Lots of you may think why is a Makeup Artist so expensive? Many people do not understand what is actually being paid for. So I thought I would give you some explanations.

When I first started out in my makeup career I charged very little for my hair and makeup services because of my lack of experience. I needed to build up my client base, my product knowledge and kit. Now I have worked on many wonderful faces and my kit is pretty large and so my prices have increased however read on to get a better understanding of why a hair and makeup artist charges what they do, and why it varies so much.

#1 Experience

A makeup artist works on people's faces all the time and know exactly the right products for you, they should be able to judge and read you and get the exact look that suits you as well as what you want. This experience is validation that you should wholeheartedly trust. Applying makeup on someone is very personal and you need to trust that artist can do what you want. There is no way that someone can have this much knowledge of products, skin types, face shapes, tools etc without the experience and that takes a lot of time and money. A lesser experienced makeup artist may not be able to do exactly what a more experienced artist can and therefore should not charge as much.

#2 Expertise, skill, 

Your makeup artist will be expertly trained and highly skilled in this field. They most probably would have paid for a professional makeup course and worked on a variety of jobs. A good makeup artist will be an expert at applying makeup on people which can  be very fiddly and you need to have that attention to detail as well as a steady hand and gentleness. It should never hurt when someone applies your makeup and they should be fully insured too. A good makeup artist will also be able to tell you what doesn't look right and have the confidence to make changes if they don't look right. If someone does not make you feel confident when they are applying makeup to your face perhaps you need to have a rethink!

#3 Creativity

Hair designers and  makeup artists are just that, designers and artists! An excellent one will have natural creativity to be able to visually see what looks good and what doesn't. They will have the confidence to apply that creativity to your face and hair. Whether it is a more flattering eye brow shape or lip colour that enhances your features beautifully. In my opinion applying makeup is like painting on a fresh canvas and hair  styling is like sculpting. I love both!

#4 Time

Time is taken to prepare, pack and clean a kit before each job, travelling time to and from venues for freelancers is all time that is not always accounted for. A photoshoot or TV gig can pay between £200-£350+ a day so each time you book a makeup artist they can potentially be turning down other work that pays more. This is why some hair and makeup artists will have a minimum booking fee.

#5 Kit

A good makeup artist will have a kit that can be used on absolutely anyone. Sometimes we get guests on a TV show that you have never met, or bridesmaids that you do not know and you will have to be able to match their skin tones and skin types. A premium quality foundation can set you back £30-40 and in a makeup artists kit they need a to have a full range of colours to suit you. Just 10 foundations in a kit and that will set you back £300. Then you have luxury skin care added in, tools and brushes (one brush alone can be £30!) primers, setting sprays, powders, lipsticks and that's barely even half of a kit! 

#6 Professionalism 

The difference between a good makeup artist and a not-so-good one can be seen clearly by their professionalism. You can wholly trust a trained experienced artist to be hygienic, use products that are safe and clinically tested as well as work extremely well, be calm and know exactly what they are doing. Customer service is key and a professional makeup artists will not only be able to make you look your best but also FEEL your best. So, if you aren't comfortable with the amount of coverage or the false lashes...whatever it is, your makeup artists should be able to adapt what it is to suit you. They should not be insisting that you have to have it that way if you are not comfortable with it. I have heard numerous horror stories of unhappy brides who come to me after already having a trial elsewhere as they were not happy but were told they had to have it that way and they did not feel comfortable enough to say what they felt.

Anyway, I hope this helps to explain why sometimes the costs can vary so much between makeup artists. A really expensive one isn't always the best just like in other things, so do look at reviews and pictures and get the feel of the person who you are going to use. Be wary of the super cheap too as they may not have as much experience and products may not be as effective.

I hope this helps you to find the right hair and makeup artist.

Jen xx