Q & A | Advice for the Aspiring Bridal Make-up Artist

We’ve been talking make-up artist shop all week, so this week’s Q & A is also dedicated to the aspiring bridal make-up artists out there:Q: I'm a Vancouver based-freelance artist currently working at as a drugstore cosmetician. I recently graduated from a make-up school here. It sometimes seems feels like forever to get to where I want to be in my make-up career. I know everyone says patience is key and it is quite competitive, but I'd love to be doing more bridal. How did you go about getting into doing weddings? How did you put yourself out there?

A: In terms of getting involved in more bridal and in breaking into the industry – really and unfortunately, there's no hard and fast way to do so. To put it into perspective with, in my first year of bridal make-up, I started off with doing two weddings (plus miscellaneous appointments), the second year was four weddings (plus appointments), my third year was 15 and now I look forward to 30+ weddings per year!!

In terms of what got me to where I am today, it really boils down to making good first impressions, networking and word-of-mouth (which is how I got all my first few jobs!). What definitely helped my business take off this year was setting up a website, which allowed potential clients the ability to view examples of my work instantly.

When you're just starting your bridal portfolio off, you may not have professional images right away, but here are a couple of things to get you started on the right foot:

1. have a mock bridal photoshoot to add pictures to your portfolio
Think about recruiting some friends as model brides, and co-ordinate with an aspiring photographer to get some photo examples of your work. Yes, they don't necessarily need to be actual "brides" in your photos, but once you work with more (and real) brides, you can replace these initial photos. Sometimes, it's just easier for clients to visualize the make-up this way.

2. research the bridal make-up artists in your area and find out if they need assistants
Even if it's just to watch brushes or do skin prep, you'll get a first-hand glimpse of how the pros do it, whether it be from a technical make-up or psychological customer service standpoint. Learn the little tips that will make the make-up last and save you time during the application appointments.

Finally, remember to hang in there, work hard and do it for the love - the rest of it will fall into place.

Hope this helps!