn’t want to spread them from one client to another.

Learn from the Best

Get in the game, by shadowing another professional MUA that you admire. Offer free assistance when they do bridal or model makeup and keep a close eye on the special techniques that they use. Even noticing how they treat their clients will give you a great indication of what you can expect once you start working by yourself. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

Makeup your mom, your friend, your boyfriend, the lady across the street, and yourself as much as possible. You have to keep on practicing to get your fine motor skills up to and even above average.

Don’t stick to one style of artistry, try out a variety of different looks. You will only become a truly great artist when you can master all kinds of beautification ranging from fantasy cosmetics to editorial, and bridal to celebrity red carpet.

Follow tutorials by your masters and practice on yourself. Getting hands-on will make all the difference. Watch this for an excellent beginner-friendly tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIdP_mU2fEQ

Formal Education

If you need some extra help, why not enroll for a makeup course or program. There are loads of different online programs available that teach many different skills. What’s great about these is that they don’t take years to complete, some beauty courses range only between 1-6 months.

In the future, some clients might request to see your certification or diploma, then you’ll have something to show them. Having a formal education will also give you an advantage over other applicants when applying for jobs or gigs.

Take the Job

At the start of your career, you should accept any kind of job that you can find. Because the industry is so flooded with hopefuls, any experience is great experience. Some of the best makeup artists in the world started their careers selling makeup in a shopping center or doing daily makeup at a small booth.

This will not only give you first-hand experience with clients, but you’ll definitely learn a lot about the products and client needs while you are at it.

Experts advise that you wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll be probably standing all day. As well as show your enthusiasm and love for your job. You never know what opportunity might stumble your way while you are doing some random person’s makeup in a shopping center.

Becoming a professional MUA won’t happen overnight. You have to put in a lot of time, effort, and passion, but you’ll definitely get there if you really want it.