Top 5 Common Makeup Application Mistakes – And How To Avoid Them

Creating the perfect makeup look comes with various mistake opportunities from choosing the wrong shades to uneven application. Although these mistake are very common in both everyday and red carpet makeup looks, true professionals know the pro secrets and techniques of a flawless look, regardless of face shape and makeup type.

The Most Common Mistakes:

Face Mask Effect

Instead of an airbrushed finish, sometimes foundation can look very unnatural and cakey. This problem can be due to the texture, amount and application type, and is one of the biggest makeup mistakes, as it can easily ruin the whole look. To avoid this fake “face mask” effect, make sure you choose the right type and shade of foundation and blend out until everything is smooth and even as lines of makeup (especially on the edges, such as the chin and jawline) can make the situation even worse.

Dramatically Overlined Lips

Overlined lips have become a huge trend since last year, and while if done well, it can look good on camera, this technique rarely works. Trying to overline the lips and trying to blur the dimension of the natural lipline can result in a very unrealistic makeup look that not only doesn’t look proportionate on the face, but it usually makes the lips look unnatural as well.

Wrong Eyelash application

Dramatic, long and voluminous lashes can perfectly complete a makeup look and make it more feminine, but if the application is wrong and the glue is visible or the lash is not directly glued to the natural lash line, the whole makeup look is ruined. One of the biggest mistake (the visible glue line) can be easily solved with a clear or black glue that matches the eyeliner, but for the perfect false lashes, you will need to learn the professional techniques.

Dark Foundation

Another regular foundation mishap is using darker foundation than the skin shade and no matter how high and even coverage the product ensures, it will look very unnatural on the skin. To find the ideal shade for any skin tone, make sure to take a look at the skin’s undertone as well to avoid using darker colours.

Sculpted Eyebrows

Natural looking and bigger eyebrows are definitely one of the most popular looks of the year, but just like with lining the lips, it can easily go overbroad. There are various products that will help you shape and sculpt the brows (from pencils to gels and wax textured brow liners), but without matching the shape of the brows to the shape of the face and drawing a proportionate shape, the brows will look too overwhelming.

Looking for more professional tips and common mistakes that can be easily avoided? Subscribe to our course and learn from talented artists! 

How Much Money Can I make as a Makeup Artist ?

Career Options & Salaries

 How much money can I make as a makeup artist?

Depending on the location and work position (such as personal makeup artist and salon work), a professional makeup artist can earn anywhere from £30,000 up to £60-70,000. Besides the two most important aspect, salaries can also depend on working hours, occasions and commissions if you decide to work in the direct sales section.

Direct Sales

If you would like to work in direct sales, your annual salary will highly depend on commissions from the sold items and services with a hourly/monthly minimum. You can earn anywhere between £23,000 and £40,000 in a year.

Boutique and Speciality Stores

Boutique and speciality stores tend to have a bit higher hourly rates for artists than a department store, but just like with most profession, salary can depend on your location (while artists in New York, Hollywood and Los Angeles usually have higher salaries, makeup artists in other areas of the United States tend to get lower payment). You can earn anywhere between £19,000 and £28,000 in a year.

Media Opportunities

Depending on the popularity of the media site or magazine you are working for as a makeup artist (with a wide range from start-up fashion and beauty companies to well- established magazines), you can earn anywhere between £19,000 and £50,000 in a year.

Salon Work

Working in salons as a makeup artist usually comes with regular working hours and full- time position opportunities, and depending on your location, you can make anywhere around £25,000-£30,000 by working in a salon.

Department Stores

Depending on which department store you choose and your commission, department stores can guarantee you around the same amount of payment as working in a salon.

Theatrical Make-up

For artists who don’t mind late working hours and part time projects, a career in theatrical makeup can bring up to £30,000-£36,000 per year. Just like being a mostly occasional job, it constantly comes with new challenges which can be an exciting and well- paid opportunity for every artist.

Television and Films

While TV and Film makeup artist have usually higher hourly payment than a salon or department store artist, the main downside is that the working hours are usually less and it is more of a part time job than a full time, especially if you are working with different film crews. Overall, artists working in the film and television sector get paid around as much as artists working in other media sectors (such as photo shoot artists).

Teaching & Consultancy

Depending on whether you would like to join a bigger makeup school or start your own makeup-courses, makeup teachers can earn up to £30,000 per year with flexible working hours (as most makeup courses are during the evening or weekend which is suitable for working students as well).

Freelancing

Freelancers have the widest range of opportunities and salary options: depending on what side of freelancing you are the most attracted to, you can earn anything from £20,000

If you are interested about how to successfully choose your future career path and how to make the most out of your talent, subscribe to our course! 

PRO ARTIST: Getting Discounts on Makeup Products

As a professional artist, building up your own collection of makeup that suits every skin tone, type, hair and eye colour is not definitely not a budget-friendly project, but pro discounts code offer a great option to get makeup discounts up to 35%.

How does it work?

Depending on the brand, you either need to apply for a paid membership program (with small annual fees) or can register on the site and get accepted as a makeup artist and use your card to get discounts. As a professional makeup artist, with our makeup course certificate, you will be entitled for these discounts and will be able to purchase items 15-35% off. Pro memberships will not only help you save your money and build a makeup collection quicker, but they also give you the opportunity to get access to limited and PRO products.

Most popular PRO Artist Programs: 

MAC PRO Student Discount 35%

Bobbi Brown PRO Student Discount 35%

INGLOT 

Discount 20%

MAKEUP FOREVER Discount 20%

LAURA MERCIER Discount 40%

DANIEL Sandler Discount 20%

Pro ID

When applying for discount you should expect to be asked to prove you are a working artist.

Business Cards/Comp Card

If you don’t already have business cards you can get simple inexpensive cards online.

Union Card

You can join BECTU (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematography and Theatre Union) for as little as £10 a month which gives you entitlement to a whole range of benefits and your union card can be used to prove you are a pro artist. This is great if you are a new artist with no tear/call sheets under your belt.

Website

Several brands now accept a website as proof you are a pro.

Other benefits:

Besides getting discount on makeup, pro groups and memberships have various other benefits as well, such as taking part in VIP launch events, attending special makeup study courses and interviews with other artists and getting sneak-peeks from the latest collections.

For more detailed information on how to claim your memberships, discounts and how to discover all the pro student/artist programs you can join, subscribe to our flexible, online course! 

Tools And Tricks You Didn’t Know About Foundation

The Foundation Application Guide

Sponges, kabuki brushes, fluffy brushes, wet blenders...there are various ways of applying foundation to make it look flawless and airbrushed, but not every application tool works with the different textures. To help you in the maze of foundation brushes and application tools, we gathered the most popular and professional tools that will help you get an even coverage and natural, dewy finish without making the foundation looking cakey.

Foundation Brushes

Flat Top Brush

A bigger brush with a flat top will allow you to buff any liquid textured foundation. Besides creating a very smooth coverage, this technique is also great for either light or heavy coverage foundation, as a flat top brush will guarantee a natural finish that blends in with your natural skin tone.

Regular Foundation Brush

For more buildable foundations, the traditional foundation brush works perfectly: just like a flat top brush, it evens out the foundation on your skin, but instead of buffing in, it lightly applies your makeup, leaving an airbrushed finish. Although it is a great application option for creamy and liquid foundations, it won’t work efficiently with a powder foundation.

Fluffy Brush

Powdery textures work amazingly together with these types of bigger, soft fluffy brushes. This brush can take up plenty of product and applies it to the skin while swiping off all the excess to avoid the cakey effect. For oily skin, a powder foundation combined with one of these brushes is perfect!

Small, Thin Brush

After applying the foundation, use a small, edged brush for the last strokes and make sure to even out the foundation around the nose, eyes and mouth, where the liquid and cream formulas tend to get into the crease.

Sponges

Sponges have become true cult classics this past year: a soft, flexible sponge is a very versatile application tool that can be used with all textures. Sponges work similarly to flat top brush as they allow you to buff in the product gently to the skin without picking up too much of the foundation, and they can aid you if you wish to build up the coverage as well.

Fingers

The easiest way of applying the foundation is often used as an emergency application tool, but it is actually great for liquid or cream textures, as you can apply it with gentle, circular motions, and make sure the product is evened out enough.

Although these are the basics of the foundation application, there are many other tips and tricks that a makeup artist needs to learn. For more professional advice on choosing the perfect foundation application tools, make sure to subscribe! 

HOW TO - Determine Your Face Shape

The Essential First Step: 

Knowing The Structure of The Face

Before applying makeup, knowing the structure of the face is a key aspect as it can determine the different shapes, motions and textures of makeup and help the artist create the most flattering look for the client. The shape of the face is usually influenced by our culture and ethnicity and is determined by the structure of the facial bones. Every face structure is unique, beautiful and a bit different, but there are key elements that can help you categorise the main face shapes.

The 6 Main Face Shapes:

Oval Face

One of the most common face shapes, where the forehead is slightly larger narrowing towards the chin. Because the cheekbones are usually higher, this face is structure can be emphasised perfectly with the right highlighting and contouring techniques.

Round Face

Unlike the oval face shape, rounder face shapes do not narrow down towards the chin: usually, the whole face has the same width and length from the forehead to the chin, being the widest at the cheekbones

Heart Shape Face

With a slightly pointy chin and the whole face narrowing down to the chin, heart shape faces are very special and easy to recognise. 

Square Face

Women with square face shape have very structured features with strong jawline and cheekbones. Although it looks similar to the heart shape, square shapes tend to be the same width at the forehead and the cheekbones, which creates the illusion of a square.

Pear Shape

A pear shape face is slightly slimmer around the forehead and widens out towards the chin, but instead of a sharp jawline and cheekbones and a rectangular shape, the general shape of the face is rounder.

Long Face

Long faces shapes tend to have the same width on the whole face with a slightly thinner chin and jawline – the most recognisable aspect of this shape is definitely the longer and a bit thinner shape of the overall face.

Aspects to Consider:

Shape of the face 
Shape of cheekbones
Shape of the forehead
Shape of chin and jaw line 
Shape and size of the eyes
Shape and size of eyebrows
Shape of the mouth 
Shape of the nose

To find out how to make each face shape look the most stunning and other must-know aspects while applying makeup to different structures, subscribe!