Makeup Artist Red Flags

After a decade of experience as a working makeup artist in major markets like Miami, New York City, Nashville, and Toronto, i have had the pleasure of working alongside, being on a team with, and formerly assisting some of the best artists in the world….ive also had to put teams of artists together for large photoshoots and runway shows and have hired plenty of assistants to help me on set.

So, I have really seen it all. Plenty of good experiences and many not-so-good experiences. Some of these mistakes I have been guilty of committing myself, out of inexperience.

So when you are looking for the perfect professional makeup artist for your production, wedding, or photoshoot… exercise caution if any of these red flags are present. And If you are a new Makeup Artist trying to make it in this tough industry… take notes!

First Impressions:

No website, only Instagram

Having an Instagram presence and a lot of followers is great. In the current world where you can easily purchase followers for cheap, don’t be deceived into believing someone is talented because of their count. Some of the top-grossing working makeup artists and hairstylists in the industry have less than 500 followers. But all of them have websites and portfolios with their complete body of work online because that’s what brands and important clients want to see.

Only has pictures of makeup they did on their own face.

Just because you can do your own makeup really well, DOES NOT necessarily make someone a makeup artist, It makes you a makeup enthusiast or a beauty guru. The skills, muscle memory, perspective, speed, and experience of how to paint a variety of face shapes, features, skin types, and skin tones DOES make you a professional makeup artist.

I have personally been on sets (and heard plenty of similar stories) where a very big brand hired a well-known Instagram artist with a huge following to do a model’s makeup for their upcoming beauty product launch, and the Instagram artist takes hours to do a very simple look and sadly it looked amateur, the client was upset and they had to reshoot the whole thing another day.

“Celebrity Makeup Artist” in their Instagram Bio

“CeLeBriTY MaKeup ArTist” has been a goldmine for years for makeup artist meme pages like @makeupartist.dank.memes. Is the makeup artist the celebrity? or have they just painted on a celebrity or two? The majority of artists that predominantly do celebrity red carpet work or have a celebrity clientele base, would never call themselves celebrity makeup artists. Maybe their friends would describe them as such, but believe me, it feels cringe.

“Certified Makeup Artist” in their Instagram Bio

There is no such thing as a makeup artist certification. Unfortunately, currently in the USA, there is no license to be a makeup artist and Makeup Artistry is still completely unregulated. I have many opinions on this, but that’s for another blog post I will write one day. You can go to school and study to learn the art of makeup artistry and when you finish the course, they give out Certificates of Completion. Many famous Makeup Artists give masterclasses and will provide you with a certificate after you complete the course as well. It doesn’t really mean anything either. If anyone offers you a makeup class and promises you will be a Certified Makeup Artist, it’s misleading and a scam.

Their Entire Portfolio is the Same Complexion / Age / Look

This isn’t always the makeup artist’s fault. Sometimes it is where one person lives geographically doesn’t have a diverse pool of models with different skin tones or the casting director is not casting for diversity. But, if you are planning on hiring someone to do a production where there are a variety of skin tones and skin types, it is so important to choose a makeup artist with skills and the tools to properly match any skin tones for HD cameras. The same goes for mature skin. There is more skill, finesse, and technique to make 40+ skin look fresh, vibrant, and gorgeous than it does with a model in their teens or 20s.

Remember: It is not okay for models of color to be asked to do their own hair and makeup OR provide their own foundation and makeup colors. A true professional Makeup Artist should carry the gamma of skintones and skintypes to every job and be prepared for literally anyone of any age, color or gender that could potentially sit in our makeup chair.

Yes, there are cheaper makeup artists out there and many of them just treat makeup as a hobby/side hustle for extra income. This does not make them bad at what they do, more than often just inexperienced. Over the years I have received many desperate phone calls and emails from stressed-out clients and photographers because their artists were no-shows or canceled last minute, they hated a makeup trial, and even from brides needing to reshoot wedding photos because their wedding makeup looked terrible, I have to wonder how seriously some makeup artists take their clients’ needs.

Make sure to ask the right questions and feel confident that the makeup artist you are hiring is the best person for the job.

Part II coming soon!