I just wrote a massive entry about how to begin in France as a freelance makeup artist. It is a bunch of specific things to the French administration so I am not sure it is worth posting here.

However, if you’re an expat willing to start a business here, just let me know and I’ll translate it!

Here is also a link to a comprehensive article about freelancing in France (it is about translators, but it applies fairly well to us makeup peeps).

I used to be a makeup addict. But when I became a makeup artist, doing my own face became boring. And I’m trying to cut on the compulsive makeup shopping by looking at my accounting. But my fascination for makeup products is still the same. I love new colors and new textures.

I remember when the first silicon-based products came out (hey! since when do I sound like such an old lady?), what a revolution it was! And the first mainstream cream eyeshadows (I would learn that cream shadows are basics to makeup artists much later).

Now, instead of rushing to buy the latest novelty, I customize. Colors and textures can be modified at will, I’m crazy about it! With some basic knowledge of chemistry and color theory, you can, with a few basic ingredients bought at the drugstore and cosmetic pigments, you can modify and even create your own cosmetics!

I remember reading an interview in which Serge Lutens (I will write something about him soon) was telling how, as a kid, he would make his own lipsticks in his mother’s saucepans. I remember the thrill I felt when I read those words.

When I imagine a new makeup, I don’t review all the products in my kit to make new matches. I imagine a color, a texture. I can daydream for a while staring at a pantone colorchart (or in front of the paint catalogue at BHV, a french hardware store.). Thinking of a color and trying to recreate it with some products I have, how enthralling! The possibilities are infinite! (Color theory helps making “sense” in this infinity, that’s why it is important.)

An experienced makeup artist told me one day to try this: try to recreate your exact skin tone (a foundation, basically) only using primary colors creams. A great and fun exercise for every makeup artist!

If you’re a makeup addict too, would you share some interesting mix of products you discovered?

-About cosmetics chemistry

-About color theory

-Great ressource for cosmetic pigments

I’m glad I was given great advice by the veterans of this industry very early when I started off as a makeup artist. When one starts and wants to earn a living out of makeup, there are many scams to avoid and many people that will try to take advantage of a beginner’s naivete.

When starting, often freshly out of school, no one was taught that. There are many job offers, and it is hard to sort crap from good. It is up to every makeup artist to try to educate one’s self and learn how to detect fraud. I had my share too, you know.

Ture, when starting, one would do almost anyting to get a job. And some take advantage of that and make one believe in fairy tales. Only to get into an unpaid and frustrating situation.

The word now is: NO-SPEC!

No-spec is an informational website originally created by and for freelance designers. But most of the times, you can just replace the words “designer” by “makeup artist” and “logo” by “makeup” and there you go.

No-spec claims the right for designers to say “no” to speculative work, which means more than often working for free for a company that will make profit out of your work. Lots of makeup artists joined the cause. For a makeup artist, to say “no” to spec work would mean:

-say “no” to work when payment hasn’t been discussed beforehands (payment can be monetary on, say, a commercial shoot or a movie, or images on a test shooting)

-don’t expect more from your work that what has been agreed upon. There will be LOTS of people to promise you paid job after the free one. Trust me, it never happens that way. No-spec means : if this job isn’t worth it, no carrot will make it better because a carrot is just that, a carrot.

-know the value of your own work. There will always be a makeup artist to take the catalog job for 30$ a day. I think that every new artist should know the average rates in his area. Working below those rates for the same kind of work is undercutting. And when you undercut your peers you also undercut yourself.

-learn how to work with a client. A freelance makeup artist isn’t just someone good at makeup, he’s got to handle a business, accounting and relations with his clients. Which means negotiating, discussing and saying “no” sometimes. In my opinion, accepting any single king of job, no matter what, isn’t going to help one building one’s credibility. You’ll be used once and forgotten.

-give yourself some goals. As a newbie, it is easier to pick a field in which to start, even if it means changing afterwards. If you try to become at one a makeup artist in photography, cinema and theatre, you might lose in the process too much energy and struggle to get your name out of her. As far as photography is concerned, building your book shouldn’t be an excuse to accept every single test coming your way. If you want to work in fashion, those nude pictures are probably not going to help. When reached a certain degree of experience, working with amateur models is probably not going to help your portfolio either.

I’d like to insist of the fact that I truly admire those who want to give their time for those who need it. But why give it away to people who just want to save money out of you, instead of going to charity where they’re always looking for helping hands. Hospitals and prisons are also a great place where to offer your services for free.

No-spec concerns lots of jobs, photography, modelling, and, probably, to all the freelancers. Freelancers who read me, have you ever been contacted for speculative work? How do you feel about it?