By Francesco Fiori
“Starting a career as a makeup artist isn’t easy, there is a lot of competition but when you finally find your place, you can definitely say that fighting was worth it,” said Martina Ledda, 32, MAC Cosmetics MUA.
Like Ledda, many people dream of a career as a makeup artist, but the truth is that it is not that easy.
One of the first obstacles for an aspiring makeup artist is the expensive prices of makeup courses and schools.
Barbara Ponticelli, 25, beauty advisor, said: “Before starting my makeup course, I had to wait years to save money to be able to pay for the six months course.”
Usually, a complete makeup course is around £3.5k but it can also have a higher price – such as £8,000 – or even more.
Competitive work
After investing all that money in courses, the challenges are not over. In fact, the job of a makeup artist is very competitive as there are many people fighting for a very few spots.
Ledda said: “I remember my first interview. I was terrified. I had to create two looks and it was hard. I had no experience except my makeup course.”
Good advice is to study in the best schools to get the most formative experience possible. This is especially important in such a big and creative city like London, where the competition is high.
Most of the time, brands want people with experience and with a rich portfolio. They look for something unique.
Ponticelli said: “I’m still looking for an opportunity. I am working as a beauty assistant in a beauty shop. It is not a makeup artist job yet, but I am hopeful that I will succeed one day.”
Express yourself
When you work as a make-up artist, you have the incredible opportunity to show your talent and express yourself and your creativity. Every look, every creation will give you different emotions.
Sometimes you will be satisfied, sometimes maybe not, but this is part of the job. The most important thing is that you use your creativity, and you leave all your emotions to guide you in order to create the best piece of work.
With my experience as a make-up artist, I can say that this work is more than just studying and practicing. Passion plays a key role when it comes to makeup.
I started to be passionate about makeup when I was 15 and ever since, I have felt that this was my career path. Unfortunately, it is hard to find a place in this world.
The best memories I have as a makeup artist involve working with brides. It might look so simple and easy, but it is not – because everything has to be spotless.
You feel part of the wedding and it is so emotional. When you see them crying out of pure happiness, you just feel so thankful for your job.
So, is it worth it to become a makeup artist today?
As Ponticelli says: “Yes, it is because if you do the job you love, you will feel like you don’t have to work a single day of your life.”
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