Becoming a MUA

Hey guys

So my first ever post is about becoming an MUA. I have gotten a lot of Q's about so I decided to clear a few things up and answer questions. The following is a list of some of the things that will help you out. They're not in any particular order.

Practice.
Makeup kit/Supplies
Business cards.
People skills.
Portfolio.

I'm gonna cover every thing I just listed in more detail.

Practice
And no joke, practice is one of THE most important things you need. Many of my clients and friends ask me, where did your learn makeup, what school did you go to.... and on. I always tell them the same thing. I have a lot of practice. And almost every MUA will tell you this. And it's because it's so true. They will especially tell you they were self taught which is actually true in most cases. I would practice for HOURS every day, night, all the time. And even when I was happy with a look, I still didn't stop there. I would always find ways to make it better. Some things that will help you out more is looking at youtube videos. There you will get an idea of what to do and it will give you a jumpstart for practice. Unfortunately for me I didn't know about youtube when I was starting out so hopefully this will be easier for you now that you have resources.



Makeup Kit
That's pretty much self explanatory. You are gonna need a good makeup kit. It isn't a good idea to use your own makeup as a kit but sometimes people don't have that kind money to be having two kits. When I first started out I made the mistake of putting myself out there before I even had a kit! I advertised my services and I didn't have foundations for every skin color, multiple lipsticks and lipglosses, different concealers, blushes, or even multiple palettes. I had makeup for myself but that wasn't enough. Basically everything I needed to start out with I didn't have. And surprisingly I still managed to survive haha. Little by little I started buying things and I didn't break the bank.If you want to see what you need, look at my makeup/traincase kit post. It's important to have contracts. This will protect you as well as the client. Some clients will feel more comfortable if you use one.



Business cards
They may not seem important but they really are. This is how people will contact you when they want your services. It also gives you a more professional look. On the business card you will include your phone number, email, name and what you do. Even your website if you have one. A popular website that makes business cards is vistaprint. They offer 250 free business cards. You just pay shipping which comes out to what $4-$5? That's good to get you started and going. Remember to give them out to clients, business, and friends. When you're at a gig, leave a few cards behind on a table so that anybody can pick one up if they liked your work or they want to hire you for another event. Some salons and stores will let you leave some cards at their tables. Which is a good idea because hundreds of woman will see them when they're there for appointments. Here's a shot of my business card. I didn't blur the number or email because I have this info on my professional website anyway.



People skills
This may sound weird but it is important to be a people person. No one wants to work with someone that has an attitude problem. I bet that if MAC switched out their snobby B*tches (Excuse the language) for actual nice people, they would get even more business then they already do. I have seen millions of reviews on yelp.com from people complaining about the poor customer service from the employees there. That they have to wait 30 minutes to be noticed or that they gave them snooty attitudes. It's important you have patience as well. Your clients won't always like he makeup you did and they might be more blunt about it. Some might give you attitude or insult you. You can't go and insult them right back. Remember the client is always right. In their own world ahha but that is true. Always have a bright smile and talk with them while you're working with them. They will most likely hire you again just based on your friendliness. By the way that's not me in the picture haha. Just a random flickr image.

Portfolio
It's important to build a great portfolio. Most of your clients will request to see it. And you don't want camera snapshots that you took in your bathroom. When you finish a gig, ask your client if a professional photographer will be taking pictures at the event. If they say yes, politely ask if they can get a copy of an up close shot of their makeup. The majority of the time they will be glad to do it. You can also invest in a camera of your own. You can take a picture after a look is done. Or even a before and after. The most popular portfolio is online. You can have your own website. Or create a port on ModelMayhem.com. Website's are sometimes important to have. And they're not all that expensive. Some websites can cost from $5 to $20 a month. Some are even free. Although the upside is that the company will blast it with advertisements and you don't get your own domain.



























These are just a few things that will help you when your starting out. If I forget anything I'll add it on so don't forget to check back sometime in the future!