Makeup Artist Job Description

There's some kind of resentment I have towards my face, at times when I look at myself into the mirror. How would I look if my cheeks were a bit compressed? Wouldn't it be great if only my nose was a bit straight? If my lips were a bit more plumper? Hours pass by lingering in this constant hatred, and I sigh for that one person who would come to me, look at my face, and say, I'm all for skin, and you, are a gorgeous lady. I'm gonna make your skin glow like a star!

Damn! This is going in some other direction. No! I wasn't really day-dreaming about my Prince Charming. I'm talking about the very talented makeup artists who love glamor and can create countless glamorous moments with just a few brush-strokes. How easy is it for them to transform the future of an ordinary looking girl, by just spending a few hours on her face, and turning her into a supermodel you see on the cover of a famous fashion magazine. He just wants everyone to look and feel beautiful from not only outside, but inside too, and that he surely does while you're sitting on a chair in the green room, waiting to be transformed into an entirely different person few hours from now. Indeed, they're magicians. More on the job profile of makeup artists follows below. All you need to do is, have a tight grip on each word put forth.

Job Profile of a Makeup Artist

He's skilled at making a person look years younger, or years older than he or she really is. Forget young or old, he can transform a cute looking girl into a fashionable diva. If even this talent fails to impress you, there's much more than this, that his hands can do - he could turn a human into an alien so bizarre looking that you can't even imagine! He's an expert in giving people the look they desire, whatever occasion it be. He uses makeup, wigs, hair styling products, and other trade tools that are required to alter the look of a person, in accordance with the performance he is required to deliver. A makeup artist/stylist may be just asked to hide the blemishes of a person's face, and make him or her look as beautiful as he or she can, under the stage lights. All in all, his job is an integral part of show business, and it is because of him, that you see and envy many famous celebrities who manage to look so glamorous and beautiful on the silver screen.

In show business, makeup artists are well-versed with the effects stage lights have over an actor's appearance. The most important characteristic for a makeup artist is to have a sense of creativity and imagination. Things become extremely easy if he has the ability to visualize a scene, and then add some strokes of life with his many brushes and tweezers. A movie makeup stylist is always in contact with the director and costume designer, of the movie he's working for, where he can acquire the idea of the script, and bring out the characters within the actors with the appearance he gives to them. Many makeup artists are good skin care experts too, so that, if at all, a makeup trick goes wrong on a performer, and he or she catches an allergy or infection, the makeup artist is able to cure them, and advice accordingly.

A makeup artist's workplace is usually the theater, movie set, or a television studio he is working for. He spends most of his time working with clients, studying their roles, and creating the necessary appearance for them. It isn't like a usual job at all, for work hours may vary according to the scenes and plots. Typically, a makeup artist works 12 to 18 hours a day, which is just too much for anyone. But then, remunerations can be rewarding too.

Educational Requirements and Pay Scale

One really doesn't require a four-year degree to become a makeup artist! However, many successful makeup stylists have pursued training and certification by means of the various cosmetology programs, offered by educational and vocational institutions. On the other hand, many budding makeup artists assist skilled makeup professionals during their projects to learn the nitty-gritty of makeup styling. This not only exposes them to various opportunities to represent their skills and talent, but also helps them build contacts with the big guns of show business.

For a makeup artist who is new on the block, salary figures reach up to $40,000 on an annual basis. However, with increasing experience, the salary of a makeup artist takes a hike too. It really depends upon the location of work. For instance, a makeup artist who takes up outdoor projects can mint up to $74,000 annually! However, figures are a little less for those who work for local projects and theater acts. All in all, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) America states that in the next four years, jobs for makeup artists are likely to increase by 40 per cent. If you've decided to make a career in makeup artistry, your future's bright!

There's nothing quite like transforming the way people look by swishing your magic wand (read brush), is there? The job of a makeup artist is, indeed, an interesting one. However, there is a lot of workload out there, and nothing better than the daily working hours of a makeup artist delineate this fact. Nevertheless, career prospects in this field are impressive, salary range is definitely enviable, and job description is one of the most interesting ones... want more to bask in? How about you styling Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean (nth installment) someday?