You’ve been in the makeup profession for a while now and know just how big the makeup artist job board and client base can be. From doing a test-shoot for an up-and-coming model to applying a bald cap for the antagonist of a new TV pilot, your makeup artist certification can take your career far and wide.
While some of these jobs are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, it’s important to know that every one of the makeup artists behind these huge productions started from somewhere.
Hang tight! We’re taking you through a list of the 4 high-profile makeup artist jobs we would die for.
New York Fashion Week Makeup Artist
Can you even imagine working at one of the world’s biggest fashion shows? If you’re the lead makeup artist, you’re expected to meet with the designer of the show and figure out together how they want to show off their designs. This can mean crazy avant-garde makeup, or sometimes an understated blank slate is needed. The only main difference is that you’re expected to pump out looks on 18-40 different models in a single show.
Don’t worry, though, you won’t bear that level of intensity alone. There’s about 100 different leading makeup artists in a show, one (or two) for every designer!
Game of Thrones
If there’s only one word that can convince you of just how awe-worthy having a job on set for this show is, it would be “dragon”. While it’s known far and wide that the dragons for the show are developed through the extensive use CGI, the rest of the cast is brought to life using makeup! The makeup can be pretty standard, like the high-born glamour of Margaery Tyrell, or extremely extensive, like the dragon-scale application on Jorah Mormont’s body. No matter how advanced CGI becomes, there’s always a place for special effects makeup.
We heard the final season will be airing in 2 years time…you can catch us at the front of the line if they ever do a call-out for makeup artists!
Creative Director of a Major Beauty Brand
Some of the world’s biggest makeup artists end up going way, way, way behind the scenes and start molding the industry from the ground up! Why follow trends when you can shape an entire industry’s way of looking at makeup artistry?
You’re in charge of designing and executing the creative strategy behind every piece of visual merchandising for the brand. Artists like the legendary Pat McGrath and Lisa Eldridge have filled these shoes if that gives you any indication of how coveted this job is! If you land this job, there’s nobody in the world who can tell you that you’re not important—trust us, who would turn down a call from Lancome’s Global Creative Director of makeup? You’ll no longer have to slyly drop the name of the makeup artist you once apprenticed for; your job title says it all.
Fenty Beauty – Global Makeup Artist
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, Rihanna has been working on an incredibly hyped-up makeup line! We’ve been waiting for this ever since her epic MAC collab back in 2013, so you can imagine how big of a frenzy this launch has stirred up in recent months.
In typical RiRi fashion, she’s decided to source one of her brand’s biggest representatives from outside the usual pool of A-list makeup artists. Back in February, James Vincent, one of the key partners for her new line, put out a call on his Instagram to search for the Fenty Beauty Global Makeup Artist in real life in NYC, LA, and Dallas. Those moving on would have the chance to do makeup on Rihanna herself!
We may have missed out, but we’re not salty enough to pretend we’re not excited for this new line! Besides, knowing Rihanna, she’ll likely promote similar opportunities for her fans in the future.
Dream big!
You may be stuck doing high-school prom makeup for now, but a great career portfolio isn’t built in a day. If you work hard enough and network with your clients and other professional makeup artists, you might one day be tapped to do Beyonce’s makeup. Sally forth!
