Want to learn how to do makeup but don’t have any prior experience? Paula Alleyne is here to help! A QC Makeup Academy Student Ambassador, Paula is also a graduate of QC’s Master Makeup Artistry Course. Her professional makeup business, PAULA MONIQUE, specializes in bridal, editorial, and special occasions makeup. Connect with Paula in the QC Virtual Classroom on Facebook!
How can we maximize our time during the pandemic? The onset of COVID-19 has caused many of us to rethink the way we conduct our lives, both personally and professionally. During this time, as makeup artists, it forces us to reflect on how we do business, how we interact with clients, how we protect ourselves, and the costs associated with doing business in the new normal.
I therefore encourage everyone to take this time to be reflective and improve for the better. Maybe you can use this opportunity to better your existing business. Perhaps you can maximize this time to learn how to do makeup. The important thing is that you use your time productively, so that you can continue pushing yourself forward.
In case you need some ideas, here a few ways you can make the best of a bad situation…
Hygiene and health care are of utmost importance.
If you’re an aspiring or established MUA with some experience under your belt, think of the practices that you had prior to the pandemic. Consider the ways in which you handled and sanitized your products and tools. Ask yourself: is there room for you to be doing better and keeping things cleaner?
Take this time to undo any bad practices you may have had before. Instead, dedicate yourself now to becoming a makeup artist with improved hygiene standards. By being as sanitized as possible at all times, your clients will feel (and be) safer.
Embrace online learning.
Prior to COVID-19, there was a pretty heavy debate regarding whether online making courses were just as beneficial as brick-and-mortar makeup schools. But since the pandemic started, everyone and everything has now moved to the online platform.
I have seen such an increase of makeup courses being offered virtually. Not only does it provide a way to continue learning in the comfort and safety of your own home, it’s proven to be just as effective as its in-person counterpart.
It’s important to understand, though, that online learning requires serious discipline. If you enroll in an online course assuming it’ll be easy, you’ll be in for a major awakening. We all have hectic lives, which is why many online makeup courses are self-paced. But with this freedom comes a certain level of responsibility on our end. Discipline is therefore required to ensure that you learn, complete assignments, and keep progressing.
Take advantage of “free” time.
Some of us may still be on lockdown. For those of us who aren’t, there are still major social distancing rules in effect. As such, a bunch of activities that required physical attendance are now rescheduled or cancelled.
This means that that extra time might suddenly turn into open availability within your schedule. Still, try to use it productively (at least once in a while)! Develop a new makeup technique, or strengthen areas where you may be weak. This is time that can also be used to review your business plans, finances, and budget for the future.
Time waits for no one. Every effort you can make counts!
3 Ways to Learn How to Do Makeup If You Have No Experience
1. Research it!
Look at blogs, read books or magazines, and watch videos. I realized I had an interest in makeup years ago, when I saw a makeup brochure from AVON. It had sketches of where to apply makeup products, such as blush, as well as ideas for eyeshadow application.
I asked my older sister questions about makeup. I looked at magazines and paid attention to how makeup was applied on models. Reading books like Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin or Bobbi Brown’s Makeup Manual was also extremely eye-opening. I watched YouTube videos by makeup artists like Wayne Goss and Angie Di Battista, as well as videos on the history of makeup throughout various era and historical periods.
When it comes to makeup, there’s a whole world of information out there. A little research will go a VERY long way!
2. Practice it!
Practice on yourself and practice on others. After learning about makeup, I decided to start practicing it on myself. I attempted costume designs to go with the looks I was creating. I tried the smoky eye, red lips, nude lips – you name it!
I also began practicing on friends and family members. Applying your knowledge by working on other people’s faces is one of the single best ways to improve your skills and hone your craft. For me, these were times of trial and error. There were definitely mistakes made in the beginning – so, a big round of applause goes out to my sisters, my mother and my friends. They bore with me along the way, and put up with my technique when my hand was less than gentle.
The point is, eventually I got better! Even my sisters started to appreciate the torture of waiting in the chair while I finished. One big lesson I learned as I practiced was adjusting my facial expression. When working on clients, you need to know how to wear a good poker face. We’ve all had that experience when applying makeup; that internal freak-out when it seems like the look isn’t going as intended.
Over time, as I became familiar with different products and colors, I knew not to freak out. For the sake of your client, it’s important to always remain calm. Because at the end of the day, it is ALWAYS going to work out and be okay. It just might take a bit of patience.
3. Learn it professionally!
Being self-taught is great, but being trained by a legitimate expert is even better. There are tons of industry pros and instructors out there who are happy to offer their knowledge on makeup artistry. Learning with them and discovering the theory behind makeup application is wonderful. It gives you the confidence to form your own type of artistry, rather than simply relying on the replication of other people’s looks.
Why I Chose to Be Professionally Trained
I chose to be professionally trained because I started to notice a trend on social media regarding an increasingly popular type of makeup application. Much of the application did not reflect the looks I saw in magazines – and these magazine editorials were what I began to fall in love with. I personally felt like I wanted to learn more.
One of the biggest lessons I chose to get professional makeup training was so I could learn about the business attitude behind the artistry. The art of makeup is important, but the need to conduct yourself as a professional is just as important. So, I enrolled with QC Makeup Academy!
If you’d like to learn more about my journey in starting an online makeup education with QC, you can read my other blog article here.
One of the biggest perks about being a QC Makeup Academy student is the community it’s developed over the years. In the Virtual Classroom on Facebook, for example, you get to meet other artists within the industry. It’s nice because these are fellow students and graduates who are on the same journey as you! It’s also a place where we encourage each other, offer constructive criticism, and ultimately help one another grow.
During the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, having this online community has helped many people to stay connected and motivated. Being a part of an educational institution encourages you to think about your business, maintaining high standards, and how you can continuously improve. It’s an all-win situation!
