The make-up industry is worth £25bn annually, and a recent study suggested some women spend upwards of £1,000 a year on cosmetics.
So how do you get a foothold in this booming industry? What experience or qualifications do you need to be a successful make-up artist?
Meet make-up artist Andriani Vasiliou, 28. She’s beautified celebrities from the England rugby team and Cristiano Ronaldo to Marina and the Diamonds and Paul Daniels!
Andriani studied fine art at the prestigious Saint Martins College of Art and Design, “which is quite a fashion-led university,” she says. “When I finished my degree I was torn, because I specialised in paintings but I was passionate about fashion. I tried to figure out a way to incorporate the two which lead me to make-up.”
Dizzy with inspiration, Andriani went on to study at the elite Glauca Rossi School of Make-Up, which accepts only 15 students per term. Andriani was driven to do more than work on a department store make-up counter, and leveraged her tutors’ established positions in the industry. “I was lucky, the teachers at the school were all working make-up artists and I got taken on as an assistant quickly,” she says.
Foundations
In the make-up industry training is imperative. It gives you both an understanding of the fundamental rules of make-up application and much needed experience. Reflecting on her own training experience, Andriani says, “You must be good at using colour and have a vivid imagination. It’s a creative industry where you’re collaborating with photographers, stylists and hairdressers, so you have to be able to bring an idea to the table; that’s the sort of thing people can’t really teach you.”
Training in the make-up industry gives you both an understanding of the fundamental rules of make-up application and much needed experience
Every glossy magazine contains the handy work of make-up artists and beauticians, transforming the faces of celebrities and models. Kevyn Aucoin was a pioneer in the beauty industry, and blazed a trail in the 80s alongside Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and Alexis Vogel. The role of a make-up artist can cover many different aspects aside from making models look edgy or carnally appealing. Hollywood’s eminent backstage make-up artist Jack Pierce was famed for his weird-and-wonderful take on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein when he created the look for the 1931 movie.
For those who would like to emulate the likes of Aucoin and Pierce, Andriani offers the following advice: “Try finding somebody you can assist. I think that’s the most amazing way of getting experience. You’ll be working on jobs you wouldn’t be getting booked for if you were working by yourself – you become a part of it all.”
By shadowing a mentor you learn how people keep their kits and discover new products, “just email all the big agencies and arrange appointments, see if you can become somebody’s assistant in one way or another,” adds Andriani. The value of working with someone who has a large contacts book is priceless.
Challenges and rewards
There are many make-up artists already plying their trade, so Andriani advises, “Hard work and determination will get you through.” She recounts on her past experiences, “There’s definitely been times when I’ve thought ‘oh my gosh, what am I doing?’ But my passion always sees me through. I think that if you haven’t got enthusiasm, you’ll probably give up or get swallowed up.”
Becoming a make-up artist isn’t something you should fall into half-heartedly, and a robust work ethic is necessary to succeed in this industry – not to mention a distinct durability. “I didn’t expect to still be working as hard as I am, desperately trying to climb that ladder” says Andriani, continuing “nobody told me it was going to be this hard – I think it’s something people need to be aware of.”
However, Andriani wouldn’t have it any other way, “I think it makes you appreciate it more. The harder things are, the more satisfied you feel when you get a result.”
With all this said, what are the rewards? “I love the freelance lifestyle and being my own boss” says the young female entrepreneur. “I enjoy the irregularity…well, most of the time! Its great meeting new people everyday, and working with different teams” she adds.
