Sarah Cavanagh, Author at Beauty Buzz

Jan 15

woman with pinup-style hair and makeup winking and giving OK sign with hand

The Pros and Cons of Being a Freelance Makeup Artist

By Sarah Cavanagh Your Makeup Career No Comments

Nothing worth doing is going to come easy – but as a hard-working makeup artist you probably already know that!

Whether you specialize in weddings, fashion, special FX, etc., you’re aware of the different highs and lows that come with your incredible profession. But if you’re just breaking into the industry and have goals to work as an independent MU A in 2020, you may not know what to expect.

The truth is: even though there are a variety of different freelance makeup artist jobs out there, they all have the same benefits and disadvantages in common. Below, we’ll explore 5 of the most common pros and cons of being a freelance makeup artist.

Pro: You Are Your Own Boss!

If the typical 9 to 5 grind under someone else’s management doesn’t appeal to you, then being a freelance MUA is perfect! You won’t have a supervisor breathing down your neck, or stifling your creativity. You’ll also never get bored from having to do the same menial tasks day in and day out.

As a freelancer, everything about your business is 100% in your control: when you work, what you charge, the jobs you’ll take, and more! No two jobs will ever be the same, too, so each day will be just as exciting and challenging as the last!

Con: You Are Your Own Boss.

Yeah, it’s great to not have to answer to anybody, but that also means that all the responsibility of literally everything falls on you. No one’s going to do the work or promote your business for you, so you’re going to have to work hard in order to get things off the ground and moving. Building your portfolio and reputation takes time and effort; if you aren’t willing to invest in yourself, you can’t be surprised if you aren’t successful.

Running your own business – a successful one, at that – isn’t to be taken lightly. If you aren’t truly up to the challenge, you probably won’t succeed. When you succeed, it’s entirely on you. That sense of pride and accomplishment has been earned because you made that all happen on your own. But on the flip side: if you fail because you didn’t try hard enough, that’s also on you. In this business, you can only get what you put into it.

Pro: You work on your own schedule!

Not a fan of mornings? Don’t book clients in the early morning. Simple. You make your own hours, meaning you choose clients that fit your schedule. You don’t have a boss to answer to so no one can deny you vacation time. Your time is your own!

Con: You Work on Your Own Schedule.

Sure, you can choose not to work whenever you want, but that can also mean sacrificing the opportunity to get more employment. In the makeup industry, a lot of your jobs will take place on the weekends.

There may also be times where you’re booked last minute. You may not have the work the standard 9 to 5 job, but if you’re serious about doing makeup professionally as your career, you’re going to have to commit (to the best of your ability) to the times when traffic for business is highest.

So, there may be times when you have to cancel plans to book a job. You’re also likely going to have to kiss most of your weekends goodbye.

Pro: You’re in Charge of Your Income!

Being able to decide how much you want to charge clients and make per job is, without a doubt, one of the coolest parts of being a freelancer. How many other people get to say that they can pick their own wages? As you develop in the industry, gain experience and clients, and get better, you’ll be able to increase your prices and charge a good price for the services you’re offering.

If you’re working full-time as a freelancer and have been at it for a while, it can definitely be enough for you to pay your bills and live comfortably.

Pro tip: You may not always know how much you should be charging for your services, and that’s okay! Here’s a comprehensive list, based on the type of MUA job, to help you figure it out! what prices you can – and should – aim for with your clients!

Con: You’re in Charge of Your Income.

Some people have big dreams, others can have big egos. Either way, if you go into this type of industry with unrealistic expectations, you’re going to be unpleasantly disappointed. Case in point: not knowing what to charge when first starting out, and then charging too much or too little.

Charging too much without the reputation to back it up is an effective way of tanking your business before it even starts. Charging too little is a great way to get an influx of clients… but you won’t make any money off those clients. You deserve to be paid for your work!

Pro: You meet all sorts of new people!

Being a freelance makeup artist is a career that will bring you countless experiences and unforgettable memories – especially between you and your client. Helping to transform a person and make her feel beautiful is a special type of bonding experience.

Since the results of your work are instantaneous, too, you both get to benefit from the final product together, right at that moment. Not many people are lucky enough to have that in their job, let alone on a regular basis!

Con: You meet all sorts of new people.

You aren’t going to be able to please everyone. That’s just life. Now and then, a client will be having a bad day and take it out on you. Sometimes, she may really hate what you’ve done to her face, and since you’re the one who did the job, you’re the one who’s going to have to hear all about it. Having a client be unsatisfied with your work can be hard for anybody – especially someone like you, who truly loves what they do, and just wants to make others happy.

Getting yelled at and/or being verbally abused is a whole other level. While it doesn’t happen often, it may happen once in a blue moon. While there may not be any way to prepare yourself, just remember: all that you can do is your best. If you’re ever struggling to deal with a client who insists on berating you and being unreasonable, it’s probably best at that point to politely end the session, pack your things up, and leave.

Pro: The Competition is Tough!

This keeps you motivated! You thrive on being creative. You want to be one of the best, and how can you become the best? By beating the best!

The makeup industry is competitive, especially for freelancers. You need to be able to stand out from this competition if you ever hope to be successful. You revel in this – and welcome it, even – because it pushes you to always give your 100% and test your own creative boundaries.

Pro tip: Looking for some insider advice on how to stand out from the competition? Here are 3 of our top recommendations!

Pro: The Competition is Tough.

Unfortunately, the downside is that if you’re not as self-disciplined and motivated as the person described above, you may be in for a nasty surprise.

You need to fight to prove to potential clientele why you’re special and worth giving their time and money to. You have to be willing to put in the hours required to build your online presence, create your business’s brand, and establish a rapport with customers, as well as others in the industry.

We’ll be honest: if this sounds like too much work for you, bow out now. If you think you can find a way to bypass these steps and get all the benefits without first earning your stripes, you’re wrong. As we mentioned before, you get in this industry what you put into it. Put the bare minimum, and your business will get the bare minimum.

But put in your heart and soul, and your business will eventually soar!

When all is said and done, you’re doing this because this is what you LOVE. That’s the dream we all wish could come true – and you’re actually doing it! Do you realize how special that is? How admirable that makes you? When you love something, you give it your all. We know that’s what you’ll do in your career, so regardless of whatever challenges you face, the positives will always outweigh the negatives.

That’s the mindset you have to go into this with because it’s true. At the end of the day, getting to do what you love will always be worth it!

Want to leverage your online makeup schooling to help you find the best jobs? Read more and find out how!

Jan 10

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My New Year Resolutions for My Professional Makeup Career in 2020 [video]

By Sarah Cavanagh Education, From the Experts, Your Makeup Career No Comments

Devyn Gregorio is a QC Makeup Academy Student Ambassador. You can find her on her YouTube Channel, Gregorio Girls Makeup, where she makes beauty videos with her sister, Seanna. Today, Devyn breaks down her top 3 goals for her professional MUA career in 2020!

Let’s Recap:

Devyn foresees the upcoming year as being one of growth – not just personally, but for her professional makeup career as well. Being an ambitious woman, she has many goals that she’s always striving for. But in 2020, Devyn wishes to specifically focus her efforts on the following 3 resolutions:

Furthering her makeup education
Continue to improve her makeup techniques
Growing her beauty channel on YouTube

Let’s look a little deeper into each goal!

Resolution #1: “Further My Makeup Education”

Devyn understands that, with any craft, you have to be a student just as much as a master. This is why she’s always pushing herself to see what else she can discover and how she can improve when it comes to makeup. 2019 was a very exploratory year for Devyn, wherein she took the time needed to figure out where she wanted to go with her makeup career.

In 2020, she’s now ready to get back to the basics of makeup and her cosmetic understanding. Having previously graduated from QC’s Master Makeup Artistry course – which Devyn states laid the foundation of her makeup knowledge – she still owns all of her textbooks and course materials. Going back over and re-studying this content will help refresh both her general and advanced makeup knowledge. So that’s what she plans to do!

She’s also a current student in QC’s Advanced Skincare Course. Ideally, Devyn is aiming to complete this program during the first quarter of the year. In her experience as both a working makeup artist and YouTube beauty vlogger, she finds that questions about skincare are asked just as frequently as cosmetic-related ones.

As a professional makeup artist, you need to be able to provide the correct information to your clients and subscribers. Devyn credits QC’s Skincare Course for teaching her the fundamentals of skincare, as well as teaching her which skincare products to use, how to use them in conjunction with makeup products, and much more!

Devyn’s desire to always continue learning ties in with her desire to be as informed as possible for her:

Makeup clients
Friends and family
YouTube subscribers
Social media followers

They’re always going to be asking questions, and Devyn knows that in order to give the best services she possibly can, she’ll need to know the best answers. Pushing herself to continue her online makeup education will only result in Devyn becoming an even better MUA.

Resolution #2: “Continue to Improve My Makeup Techniques”

On both her clients and herself, Devyn’s second goal for 2020 is to expand her technical knowledge on makeup application, and continue to hone her skills. No one is going to be 100% perfect at makeup all of the time. It’s important to be able to self-critique, and understand the areas where you can improve. While she credits herself as having a natural flair for makeup, Devyn admits that she’s also very heavy-handed.

Her basic techniques, she feels, can use some work. Some examples of basic techniques include:

Holding your brushes properly
Blending properly
Using the correct amount of pressure during application
Noticing the subtle differences in skin colors and textures
Mastering color science so you can develop your natural eye for which colors work best on people, etc.

Devyn’s motivation behind this New Year resolution is two-fold. Firstly, like any good MUA, she wants to be able to provide greater services for her clients. Secondly, as a true artist, she simply wants to be better her craft.

One of the ways that Devyn intends to expand her knowledge is by attending classes held by other makeup artists. As an artist, you can become too used to your own technique, routine, and way of doing things. As a result, you can lose sight of the fact that there might be better ways to do things.

Learning from someone else, and understanding why they do what they do, is so helpful to a makeup artist! It’s not even about changing your current style; rather, about helping you hone your skills in order to transform into an even stronger version of yourself.

Resolution #3: “Grow My Makeup Channel on YouTube”

At the heart of it, Devyn loves makeup and creating videos about it! In fact, the whole reason why she ventured into the world of makeup and YouTube beauty vlogging was because she and her sister, Seanna, watched others do it. This eventually motivated them both to do it themselves.

After starting their channel, Gregorio Girls Makeup, Devyn grew motivated in pursuing makeup artistry as a career. This quickly guided her towards online makeup school so that she could study and earn a professional certification in the field.

In 2019, however, both Devyn and her sister took a break from their channel in order to step back, reassess their goals, and rediscover their vision for both themselves and their YouTube presence. This move turned out to be the right one, because now Devyn’s drive is at an all-time high! Now that the New Year has come, she has huge plans for Gregorio Girls Makeup in 2020!

In order to see this goal to fruition, Devyn’s game plan is two-fold:

Put her focus back into regularly posting a wide variety of different makeup content. Devyn feels that she should be able to realistically post one new video each week.
Wants to find and build the ‘Gregorio Girl tribe’/fan-base. Arguably her biggest and boldest goal for 2020, Devyn wants to expand her channel’s subscriber count from approximately 1,500 to somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 by the end of the year. Wow!

Pro tip: While this is undoubtedly ambitious, and definitely a challenge, it’s NOT impossible. Acquiring such a large social media following is both realistic and attainable if you post frequently, post the right content, and have the right sort of people discover, like, and share your posts. While it doesn’t always pan out, the more effort and quality content you invest, the better your chances will be to be the next breakout MUA.

Devyn’s story began with making makeup videos. It only makes sense to her that she come full circle in 2020, and go back to her roots in every way possible. While she admits that it’s been a “bumpy ride”, she’s excited for the New Year. With more insight and direction than ever before, she has her sights set on her final destination, and can’t wait to see what happens along the way.

Ultimately, here is Devyn’s biggest piece of advice to anyone interested in starting a career in makeup, is interested in makeup schooling, or just wants to start a beauty blog/vlog: Just do it! Explore your options, do what you feel in your heart is best for you, and see where life takes you. Go into 2020 with an open mind, and know that whatever it is you want to do, you can do it!

Curious about which MUA jobs pay the highest salaries? Here are 4 possible paths you can choose in the makeup industry!

Jan 09

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How to Pass Your Online Makeup Artist Classes with Flying Colors

By Sarah Cavanagh About the School, Education, Your Makeup Career No Comments

Taking online makeup artist classes provides unique benefits and advantages to anyone with a dream of becoming a professional MUA. We’ve put together a helpful list of 5 useful tips (in no particular order) for you to ace your classes.

Follow them faithfully, and you’ll not only successfully complete your online makeup artist classes, you’ll pass them with flying colors!

1. Set Your Priorities

I know we said that this list was in no particular order, but this really should be your first step. Let’s just say that you’ve already done a ton of research into different accredited online makeup schools, you’ve decided which one you want to attend, and you’ve now already enrolled. The next thing you need to do is be honest with yourself, and figure out how and when you’ll be devoting your time to your schooling.

You may already be working a full or part-time job, in addition to whatever other commitments you have on the go. Or perhaps you’ve got all the time in the world. Either way, we recommend sitting down and writing out your current schedule. Figure out what days and times you’re typically unavailable.

Once you’ve established that, then review your course materials and decide which areas of the class are the most important to you. See how much time you can realistically devote to each task, and from there, outline a routine for yourself. We can’t stress enough how important sticking to this routine will be for your success! Plus, it’ll be good for your mental health: the organization and structure will help you feel less overwhelmed.

Note: the average QC makeup course will require many hours of practice to ensure you submit your best work to your tutor. Reading books, watching videos and submitting assignments will take time, yes, but you should also plan on spending a majority of your time practicing your skills and honing your craft.

2. Set Deadlines and Exercise Good Time-Management Skills

Unlike in physical schools (or even other types of online courses), online makeup artist classes don’t have strict deadlines. While this sounds good on paper, the flip side is that it poses the risk of procrastination. Without anyone guiding you by the hand, it can be way too easy to push everything off until the last minute.

If you hope to succeed in your classes, you’re going to need certain personality traits:

Motivation
Independence
Persistence
Discipline
The ability to properly pace yourself

Be honest with yourself: do you have these traits already? If so, wonderful! If you don’t, though, you’re going to need to quickly figure out how to get them. Being an online makeup students – and being an MUA in general – absolutely require these skills.

When it comes to your schoolwork, take it upon yourself to set deadlines for your assignments. Even better, you can set allotted amounts of time per unit. To keep things organized (and your brain from being too cluttered with info), we strongly recommend writing these schedules, deadlines, and outlines on a calendar, in a planner, etc.

Similarly, even though most online makeup schools provide an abundant amount of time to complete your program, try to set yourself a goal date by which you want to complete the class and graduate. Having your own schedule and sticking to it will not only keep you accountable and exercise self-discipline (a trait that will take you a long way in the makeup industry!), it’ll help you reach your goals faster.

For example, depending on how much time you can devote to your schooling, and how diligent of a student you are, you can complete your Master Makeup Artistry class and receive your certification in as little as 3 months!

That’s the beauty of online makeup school: your destiny is entirely up to you!

3. Invest In Your Makeup Products

We totally understand that when first starting out, you may not have all the money in the world to spend on all sorts of makeup products. That being said, you’re going to need the basics, at the very least. Whether you take online makeup artist classes online or do them in-person, you’re going to need to put money into your makeup products so you can get started.

These are, after all, the tools of your craft! If you don’t use the right products, how can you tap into your full potential and showcase all the talent you have to offer?

QC Makeup Academy offers a complete list of all of the makeup products needed to complete each and every course available. A lot are provided when as part of your makeup kit when you enroll, but there are others that you need to purchase yourself. That being said, don’t look at this list and freak yourself out! In the beginning, and even throughout your professional career, you’re not always going to need to buy the fanciest and most expensive products.

Yes, some of these products will be worth dropping those few extra dollars on. But for many other cosmetic items, you can simply find their drugstore counterparts for a much more affordable price.

4. Stay On Top of Your Health

With your plate as full as it is, it might be easy to wear yourself too thin without even realizing it! Though it may seem like you’re working extra hard, never giving yourself a break will result in you losing steam. So in reality, there won’t be a whole lot of actual energy being put into all that time and work.

Your mind and body will become drained, which might make you crash. If you crash, your motivation plummets, your drive will dwindle, and the idea of giving up altogether will suddenly seem like an appealing notion. Don’t let yourself get to that point!

Yes, your education is important. Work is important. Seeing your friend and family and keeping them happy is important. But what’s most important is YOU. Life is not all work, work, work – you need to make sure you’re able to find the right balance between all of these obligations, and you time.

Aside from ensuring that you schedule regular time to enjoy the things that alleviate stress, try to also follow the basic of self-care. Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night, drink lots of water, and if you can catch some sunlight during the day, don’t pass it up!

The less overworked you are, the more effort you’ll actually be putting into your classes!

5. Don’t Give up!

Sometimes, even if you do everything right, the finish line still might feel impossible to cross. You’re not alone; it happens to everyone! The important thing is not to get discouraged. Don’t let that little negative voice in your head convince you to give up.

Eventually, you will see the light on the horizon, and you will complete your classes, and you will knock your grades out of the park! But hey, if there are times where you struggle and maybe slack a day or two here and there? We won’t tell anyone! Seriously, don’t beat yourself up over it. Just get back on track the next day, and keep trying your best. That’s all anyone can ever ask of you!

With good habits, the right drive and focus, and a passion for the craft, we know you’ll have nothing to worry about. Just take it one day at a time, do your best, and your tutors will all see how talented and devoted of a makeup artist you are!

Ready to start your online makeup artist classes today? Enroll in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course, and make 2020 the year you achieve your MUA dreams!

Jan 08

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Online Makeup Schools: Expectation vs. Reality

By Sarah Cavanagh Education, Your Makeup Career No Comments

What better way to welcome 2020 and the new decade than by finally pursuing your dream of becoming a professional makeup artist? We’re very proud of you for taking this step! If you’re reading this, it’s because you’ve either decided you want to enroll in online makeup school, or you’re weighing your options and want to get a better idea of what online makeup school is truly like.

We can help! Below, we’ve debunked 5 of the most common (and completely false) expectations about online makeup school. This way, you can make a completely informed decision and be assured that your hard-earned money will get you hard-earned results!

Expectation #1: Because it’s cheaper than a brick-and-mortar school, the quality of the education will be lower.

This seems like a no-brainer: if something costs less, it’s usually because it’s not as good. Physical brick-and-mortar makeup schools have a higher tuition rate, so they must be more legit than what you can find online. Perhaps there are no real assignments or tests. The feedback you receive from your instructor is probably just going to be the same generic, pre-recorded response for every student.

Reality: The quality of education is exactly the same (maybe even better!).

The real reason why online makeup schools are less expensive has nothing to do with the actual education being offered. It’s simply because there’s no physical school or campus to run and/or maintain. This means way lower overhead costs factored into your tuition! For many physical schools, these overhead fees are what, in fact, eat up a large portion of the overall price.

Rest assured, a legitimate, accredited online makeup school will provide you with the same quality instructors, the same quality courses and assignments, and the same quality certification upon the completion of your program.

For each course, there will be Units. In each Unit, you will have assignments that’ll require you to videotape/photograph and physical demonstrate the makeup practices and theory you’re being taught. Your instructors – professional working makeup artists – will review each assignment you submit and provide you with detailed, personalized feedback.

Many online makeup tutors actually used to teach in brick-and-mortar school settings. They can attest to the fact that there is very little to no difference between the teachings they provide in-person, versus what they do for you online!

Expectation #2: You won’t actually learn anything, and you’ll be asked to purchase your diploma/certification.

Most online schools are scams in some capacity, right? Even if they provide you with some tools, you can’t actually learn enough to become a professional makeup artist. You can only truly learn makeup by being taught in-person! “Learning” by watching videos? You may as well just be watching a YouTube beauty vlogger. Plus, once you’ve already put in all that hard work and time, that’s probably when they throw a curveball and reveal that you need to pay for your diploma/certification.

Reality: You’ll learn the skills required to become a professional MUA, and receive professionally-recognized certification at no extra cost.

For starters, let’s do away with the idea that online schooling is the same as watching YouTube videos. YouTube videos don’t teach you actual skills, and won’t have a professionally working tutor critiquing your work and providing you with detailed feedback to help you learn, correct yourself, and grow.

Furthermore, most beauty vloggers are demonstrating a look on themselves, often skipping through sections or glossing over which techniques they’re using. In online makeup classes, a model is used in all instructional videos, in order to demonstrate how to apply makeup on a client. The entire purpose of the video is to walk you through the whole process, step-by-step, and thoroughly explain methods so that you can not only replicate “looks” but actually understand the fundamentals behind each look.

Lastly, you have no way of knowing if the YouTube vlogger you’re watching is doing things correctly! As QC executive makeup artist and tutor, Nathan Johnson, points out in his Color Correcting webinar: many of these vloggers don’t teach you the right way to do makeup. As a result, you unknowingly pick up bad habits and then provide mediocre results for your client.

Certified online makeup school tutors properly prepare you to receive your certification upon graduation from your program. This certification will not only boost your confidence as an MUA, but it makes you credible to both employers and clients. It proves to them that you’ve been properly trained, and helps you stand out from the competition.

Importantly: an online makeup school’s diploma/certificate should always be included within the overall cost of your tuition, and not a separate or recurring fee! If an online makeup school tries to spring this expense on you unexpectedly, this is a red flag. That school cannot be trusted.

Expectation #3: You’ll have scheduled classes, and a short amount of time to complete the course.

In college and University, when you sign up for an online class, you’re provided with a set schedule for when the online class takes place. For some classes, it’s a live feed that all students are viewing at the same time.

So you’ll need need to work your schedule around your classes. If things conflict and you can’t make it? Too bad! Then once those classes are done, you’ll have an exam, which you can either pass or fail. The whole experience will probably be condensed to a few months, at best.

Reality: Online makeup school is all about flexibility!

Legitimate online makeup schools recognize that their students have busy lives, and are often pursuing this education in addition to work and other commitments. Because of this, one of the biggest perks of online makeup school is that everything is done entirely at your convenience.

No need to commute or live in a big, expensive city. No matter where you are, you can get the proper training and receive certification – even from the comfort of your own living room!

You’ll be given ample amount of time to complete the course, starting from the day you enroll. There are no set class times, either; you do your required reading and assignments whenever works for you. So long as you submit your final assignment before the end of your 2-year window, you’re good!

That being said, if you have ample time of your hands, or are just really committed to working super diligently, you can complete your program, graduate, and become certified in as little as 3 months!

Expectation #4: It’ll be easy enough that you can bluff your way through the course.

Thanks to everything being done online, you don’t need to read all of your course material. No one’s going to double-check that anyways! The material is probably simple enough that you can just wing it.

Also, with no one physically there to see your work, you can fake it on camera and cut corners when you photograph your assignments. You may be missing one or two things, but your tutor shouldn’t notice.

Reality: If it’s easy, then it’s probably a scam school.

The only thing you should be winging is your eyeliner! But also, if you’re not even serious about putting in 100% effort into your education, why enroll at all? It makes no sense to spend your own money on something you don’t plan to utilize.

That being said, online makeup school should not be easy. It should be challenging and help you grow, like you’d expect from any legitimate education. And don’t fool yourself: your tutor is the expert, not you. If you think you’ll be able to pull a fast one over them, you’re wrong. With the level of scrutiny they give each assignment, there’s very little they ever miss.

Straight up: if your online school feels way too easy, it’s probably not because you’re a genius (though hey, you might be) – more likely, it’s because you just got scammed. We hope you can get your money back.

Expectation #5: Even with training, you can’t actually make a serious career out of being an MUA.

At the end of the day, no matter how much you love makeup, most people can’t actually make a career off of it. If they can, it’ll be a part-time, second job at best. There’s no point in investing money and time into something you can’t truly pursue.

Reality: You absolutely can – and many QC graduates DO!

Working as a full-time professional makeup artist can actually be a very comfortable living. Sure, there are plenty of people who admittedly only do it as a hobby or second job, but how else can they grow and build their portfolios? If it’s your dream, the time and effort it takes to establish yourself and your business will be worth it.

All that being said, plenty of online makeup school graduates do go on to turn makeup artistry into their full-time living. QC, for instance, has countless students and graduates that have gone on to be successful within the industry! Many even run their own MUA businesses.

The only thing stopping your dreams from becoming a reality is you. Are YOU willing to take the first step towards your future? Make 2020 your year!

Enroll in QC’s leading online makeup school, and start your MUA certification today!

Jan 03

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Which Makeup Artist Jobs Have the Highest Salary?

By Sarah Cavanagh Your Makeup Career No Comments

If you dream of becoming a professional MUA, you’re likely wondering how high your makeup artist salary can possibly be. This is an excellent question!

After all, when planning out your career, it’s normal to think long-term and have an endgame goal to strive towards. Whether you’re considering a career as a makeup artist, or you’re already a working professional, it’s only natural that you’ll want to know what sort of money you can potentially earn.

Though there are many different avenues you can explore, we’ve put together a list of 4 of the highest paying jobs you can have as a makeup artist. Plus, we’ve also included a few additional factors worth considering, too.

Note: All salaries described in this article are in US Dollars.

Do Makeup Artists Get Paid Well?

This is a good place to start. If your dream career won’t make you enough to pay the bills, then while it can be an awesome passion project, it won’t be sustainable as a full-time career.

Luckily, makeup artists DO get paid very well!

It’s important to keep in mind that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” makeup artist salary. Two MUAs living in the same city can make totally different incomes. How much you earn is dependent on a number of impacting factors.

For instance, if you were to be hired on by an existing company, beauty salon, makeup counter, etc., you’d likely receive a set hourly wage. However, if you wanted to open your own makeup business instead (and work freelance, for example), you could make significantly more because you’ll get to set your own rates.

If running your own business, the defining factor will be the amount of effort you’re willing to put into your endeavors. Put in the minimum and you’ll GET the minimum. But if you work hard, stay patient, and maximize every opportunity at your disposal, you’ll not only thrive – you’ll make a killer salary!

What is The Salary of a Makeup Artist?

Keeping in mind what I said above, about there being no definitive makeup artist salary, I can give you general ranges. Here’s what you can expect to make per year, depending on where you live:

United States: Between $40,000 to $70,000 USD (Source: Indeed)
Canada: Between $30,000 to $60,000 USD (Source: Payscale)
United Kingdom: Between $25,000 to $40,000 USD (Source: Indeed)
New Zealand: Between $30,000 to $45,000 USD (Source: Payscale)
Australia: Between $40,000 to $118,000 USD (Source: Indeed)

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Who is The Highest Paid Makeup Artist?

Okay, so now you have a better idea of the type of makeup artist salary you can make. But let’s say you’re ultra ambitious and want to be the GOAT of the beauty world? What kind of MUA should you strive to become then?

Movie/Celebrity Makeup Artist

Ding, ding, ding! This is the answer right here.

Technically, a “movie makeup artist” and a “celebrity makeup artist” are two separate jobs. But since they’re part of the same world, we figured we’d list them together.

With the highest average salary, movie MUAs can typically earn approximately $74,000 USD to $92,000 USD. Coming in as a close second, celebrity makeup artists can find themselves earning an average of $60,000 USD to 86,000 USD per year. Wow!

Job Description

As a movie makeup artist, you’ll responsible for how the actors and actresses appear on camera for each scene. Given that everything is in HD these days, the importance of what you do to make the actors look good (or bad, if the scene calls for it) is a huge responsibility not taken lightly.

A celebrity makeup artist, on the other hand, will tend to work with the stars in a more day-to-day setting. Your talents will be used to prepare your client for events like red carpet appearances, concerts, galas, fundraisers, private parties, etc.

3 Other Highly Paid Makeup Artist Jobs

1. Special Effects Makeup Artist

Whether it’s for TV, movies, fashion, photography, or theater, there’s no shortage of talent needed when it comes to good SFX makeup. That being said, special effects makeup requires specific skills and training. You can be a master of regular makeup application, but not have a clue what you’re doing the moment prosthetics come into the mix.

Makeup artist salary in-post image 2, SFX makeup

If you’re interested in pursuing this route, it’s imperative that you study SFX makeup. Learn the different types of products, what they do, how to apply them, how to create the look from them, how they react to the human body, etc.

The reward will be worth it, though! On average, a special FX makeup artist can rake in upwards of $66,800 to $75,000 a year!

2. Independent/Freelance MUA

Many makeup artists wish to branch out and start their own, independent business. This can be a great source of income! In fact, the average freelance MUA can make anywhere from $40,000 USD to $66,000 USD per year.

Fun fact: the top 10 percent can even earn up to six figures! Though your rates will likely be a bit lower in the beginning, as you build your resume, portfolio, and clientele, you’ll be able to start charging more for your services.

That’s part of the beauty of being a freelance entrepreneur: you can charge whatever you want! If your services are worth the price, then as you prove yourself, clients won’t hesitate to invest their money into you and your talents.

3. Brand Makeup Artist

What if you don’t have any interest in the glitz and glamor of the Hollywood industry? In the same breath, what if you don’t care much for sci-fi and fantasy makeup?

What if you don’t even want to run your own business? Does this mean you’re doomed to earn minimum wage and a lousy makeup artist salary for the rest of your life?

Not at all!

Another option you can look into is becoming a makeup artist for a cosmetic brand. NAS, for example, pays their top makeup artists approximately $24.00 an hour – and you don’t even need a cosmetology license to apply for their company! (Though looking at a past job ad they’d posted on Indeed, their expectations are still mega high.)

Even companies like Sephora offer opportunities for eventual growth. Yes, you may start off at minimum wage in the beginning. But with time, you’ll work your way up the ranks and prove yourself. As a result, you can eventually earn as much as $50,000+ per year as a manager!

Other Factors That’ll Impact Your Makeup Artist Salary

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that the salary of a makeup artist isn’t an exact science. It’s also not concrete, as we’ve learned by now. There are tons of external factors that can affect the amount of money you make.

Let’s take a look at 4 of them, shall we?

1 – Location

If you want to be a movie and/or celebrity makeup artist, then living where the action only makes sense. But the same is applicable in general, too. Where you live in the world, and how well that economy is doing, will play the biggest role in how much you get paid.

Yes, it’s totally possible to be a successful MUA in a smaller town. However, it’s statistically proven that bigger cities will oftentimes amount to a better makeup artist salary. The flip-side, of course, is that larger cities have a higher cost of living. Not to mention, there’ll be more competition.

So, remember to factor that into your calculations!

2 – Education

Get professionally trained and earn internationally-recognized certifications through an accredited makeup school, such as QC Makeup Academy. By maximizing your education and taking a variety of Foundation, Advanced, and Specialty Courses, you’ll be soaking up as much cosmetic information as you possibly can.

Remember: there will ALWAYS be more you can learn. So, be open to learning it! You’ll be expanding your skills and making your resume even more impressive. There’s literally no downside!

Learn all about QC Makeup Academy’s wide variety of self-paced, online makeup and beauty courses here!

3 – Earning Your Stripes

Everyone would love to be able to be the best in their field, right from the get-go. But first you need to work for a while and actually get experience under your belt. Furthermore, you need to take the time to built your brand, establish a solid reputation, and grow your clientele.

Until you’ve done all this, the chances of landing a lucrative job in such a competitive industry are admittedly low. You need to be prepared to put your time and effort in. It may take a while (sometimes years), but if makeup is truly what you’re passionate about, I promise it’ll be worth the wait.

4 – Networking and Social Media

In the makeup industry, it’s not always what you know, but who you know. This is why it’s important for you to connect with other beauty experts on social media, attend functions and benefits, go to movie screenings, etc.

Make use of whatever is at your disposal to help you create connections with others in the industry. As you continue to build your portfolio and hone your skill-set, keep in mind that being both personable and social media-savvy plays a huge part in getting your name out there.

So, put the time and effort not just into your website, but the social media platforms you wish to have a presence on. Publish regular, unique content – and make sure it’s always your best content. Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, etc. to reach out to those whose work you admire. Maybe there’s a vendor you’re interested in working with!

You’ll be doing your makeup career a MASSIVE favor by learning how to best brand yourself on the internet. As a result, you’ll be absolutely amazed at how far it can take you on the road to success!

Final Thoughts

Those who say that money can’t buy happiness are usually the ones who never had to work a day in their lives to get it. The fact is, money does matter to a certain extent – and having it is awesome.

Of course, in the makeup industry, what you do needs to be first and foremost a labor of love. The passion for the craft must to be your #1 driving force. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself disappointed when you aren’t immediately rich after your first appointment is over.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do what you love and make a good living off of it, too! So, go forth knowing that in this industry, such a goal is VERY much achievable!

Become a professionally-certified makeup artist, book your first client, and start earning the salary you’ve always dreamed of in as little as 2-6 months. Enroll with QC Makeup Academy today!

Jan 02

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QC Makeup Academy’s Top 10 Makeup Articles of the Last Decade

By Sarah Cavanagh About the School, Education, From the Experts, Graduate Feature, Hair Styling, Makeup Trends, Style, Your Makeup Career No Comments

Happy New Year, beauties! Though it may be the start of a brand new decade, we thought we’d do the ultimate 10 Year Challenge by paying our respects to the 10 most popular blog articles over the last decade.

So strap in, get comfy, and put your coziest socks on, because these blogs are well worth the read!

10. How to Apply False Eyelashes Like a Pro (2015)

Fake eyelashes are fun and fabulous, but they can also be the literal worst to put on. Getting glue all over the place (such as around your eyes) can make for a real nightmare. Especially when you finally secure them on, only to realize they don’t even fit! Luckily, this article breaks down the basic steps to finding – and applying – the perfect falsies.

9. 5 Areas Where Makeup Artists Lose Time During a Job (2019)

It’s completely understandable to want to take the extra time to ensure your client is 100% happy with what you give them. You’re a professional, after all! That being said, you may actually be taking too much time in certain places that simply do not need it.

These extra minutes can instead be focused on the aspects of the appointment that matter most. QC executive tutor and professional MUA, Nathan Johnson, provides everything you need to know here, so you best know how to prioritize.

8. 5 Useless Items You Don’t Need in Your Professional Makeup Kit (2019)

Believe it or not, not every cosmetic product pandered to you is actually required. In fact, many items – even those marketed as top-notch, quality products – either don’t deliver what they promise to, or can be easily replaced by something cheaper. This article is a must-read for anyone who’s looking to free up some unnecessary space in their professional makeup kit, while still keeping the essentials.

7. Graduate Feature: Tyler Russell (2019)

One of the greatest ways to get motivated is by seeing others just like you making a successful name for themselves in the makeup industry. This is why we love to showcase our QC students and graduates, and why they’re always such a big hit with our readers!

Special FX Makeup course graduate, Tyler Russell, is without a doubt a talented and valuable asset to the MUA world, so it’s no surprise that his feature made the Top 10! Keep reading to see his portfolio, learn about his personal makeup style, and hear how Tyler feels that QC Makeup Academy prepared him for working in the field!

6. 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Start a Career in the Makeup Industry (2018)

Let’s get real here: you may like makeup, but it takes a lot more than that to become a successful, working MUA. Unfortunately, an interest in cosmetics isn’t enough these days to make you stand out from the crowd. There are other crucial factors that are key to being able to turn makeup from a hobby into a career. If you read these 5 reasons why you shouldn’t be a makeup artist and find yourself agreeing with them, it may be time to revisit the chalkboard!

5. The Best Drugstore Makeup Dupes for Your Professional Makeup Kit (2018)

When it comes to the makeup industry, there’s a false notion that in order to be the best, you must always have the best. So basically, if you’re on a tight budget, you’re out of luck. But wait, don’t put your palettes away just yet! The fact is, this isn’t true at all. Many cheaper brands have been known to work just as efficiently as their pricier counterparts.

We highly recommend this article for any aspiring (or even working) makeup artist who’re looking for a few ways to save some cash, without sacrificing quality.

4. 4 Millennial Fashion Trends that Need to Die (2019)

Millennials are known for their innovation and ability to create new, amazing things. Credit where credit’s due: they’ve paved the way in terms of both makeup and fashion. But admittedly, there have been a few blunders along the way, and not all trendsetting attempts have hit their mark.

Written by QC Fashion Styling tutor and personal stylist, Mallory Sills, his article explores 4 millennial fashion trends that are definitely more cringey than cute.

3. Student Feature: Kirsten Hart (2019)

Another SFX makeup enthusiast, Kirsten Hart is a Master Makeup Artistry graduate at QC Makeup Academy. She’s also paved quite the way as a professional MUA, known for her striking, colorful looks, and her epic Instagram branding.

Check out this article if you’re looking for some serious inspiration for your own portfolio, and are curious to see how online makeup schooling has helped Kirsten along the way!

2. Quiz: How Much Do You REALLY Know About Hairstyling? (2016)

Think you’re a hairstyling guru? A fountain of follicle knowledge? A sensei of the strands? (Okay, we’ll stop.) Take this popular quiz and find out if you really know as much as you think! Maybe we’ll stump you – and if not, feel free to brag in the comments!

1. 6 Makeup Business Startup Tips (2015)

As a newbie makeup artist breaking free into the professional world, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. But never fear! As The Beauty Buzz’s most popular blog article of the decade (WOW!), we’ll help arm you with 6 ironclad tips to not only get the ball rolling, but set you up for long-term success doing what you love most!

If the past 10 years were able to bring us this much amazing information, imagine what the next ten will hold! Is there anything you’re hoping to see and read about? If so, let us know in the comments!

Turn your MUA dreams into a reality by enrolling in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course today!

Dec 31

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smiling woman making heart symbol with fingers

10. Student Feature: Sophie Kraynak

Part of our QC Graduate and Student Feature series, this article focuses on talented SFX graduate, Sophie Kraynak. Taking one look at a sampling of her portfolio shows us all that her success is truly well deserved (and why this article made the Top 10, even though it was only published earlier this month)!

With a unique background in the Marines, Sophie delves into how this experience shaped her makeup skills and personal style, as well as how QC Makeup Academy played a part in growing her professional career. Now a professional MUA, Sophie has earned quite the presence on TikTok, has worked with TTDEYE Contacts, and was even contacted by Rihanna’s cosmetic line, Fenty, to take part in an online challenge!

male makeup artist applying sfx makeup to client

9. Top 5 Worst Skincare Tips Ever

We all know that you can have all the makeup knowledge in the world, but without a good understanding of skincare, makeup alone will never reach its full potential on your client’s face. In this informative article, Nathan breaks down 5 popular misconceptions that will actually make you break out (among other things). Have you fallen prey to any of these myths? Debunk them now for healthier skin in 2020!

8. 4 Millennial Fashion Trends that Need to Die

Whether it’s shapeless clothing or culturally insensitive attire, there are certain fashion trends that millennials have been known to adorn that, frankly, need to stay in the past. QC Fashion Styling tutor and personal stylist, Mallory Sills, explores a handful of different fashion faux pas: what they are, why they do not work, and how we’ll be doing ourselves a favor by keeping them as far away from the new decade as possible.

7. 5 Special Effects Makeup Products that Suck

Written by QC graduate, Student Ambassador, and professional makeup artist, Gabrielle Rivera, this article piqued our readers’ interest thanks to its focus on teaching which SFX products to outright avoid. We admit, some of these (like not using character kits) came as a surprise, even to us! If you want to make sure your Special Effects work is top-notch, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by ditching these items from your makeup kit, and opting for better alternatives!

6. 5 Makeup Mistakes You’re Probably Making

Here, QC executive makeup artist and tutor, Nathan Johnson, discusses 5 common makeup errors you might be making, without even knowing it. Many of these habits stem from a lack of proper makeup knowledge and education – something that online makeup schools can definitely teach you! Are YOU guilty of making any of these mistakes? 2020 can be the year you kick them to the curb!

5. 2019 Resolutions: Break Those Makeup Habits

Speaking of mistakes: is there a better way to enter the New Year, with a brand new set of resolutions, than by first making sure you’re not bringing any bad habits from 2019 with you? We think not! Nathan’s back, this time using his expertise in the field to let you in on 8 more crucial errors you may be making when it comes to makeup technique and etiquette – and how to go about breaking them so you can best succeed as a professional MUA!

4. 5 Areas Where Makeup Artists Lose Time During a Job

Time is precious to any makeup artist, so it’s important to learn where you can afford to shave a few minutes, so that you always have ample room for what really matters. Nathan touches up on 5 key moments during a job where you may find yourself putting too much time into something that doesn’t actually need it.

From the initial greeting to the kind of conversation you make with your client, this article is chalked full of useful info that will help polish up your A-game and keep you on the ball during appointments!

3. 5 Useless Items You Don’t Need in Your Professional Makeup Kit

Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of cosmetic products that you actually don’t need in your repertoire. Whether it’s because they don’t truly work as advertised, or simply because there’s a more cost-effective substitute you can use instead, this article explores 5 makeup products that are surprisingly useless to you. Let us know if any of these come as a shock!!

makeup brushes and neutral eyeshadow palette

2. Graduate Feature: Tyler Russell

Another SFX makeup enthusiast, Tyler Russell is a graduate of QC’s Special FX Makeup specialty course, and now a professional MUA. Known for his painstaking attention to detail, Tyler goes into depth about what’s required in order to excel in the SFX field, as well as how QC helped fine-tune his skills. In addition to his epic goals for 2020, Tyler also reveals the one piece of advice he wishes he’d known before starting his makeup training! (Guess you’ll have to read it to find out what that is!)

1. Student Feature: Kirsten Hart

Special Effects makeup has definitely shown itself to be a favorable topic for our readers, and the fact that this is our most popular blog of 2019 is proof! Part of our QC Student Feature series, this article focuses on Master Makeup Artistry student, Kirsten Hart, exploring both her background and makeup portfolio.

Displaying a wide array of different SFX (and even glam) looks, Kirsten goes into why she chose QC out of all the makeup schools to further her cosmetic education. She also shares some valuable tips on how to build up a solid Instagram presence!

It’s definitely going to be fun to see what articles will become most popular next year! Is there a specific topic you’d like to read about in 2020? Let us know in the comments!

Ready to make your dreams a reality in 2020? Enroll in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course and start your MUA journey today!

Dec 23

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Holiday Makeup Tutorial [video]

By Sarah Cavanagh From the Experts, Makeup Tips and Tricks, Makeup Tutorial, Tutorials & Tips No Comments

Devyn Gregorio is a QC Makeup Academy Student Ambassador. You can find her on her YouTube Channel, Gregorio Girls Makeup, where she makes beauty videos with her sister. Today, Devyn demonstrates how to create a gorgeous, holiday-inspired look you can rock right into the New Year!

Watch her video below!

Let’s Recap:

This look is what Devyn calls “classic glam” with “a good red lip”. As we’re in full holiday swing this time of the year, a red lip will always fit right in! The overall look is chic, yet subtle and elegant enough that you can wear for formal events (e.g. work parties, family get-togethers), casual events, or even just to do your Christmas shopping!

Keep reading to learn how to do this makeup look in time for the holiday season!

First Up: The Upper Eyes

Devyn begins by using her Chocolate Gold eyeshadow palette by Too Faced. Though released two holiday seasons ago, it’s still one of Devyn’s favorite Too Faced palettes to use. Most of the eyeshadows within it are shimmery, though there are a couple of matte pigments as well. This will be the palette used for this tutorial.

For this look, Devyn wants to do a natural halo eye. Her first color of choice is a rich brown, aptly named ‘Cocoa Truffle’. Using the back end of a smaller eyeshadow brush, Devyn starts by first applying the Cocoa Truffle to the inner corner of her eyelid, tapping more eyeshadow onto that spot to pack on the color. She then repeats this process on the outer corner of her eye.

Working on the crease

Next, Devyn uses her smaller sized blending brush, from the BH Cosmetics Marble Collection (#9), to apply and work the matte color, ‘So Boujee’, into her crease. This shade is a very soft peachy-brown. Since this is a halo eye, you want to pay extra attention in keeping the shape nice and round. Imagine when working on your crease that you’re creating a half-moon shape. Like Devyn, you may have a tendency to want to blend the eyeshadow outwards, for more of a cat-eye effect. Don’t do that for this look – in order to achieve a halo shape, the eyeshadows on the eyelid need to look round.

Devyn then uses an M139 Morphe Brush (which has a more pointed, tapered brush head) to allow for a more concentrated product application on her crease. She then uses ‘Cocoa Truffle’ again, this time applying it in the crease as well. Be careful not to blend upwards or outwards too much, you don’t want to cover the ‘So Boujee’ shade you just blended there!

The halo shade

From her palette, Devyn selects the color, ‘Gold Dipped’. Using a flat shader brush (#9 from the BH Marble Collection), she then swipes the golden eyeshadow right down the middle of her eyelid. Don’t worry about whether it looks pretty or not! You just need to get it on there. You’ll be able to do damage control shortly, we promise.

If you don’t want to use your brush for this step, you don’t have to! Just like Devyn chooses to do instead, you can always just use your finger to swipe it on. After all, as she says, “They’re the best brushes that you’ll ever have!” Just remember those downward strokes! Once applied, feel free to stipple on more product and tap it around your eyelid to blend it in, should you want that lovely, golden shimmer shade to pop even more.

Fun fact: Devyn is so used to wearing gel or acrylic nails that now that she’s NOT wearing them, she’s reminded of how much easier it is to apply makeup with her fingers!

Going back to her shader brush, Devyn then switches to rosy shade called ‘Classy & Sassy’, which she pats onto the edges of the halo shade she just laid down. She does this because this shimmery rose shade matches very close to the matte shade already used in the corners. This allows for a more natural-looking blend, instead of the appearance of an abrupt, rough line of color between the gold and the brown shades. Once finished, Devyn goes back in one last time with more of the ‘Gold Dipped’ color, just to make sure it really stands out in the middle.

If you want to go a bit darker…

You can stop your upper eye makeup here, if you’d like. The result will be a bit more of a softer look. However, should you desire a little more dimension and depth in the inner and outer corners of this halo look, there is a black shade in the palette that Devyn recommends: ‘Decadent’. Take just the tiniest amount of this shade (just a tap or two) with a small, pointed brush. You don’t want the black to stand it, you just want to add a bit more depth to the inner and outer corners of your eyes.

You’ll probably notice, like with on Devyn, that immediately after applying this color, it will look black at first. Don’t worry! Take a mini blending brush with a bit of that ‘Cocoa Truffle’ shade again, blend it over the black. The brush that Devyn uses to complete this step is a Morphe M506.

Next Up: The Lower Lash Line

This step is relatively quick! First, using this same M506 small blender brush, Devyn dips back into the ‘Cocoa Truffle’, this time to blend along her lower lash line. She finishes off this part of the look by taking a little bit of the ‘Gold Dipped’ and patting it right in the middle, so it matches the gold shadow applied to the middle of the upper eyelid.

Highlighting the Brow Bone

For this next step, Devyn uses the same highlighter used on her cheeks: wet n wild’s ‘Precious Petals’. Since this is a halo eye you’re creating, Devyn reiterates that you don’t want to highlight the inner corner. You want to keep the shade nice and round, with the focus drawn to the center of the eye. That being said, the brow bone shouldn’t be neglected either. “It can still use some love!” Devyn insists, gently swiping on and creating that subtle glow.

In the Home Stretch: Adding Eyeliner

So long as the eyeliner is brown, any kind will do! (That being said, if you’re curious about the brand Devyn uses, it’s Butter London.) While you can use black eyeliner if this is your preference, Devyn has found brown to be an overall better choice for this holiday glam look! Apply to your lower and upper waterlines.

Note: Though Devyn does her eyelashes off-camera, any mascara and/or falsies will do! Devyn’s false lashes of choice are ‘Flirty’ by KISS Looks So Natural Lashes, because they’re dramatic – but not too dramatic. “Kind of like me,” Devyn adds with a giggle.

Last But Not Least: Lips

Because of the chosen colors used on your eyes, a red lip is the perfect way to tie everything together and bring more of that holiday vibe into the finished look! Devyn begins by taking her NYX lip pencil, in the bright, orange-red shade of ‘Summer Tease’, to outline and then color in her lips. If you’re thinking to yourself “this shade is way too bright!”, you’re not alone. Devyn agrees, but assures us that the actual lip color you’ll use next is a more blue-based red. The final result will be exactly what you want.

This next product is Lippie Stix’s ‘Bossy’ shade, by ColourPop. It’s a bit more of a cherry red, so if you don’t use this exact product, that’s alright. So long as it’s around this shade of red, it’ll do the trick.

Why Devyn Loves this Look

Admittedly one of her favorite looks to wear, Devyn feels the final product is super glam; a heavenly balance of the traditional red lip look, with the modern twist of the halo eye. Capable of dazzling others, while still delicate enough to be worn for every occasion. Truly the best of both worlds!

And there you go! Will you recreate this look for the holiday season? Let us know in the comments!

Interested in enrolling in QC Makeup Academy, but want to hear a real graduate’s opinion on the courses? Check out why Devyn chose QC, and how it’s helped her professional MUA career!

Dec 18

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Our 5 Favorite Makeup Trends from 2019

By Sarah Cavanagh Makeup Reviews, Makeup Trends No Comments

With a new year comes the excitement of new and fresh makeup trends. Who knows what 2020 will bring! Maybe you’ll come up with the next hottest look! But the makeup trends of this past year can’t be forgotten that easily. Some may continue to see popularity for years to come; others will likely fade into a distant memory in no time at all.

But one thing’s for certain: they each made their impact. So let’s take a moment of silence, and pay tribute to our list of the 5 best and most memorable makeup looks (in no particular order) from 2019.

1. Bold and beautiful colors

Back in the day, the only people you’d see wearing hot pink eye shadow, neon orange lipstick, or mile-long eyeliner would be a top model on the runway, or if they happened to be a futuristic character in a movie. But 2019 brought ‘bold’ to the forefront of trendiness. It’s now become completely normal to rock crazy, extreme colors that immediately make a statement.

When it comes to makeup, we’ve particularly loved seeing the creativity in showing off this rainbow of colors through different lip shades and eye looks. Such bold colors used to be reserved for the rebels of fashion – but times are changing! As Millennials and Gen Xers are paving the way towards a future of acceptance and tolerance, people are free to express themselves through makeup with far fewer limits or barriers.

2. Full, thick eyebrows

Did you know that this was also a trend back in the 1940s? Unfortunately, the love for full eyebrows started dying out by the 90s. Then came the dreaded early 2000s. Remember when it was ‘in’ to pluck your brows to within an inch of their lives? I’m pretty sure that time in our lives was just a dark and lawless wasteland. I don’t know about you, but my eyebrows are still suffering from the consequences of those actions long, long ago. Celebrities like Lily Collins – who’ve always sported the strong and striking eyebrows – were a dime a dozen. These days, though, natural is what’s in demand.

It’s been a liberating change to see not just the acceptance, but the encouragement of a less tamed, more natural brow. Though this trend didn’t just start this past year, 2019 definitely brought it into full swing. Of course, the perfectly sculpted brows are still undoubtedly works of art, and just as equally popular. But there’s something rather beautiful and freeing about not having to obsess so much over having to always look so perfect – and still be appreciated by the masses for the gorgeous, fierce goddess you (and them thicc brows) are.

3. Get that glow!

happy woman with natural-looking makeup and highlighter

Highlighter has been a makeup trends for the past couple of years, but its popularity never waned throughout 2019. It’s a staple look that works for any time of day, month, season, you name it. The more organic you can make that fresh-faced glow look, the better! This is a perfect example of what is meant whenever you’ve heard someone say, “The key to good makeup is to look like you’re wearing nothing at all.” (Stupid sexy Flanders!)

But the real secret to what makes this look so beloved is not actually in the makeup itself. It’s in your skincare routine. If the perfect glow comes from looking as natural as possible with makeup, then the ideal scenario would be if you could achieve that without it. A solid skincare routine makes for the ultimate foundation to any makeup application afterwards.

If you aren’t 100% confident in what you’ve got set up already, no problem! All you need to do is figure out what type of skin you have, and then you can research into the different skincare products that could work best for you!

4. All that glitters is gold!

Don’t worry, I’m not about to break out into some Smashmouth. (Though I could, if you want me to.) If pencil-thin eyebrows are the thing we wish to forever bury in the early 2000s, then glitter is the makeup trend we’re geeking out over coming back! Of course, those of us who remember the olden days of the glitter fad are considerably better at its application now. In 2019, we understand the finesse that goes into creating the perfect look – even the care needed when adding glitter.

Whereas the last time glitter was really popular, the process of putting it on and wearing it was basically:

Smash 70 pounds of glitter literally everywhere.
Make sure to pat down an additional 20 pounds on your eyelids. The idea is to blind your opponents any time you blink.
K, you’re good. Go outside.

It’s nice to see that glitter has made a comeback, now capable of being utilized in both glamorous and subtle ways. It’s not just meant for school dances or disco balls anymore, though by all means, it can if you want it to. More importantly, 2019 has helped incorporate glitter into wearable, everyday looks!

5. You do YOU, boo!

There’s been something of a shift in the last handful of years that 2019 seemed to embrace harder than any time before it, and that’s the idea of acceptance. Yes, the world still sucks in a lot of ways, and sure, lots of mean, cold-hearted people still exist to try and bring others down. But on the whole, the generations leading us all into the future are ones fighting for the importance of positive ideals, rather than ones meant to oppress and silence.

Just like every makeup trend that’s gained notoriety in 2019, so too has the trend of spreading love to your fellow person. More and more we’re seeing MUAs and trendsetters of all genders, races, sexualities, etc. going viral. What’s come hand-in-hand with this is the cultivation of self-love. Lots more people are walking out their front door each day with their makeup on fleek (whatever the look may be); head held high, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks about it. That’s pretty spectacular!

When we stop and think about it, that’s our favorite trend of all. Of everything that’s been on the rise in 2019, we want nothing more than for the idea of love – for others, the world around us, and ourselves – to continue to rise to the top of the popularity chain over the next decade, and every decade thereafter.

Want to own your success and learn how to do makeup, so you can take the world by storm in 2020? Enroll in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course today!

Dec 13

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How to Start a Beauty Blog

By Sarah Cavanagh Tutorials & Tips, Your Makeup Career No Comments

With 2020 only a couple more weeks away, this is the time of year where your motivation rears its head and you suddenly find yourself wanting to take on the world. You’ve been putting in the time and effort to hone your makeup skills, and you feel like the next logical step to expand your MUA career and gain more of a following is to start a beauty blog.

What an excellent New Year’s Resolution! You feel good about it. In fact, you’re confident; you’re focused! You’re going to give this beauty blog maximum effort, and slay it without even smudging your lipstick!

Aaaaaaand then you’ll probably lose that drive and give up on your goal before January’s even over. Just like most of us are guilty of doing every year.

You’re not going to let that happen to you THIS year, right? You’ve been putting in way too much time and effort into your passion. You can’t give up that easily. The roaring 20s are back, baby, and this is going to be not just your year, but your decade!

So put on your best (and most glamorous) war paint, get ready and brace yourself for the life-changing journey you’re about to go on. We’re going to show you exactly how to get the ball rolling and start your very own beauty blog!

tattooed girl surrounded by cosmetics testing lipstick on hand

Step One: What’s Your Brand?

Before you can start building your blog, you need to have a clear idea of what sort of vibe you want it to give off:

Do you have any favorite colors that you’d always want to use as your aesthetic?
Are you a naturally sarcastic person and want that to show through?
Is there perhaps a particular angle you want to approach your beauty blog from? Etc.

In short: when people think of your beauty blog, how do you want them to perceive you? If they were to describe what you and your blog are all about to someone else, what would you want to say?

Figuring out the answers to all of these questions will help you discover what you want your brand to be and how you’ll achieve it. Even if you can’t think of a unique angle for your blog, that’s fine! Maybe the angle you’ll be known for is that your writing is always rock-star solid. Who knows!

Point is, don’t hesitate to think outside the box! Whether it’s beauty mogul, Huda Kattan, or the hilarious makeup tutorials done by the queen of weed, Brandi Fernandez, you’ll very rarely find a niche incapable of becoming popular.

If you do it well and do it persistently, any brand can have an audience.

Fun fact: Contrary to popular belief, you also won’t need millions of subscribers within that audience in order to make money off of your beauty blog, become an influencer, etc. You can just as easily achieve these goals with several hundred to several thousand fans, by becoming a micro-influencer. The more you know!

Step Two: What’s in a Name?

You’re also not going to be able to actually get started on your beauty blog until you decide what to call it. This step is obviously important since, for a lot of your audience, your name will be his or her first impression of you. A bad name can turn a potential follower away in seconds. It’s no surprise then that because this step is so crucial, it’s also the one that scares people away from starting a beauty blog the most.

While you absolutely need to give this step the proper time and consideration, it also doesn’t have to be as difficult as you’ll make it out to be. There are tons of popular cosmetic keywords you can choose to target in your name. You can get help from third-party generators, like the Business Name Generator. You can even get inspiration from the different trends of today’s generation (hint: millennials always go bananas over puns and memes).

If you already have a website for your makeup business, you should host your blog on that same site. It’ll help you with SEO! But if you’re starting a beauty blog from scratch, make sure that whatever name you pick is available to be purchased as a website domain name! If it’s not, time to go back to the drawing board.

Step 3: Building your blog

One of the most popular blog platforms in the world – and the one that we use – is WordPress. This is what we personally recommend. There are tons of reasons to choose WordPress, but its most attractive features are that:

It’s free
It has tons of templates to choose from (even beauty-inspired ones!)
It’s simple to customize, so even a beginner will have no trouble getting setup

Ultimately, though, it’s entirely up to you! Research into the different platforms and decide which one speaks most to you. Then you can get building from there!

Step 4: Post and share quality content

You don’t need an expensive camera or the writing skills of Shakespeare to create good content for your audience. So long as your knowledge of the beauty industry always shines through and your smartphone’s pictures aren’t the quality of a potato, you’re fine. What’s really important are two factors:

1. You post blog articles frequently

No one likes being ghosted, and this applies even to beauty blogging. How useful to her subscribers is a blogger who emerges once from her cave every other month, throws up an article, and then retreats back to the shadows? Gaining notoriety means staying relevant, so post regularly – even if you’re sleeping!

woman holding coffee but asleep at laptop

“Wait, what?”

Yeah, you heard me. For starters, not all of your audience will operate in the same time zone as you. Secondly, it’s only natural that there will be times where you’ll want to take a vacation and not be posting. Beauty bloggers are masters of time management; whenever you have more time to spare, you can write multiple articles at once. Blogging platforms like WordPress will even allow you to schedule them in advance, too.

“But I might start writing crappy blog articles in an attempt to always be posting something!”

Good point! Although posting blog content on a regular basis is part of any successful beauty blogger’s job description, quality is still more valuable than quantity. If there are times where your brain’s hit a creative wall, or nothing you write seems to be any better than wet garbage (it happens to all of us), the safest option is not to force it.

In situations like that, try going back through your blog archive and see if you have any articles you can repost, edit, or revamp. When you’re struggling to come up with a brand new, organic idea, sometimes editing is a far easier task. The general notion towards blog content is that there is wiggle room here. So long as you post as much evergreen material as you can (meaning, stuff that’ll stay relevant for a long time), you’ll set yourself up for success.

2. You have a social media presence to share your work

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter – these are all your best friend s! For extra icing on the cake, you can also start using YouTube to post videos of your tutorials, AMAs, etc. All well-known beauty bloggers operate on all different sorts of media to produce their content and promote their business. You definitely should, too. Social media will be your greatest tool in helping your odds of promoting yourself to potential followers.

Just like with your blog articles, there are apps that you can use to bulk schedule your social media content in advance, and then share everything for you. Here at QC, we use Later and Hootsuite, but there are tons of options to choose from.

A strong social media presence shows your audience that you’re there, like an invisible friend. Everyone loves a hard worker that’s passionate about what they do, and who’s succeeding in life. The world sucks in a lot of ways lately, so as a beauty blogger, your job will not just be to provide informative content. It’ll also be to provide a positive escape for all those who will look up to you. You’ll be the comfort zone they turn to when they need a short break from their struggles.

That being said: every pro has its con. Likewise, it’s a fine line between staying relevant and shoving yourself too much into everyone’s faces. Just remember to listen to that little voice inside that warns you when you might be going over the top!

woman writing on laptop, surrounded by makeup and fashion products

Step 5: Knowledge is power!

Whether you’ve been doing this for years, or you’re just starting out and still learning how to do makeup, you’ll benefit from exploring different makeup schools and taking classes.

“Whoah, why do I need classes if I already know what I’m doing?”

Just because someone’s a beauty blogger doesn’t mean they know everything there is to know about the craft. The people who think they know everything are usually the ones who know nothing. You might as well call them Jon Snow and exit out of their page. But you? You’re a true artist, and true artists understand that they’ll never know everything there is to know about their passion – but that will never stop them from trying to learn!

Online makeup schools like QC Makeup Academy are the perfect solution! In addition to a variety of makeup courses, programs touching on other popular areas of beauty blogging are also offered, such as Fashion Styling and/or Hair Styling Essentials.

Especially in the world of beauty, fashion, makeup, etc. the trends are ever-changing. Something that’s popular yesterday could very well be replaced by the latest and hippest look today. There will be the invention of new techniques and applications you haven’t tried before. If you think you know everything? #SorryNotSorry, but you’re wrong.

If you really want to be successful and stand out from your competition, you need to be humble enough to accept that there will always be things you can learn and ways you can improve. You may just find that doing so will only continue to grow your beauty blogging business.

So now that you’re basically an expert at getting a beauty blog started, what are you waiting for? 2020 won’t slow down for you, and we all know it’s not going to write itself! So go, vamoose, scoot! You’ve got this, and remember: we believe in you! Xo

Sarah Cavanagh

The truth is: even though there are a variety of different freelance makeup artist jobs out there, they all have the same benefits and disadvantages in common. Below, we’ll explore 5 of the most common pros and cons of being a freelance makeup artist.

Pro: You Are Your Own Boss!

Con: You Are Your Own Boss.

Pro: You work on your own schedule!

Con: You Work on Your Own Schedule.

Pro: You’re in Charge of Your Income!

Pro tip: You may not always know how much you should be charging for your services, and that’s okay! Here’s a comprehensive list, based on the type of MUA job, to help you figure it out! what prices you can – and should – aim for with your clients!

Con: You’re in Charge of Your Income.

Charging too much without the reputation to back it up is an effective way of tanking your business before it even starts. Charging too little is a great way to get an influx of clients… but you won’t make any money off those clients. You deserve to be paid for your work!

Pro: You meet all sorts of new people!

Con: You meet all sorts of new people.

Pro: The Competition is Tough!

Pro tip: Looking for some insider advice on how to stand out from the competition? Here are 3 of our top recommendations!

Pro: The Competition is Tough.

Want to leverage your online makeup schooling to help you find the best jobs? Read more and find out how!

Let’s Recap:

Let’s look a little deeper into each goal!

Resolution #1: “Further My Makeup Education”

Resolution #2: “Continue to Improve My Makeup Techniques”

Resolution #3: “Grow My Makeup Channel on YouTube”

Curious about which MUA jobs pay the highest salaries? Here are 4 possible paths you can choose in the makeup industry!

Follow them faithfully, and you’ll not only successfully complete your online makeup artist classes, you’ll pass them with flying colors!

1. Set Your Priorities

2. Set Deadlines and Exercise Good Time-Management Skills

3. Invest In Your Makeup Products

4. Stay On Top of Your Health

5. Don’t Give up!

Ready to start your online makeup artist classes today? Enroll in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course, and make 2020 the year you achieve your MUA dreams!

We can help! Below, we’ve debunked 5 of the most common (and completely false) expectations about online makeup school. This way, you can make a completely informed decision and be assured that your hard-earned money will get you hard-earned results!

Expectation #1: Because it’s cheaper than a brick-and-mortar school, the quality of the education will be lower.

Reality: The quality of education is exactly the same (maybe even better!).

Expectation #2: You won’t actually learn anything, and you’ll be asked to purchase your diploma/certification.

Reality: You’ll learn the skills required to become a professional MUA, and receive professionally-recognized certification at no extra cost.

Importantly: an online makeup school’s diploma/certificate should always be included within the overall cost of your tuition, and not a separate or recurring fee! If an online makeup school tries to spring this expense on you unexpectedly, this is a red flag. That school cannot be trusted.

Expectation #3: You’ll have scheduled classes, and a short amount of time to complete the course.

Reality: Online makeup school is all about flexibility!

Expectation #4: It’ll be easy enough that you can bluff your way through the course.

Reality: If it’s easy, then it’s probably a scam school.

Expectation #5: Even with training, you can’t actually make a serious career out of being an MUA.

Reality: You absolutely can – and many QC graduates DO!

The only thing stopping your dreams from becoming a reality is you. Are YOU willing to take the first step towards your future? Make 2020 your year!

Enroll in QC’s leading online makeup school, and start your MUA certification today!

Though there are many different avenues you can explore, we’ve put together a list of 4 of the highest paying jobs you can have as a makeup artist. Plus, we’ve also included a few additional factors worth considering, too.

Do Makeup Artists Get Paid Well?

What is The Salary of a Makeup Artist?

Who is The Highest Paid Makeup Artist?

Movie/Celebrity Makeup Artist

Job Description

3 Other Highly Paid Makeup Artist Jobs

1. Special Effects Makeup Artist

2. Independent/Freelance MUA

3. Brand Makeup Artist

Other Factors That’ll Impact Your Makeup Artist Salary

1 – Location

2 – Education

Learn all about QC Makeup Academy’s wide variety of self-paced, online makeup and beauty courses here!

3 – Earning Your Stripes

4 – Networking and Social Media

Final Thoughts

That said, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to do what you love and make a good living off of it, too! So, go forth knowing that in this industry, such a goal is VERY much achievable!

Become a professionally-certified makeup artist, book your first client, and start earning the salary you’ve always dreamed of in as little as 2-6 months. Enroll with QC Makeup Academy today!

So strap in, get comfy, and put your coziest socks on, because these blogs are well worth the read!

10. How to Apply False Eyelashes Like a Pro (2015)

9. 5 Areas Where Makeup Artists Lose Time During a Job (2019)

8. 5 Useless Items You Don’t Need in Your Professional Makeup Kit (2019)

7. Graduate Feature: Tyler Russell (2019)

6. 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Start a Career in the Makeup Industry (2018)

5. The Best Drugstore Makeup Dupes for Your Professional Makeup Kit (2018)

4. 4 Millennial Fashion Trends that Need to Die (2019)

3. Student Feature: Kirsten Hart (2019)

2. Quiz: How Much Do You REALLY Know About Hairstyling? (2016)

1. 6 Makeup Business Startup Tips (2015)

If the past 10 years were able to bring us this much amazing information, imagine what the next ten will hold! Is there anything you’re hoping to see and read about? If so, let us know in the comments!

Turn your MUA dreams into a reality by enrolling in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course today!

Before we ring in and bring back the roaring 20s, we thought it’d be nice to look back at the top 10 makeup blogs of this past year that were your all-time favorites!

It’s definitely going to be fun to see what articles will become most popular next year! Is there a specific topic you’d like to read about in 2020? Let us know in the comments!

Ready to make your dreams a reality in 2020? Enroll in QC’s leading Master Makeup Artistry course and start your MUA journey today!

Devyn Gregorio is a QC Makeup Academy Student Ambassador. You can find her on her YouTube Channel, Gregorio Girls Makeup, where she makes beauty videos with her sister. Today, Devyn demonstrates how to create a gorgeous, holiday-inspired look you can rock right into the New Year!

Watch her video below!