How to give more value to your works as a free-lance makeup artist

An important part of makeup artists work is studying the best way possible to present themselves, standing out with their work. Because you must know that the first impression a makeup artist gives is the more valuable business card to his/her customer. An excellent presentation of you and your works can grant you big satisfactions and new customers.

Fashion your personal work-of-art portfolio

If you are a beginner makeup artist, you will need a portfolio with the best of your works to show to your potential customers. You can choose between a classic portfolio and an online digital portfolio: we think that the last one is your best choice, because can be immediately sent to everyone worldwide by email, social network and so on. But the classic portfolio composed of beautiful and colorful photos in high printing quality will have a  stronger impact if the meeting with your customer is face to face. In this case, your photos should be 9×12cm o 11×14cm and organized in a professional binder.

To create your online portfolio, you can buy your web domain and create a digital portfolio using a lot of different free online tools like WordPress or Tumblr to publish your photos. We suggest you to place your logo on the photos you publish, so anyone can exploit them without your consent.  Take advantage of  social networks to promote you:  an active, continuous and quality presence on the social networks will help you to build up the right network of people which can support you in order to develop your makeup artist career. Shooting while you are working on your lighted makeup station, for example,  is an effective way to present yourself as the professional that you feel to be.  In both cases, digital or classic, your portfolio should be divided into makeup styles: daily/evening make-up, wedding make-up, photo shooting make-up (to give you a basic example).

Take care of your image

Once you have built up your portfolio, use it to attract new customers. Remember that in the field of professional makeup and beauty, your image is your most important business card, and it is a critical factor for achieving success. To become a real, pro makeup artist, you don’t need only to be good at doing makeup: you have to create a solid and perfect image of yourself, so that the potential customers will take an interest in you .
To achieve this result, mind your outfit: your look must be simple but impeccable, with a  preference for a total, stylish black. Avoid quirky outfits, above all if you are at your first steps as a free-lance makeup artist and you can’t rely on a well-known reputation yet: a clean-looking appearance instills confidence to your clients.

Get them to remember you

Remain in touch with your customers: give them your business card and take note of their contacts.  Ask always for a feedback about your makeup work: you will receive an important piece of information for improving your skills.  Invite regularly your customers, at the end of your makeup or touch-up work, to take a shoot and publish it on your social profiles. Best of all, a pair of photos, first and after. Often girls and woman, feeling themselves beautiful, will love to give you the consent and will also share your post:  this is the best way possible to start the positive word of mouth and improve the possibilities to get in touch with new customers.