Why I Love Being A Makeup Artist

So, I’m out here enjoying the cool breeze that blows across my balcony, after the hostile heat pushed me out of my room. I was just about to doze off when an Instagram comment notification brought me back to life. The comment read “do you love being a makeup artist?”.  

This stimulated my consciousness and made me realize that people often ask similar questions like “why do you love makeup?” “why do you love being a makeup artist?” “what inspired you to become a makeup artist?”. So, since my feelings kind of lean towards writing today, let me just script down a couple of words to give a general explanation on why I actually love makeup.

You see, up until I was 17 years old, I never wore any makeup, not even powder. All these changed when I was 18 and about to start my university education. I would see some girls with makeup on and I would be intrigued. My first attraction was brows, and in no time I found myself in love with makeup. I would do makeup for my friends to class, have play dates and draw my brows the best way I knew how. Although, back then, I was just doing rubbish, lol. I kept at this and from being something I did for fun, I began to make some money out of it, however little it was.

The journey, 5 years now (2 years professionally) has been amazing and it’s been filled with surreal experiences. It hasn’t always been rosy because I mean, it is a highly saturated industry. 

Enough of the stories, I have about ten outstanding reasons why I love makeup and here you have them below;

Before you proceed, kindly follow me on Instagram @mimie_jay.

1. It Is A Flexible Career:  

Unlike other careers or 9-5 corporate jobs, being a makeup artist doesn’t have a rigid schedule. Every job has its own time; be it a photo shoot, event, celebrity or bridal makeup as well as makeup dates. They have different times and you get to accept jobs that are in sync with the periods you’re available. All I’m trying to say is that you basically live around your own schedule. You can’t do that when you’re working in a firm under a boss, unless you want to get yourself fired.

2. I Get To Travel

Through makeup,  I’ve had opportunities to travel around and see places I wouldn’t have deliberately decided to go.  As a makeup artist, you get clients or collaborations with people outside your “home”.  

You get to see beautiful roads, beaches, buildings and other amazing sceneries. Makeup is a global marketplace and people will bring the talent they love to their location. Getting the chance to see the world and have a feel of new/diverse cultures can be a great perk of the job.

3. It Gives A “Feel-Good” Feeling:

Makeup has a transformative power that is so beautiful and gives me a good feeling especially after a job. I strongly believe everyone is beautiful regardless of whatever flaws there might be. Some people tend to forget this and even forget to see the beauty in themselves. One touch of makeup is what is needed to make these people see the beauty that exist in them.

It has a way of making people confident. Honestly, one of the best feelings I get is being able to help people see how beautiful they are. When people feel good about themselves, they will be able to spread good feeling and live kindly towards others.

4. There Is No Dress Code

I don’t have to stick to certain outfits or uniforms. I don’t have to suit up on hot afternoons. I can wear whatever I deem fit. Definitely, I dress modestly and professionally but it’s still what I want to wear. I declare my choices. That’s a good one for me.

5. I Meet Amazing People

Through this job, I’ve been lucky to meet good people either as a client or as a team working together. Sometimes you get to meet clients who open up and tell you the most inspiring stories or share experiences you can learn from. Some eventually refer you to other people. This is really a good thing. Makeup is a career that gives room for you to connect and relate with other people on a deep level and this definitely is more of a fancy to me.

6. It Gives Room For Self Reflection

This is another good reason I love being a makeup artist, I’m able to reflect on myself and how far I’ve come; figure out how I can be a better person, handling my insecurities in a better way and generally be a good human being.

Self-reflection helps to build emotional self-awareness. By taking the time to ask yourself the important questions, you gain a better understanding of your emotions, strengths, weaknesses and driving factors. Once you understand the important aspects of the self, you become better able to adapt to changing situations and tough circumstances.

7. Excitement

Trust me, the excitement I feel after doing a good job cannot be explained. Regardless of how long I’ve been doing this, I still feel a brand new excitement each time I do makeup for someone or myself. I know I’m not perfect! I make mistakes and I also make wrong decisions while working but I’m able to fix these without being noticed. I want to keep making clients and models confident in what I can do, I want to keep making them happy, THAT EXCITEMENT is something I never want to go away.

8. Money

Realize I didn’t put money in my top 5. Lol, but it’s still there. Makeup pays some bills regardless of how little. Although it isn’t the same for everyone, I’m sure you can make a living doing makeup and it sure is a dependable career. It all depends on how deep you’ve set your foot in the industry and how you maximize the opportunities you have. It is a big community but you can still find a place for yourself through diligence, hard work and prayer!.

9. Portability

Tell you what, if you are caught or called to work unawares, you can still do a great job. You can walk into the nearest drugstore and get the basic things you need to do a great job. You can walk out your door with your imaginations and a bag containing your makeup kit and you come back with more money than you left home with. How cool is that?  

10. The Learning Process

To be successful in the makeup industry you need to constantly learn and unlearn. Products change from time to time, trends change from time to time. I enjoy learning and I’m always willing to catch up on the new trends, techniques and products. I also love to share as much knowledge as I possibly can.

I could go on and on giving you reasons why I love being a makeup artist but we won’t leave here today. You may ask, “why should I be a makeup artist. Honestly, it takes a lot of commitment, passion and dedication but it pays in the end. 

Are you already a makeup artist?, So tell me, what do you love about makeup or about being a makeup artist?

xoxo,

Mimie Jay