I see a face or body as a canvas where I am expressing my art. My client/model’s happiness with their makeover makes me delighted. I strongly believe “Makeup is to enhance your beauty.”
1. Tell us about your background and journey?
From my childhood, I developed an interest in art and fashion, participation in various cultural activities in schools and colleges, learning Indian classical dance, introduced to makeup, and I was obsessed with it.
Being minded to do something that I loved as a creative and expressive person, I chose to learn makeup techniques and bring out my creative side. I enrolled in a makeup artist diploma course at Canadian Beauty College. During my course, my perspective towards the makeup industry broadened.
My journey was challenging as I had to convince my elders to start a new career in a new country. Considering that, I was a university topper in my graduation, a masters in commerce, and discontinued CA course, they wanted me to pursue in commerce.
However, their opinions changed, and now they support me. My mother, husband and brother stood by me. After graduating as a Makeup artist further, I took up a certification course in hair design. Now I am a freelance makeup and hair artist based in Canada.
2. Why did you choose this as your career option?
I started exploring more about makeup for my wedding by watching makeup tutorials in youtube, learning how to do my makeup, followed and admired my favourite makeup artists.
This drove me to learn more about the makeup, it’s techniques, styles and history. I never thought a career in makeup before, gradually exploring more motivated me to take my passion as a career.
It gives me immense pleasure in doing makeup on different faces. I see a face or body as a canvas where I am expressing my art. My client/model’s happiness with their makeover makes me delighted. I strongly believe “Makeup is - to enhance your beauty”. Everyone is beautiful, and my job is to enhance their features to make them more beautiful.
During my makeup artist diploma, I was also introduced to special effects makeup, and it made me thrilled to work with prosthetics to create special effects makeup for the camera, theatre and film.
Working with fake blood, latex and creating ghostly looks for Halloween is so much fun. I was awarded first prize for the Halloween look on one of my friends in his office party. In my opinion, makeup is an art.
I would like to mention that even today, many don’t know that there are career opportunities in the makeup industry.
3. How can one build a clientele as a makeup artist?
Networking is the key. In the initial stages, building network plays a significant role. One has to try to work with models, photographers, hairstylists, florists, boutiques etc., which leads to connecting people and promoting each other's work on a social media platform to reach a larger audience.
Work on friends and family, they are the best to promote business and gain clientele. Build your portfolio to promote and market your business on various platforms like social media, posting flyers, Participating and volunteering in various fashion events, shows and exhibitions.
Word of mouth plays an important role to build a clientele. It is possible only with the satisfied client. So customer service is very crucial for a successful makeup artist.
4. What are some of your top makeup tips?
1. Use moisturiser and primer before applying foundation as it helps to protect your skin and allows the foundation to spread evenly and last longer.
2. I suggest not to use shimmery highlighters if you have bumpy or textured skin because it enhances them. Instead of that use lighter shade concealer as a highlighter.
3. To draw a winged eyeliner first outline a wing on both sides of the eyes check their symmetry and then continue the liner from the centre of the eye(eyeball) towards the wing and join the centre from the inner corner of the eye.
4. To make an eyeliner smudge-proof, use same colour eyeshadow as the eyeliner and gently press on it with an angular brush. Eyeliner may be gel, liquid or any it makes smudge-proof.
5. What kind of job opportunities can one get on becoming a makeup artist?
There are many job opportunities for a makeup artist:
1. Beauty consultant – Working as a beauty consultant with beauty brands is one of the career options where you can gain product knowledge and get an experience of working on different skin tones and faces. It helps to build customer relationship and communication skills. It allows growing with beauty brands.
2. Freelancing – This is a broad platform. One can choose to enter the bridal industry, film industry, theatre, fashion shows, editorial shoots, and the list goes on. Either you can specialise in any of these industries, or you can be a multitasker.
3. There is an opportunity to be a beauty influencer and a Youtuber by sharing your makeup skills.
6. What professional courses would you suggest for aspiring artists?
To pursue as a professional makeup artist, one can either opt for long-term diploma course provided by authorised institutions or specialised courses or do specialisation short term courses.
For example, if you chose to concentrate on a bridal industry, there are specialised and short-term courses to become a professional bridal makeup artist offered my reputed bridal artists. There are other advanced courses to upgrade and grow in the industry for all artists as learning has no end.
It will be beneficial if an artist has additional skills that are related to beauty and fashion like hair designer or stylist, henna artist, eyelash esthetician, etc... Identifying our interests and choosing a path is the core to begin a career.
Sahitya Thota
Makeup Artist
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