As a makeup artist, determining your rates is not just about picking a number or what others are charging; it's a strategic process that reflects your skill, experience, and the value you bring to your clients. Here are a few essential components of setting your rates, taking into account your experience, social media presence, location, field of specialization, as well as the critical considerations of travel, products, time and labor.

Your Locations

Geographic location plays a pivotal role in determining your rates. Please refrain from solely relying on social media and asking people from all over the world how much they charge, thinking you can just adopt those rates. Firstly, it's crucial to conduct research on the average rates in your specific area, taking into account the local cost of living. If you are located in NYC or California, naturally, your rates will be higher than in smaller towns. However, if you are an established artist, your approach might differ; you can set a standard rate applicable to any location, leaving it to the client to decide if it aligns with their budget.

Your Experiences:

In the initial two years of my career as a Makeup Artist, I undertook numerous unpaid jobs to gain experience, initially thinking $50-$80 was a substantial amount until the reality hit that it posed challenges in covering essential expenses like rent, food, and basic needs. Your level of expertise plays a pivotal role in determining your rates. Reflect on the years dedicated to improving your craft, the training you've invested in, and the skills acquired through continuous learning. For those just starting, it's acceptable to charge lower rates, ensuring it covers your supplies. As you evolve as an artist, your rates should gradually adjust. Established artists with experience can command higher rates, mirroring the true value of their expertise.

Your Social Presences:

In 2024, simply doing makeup alone is no longer sufficient. Whether you agree or disagree, the reality of the current time emphasizes the importance of growing your social media presence. In this age of digital influence, your standing on social media can profoundly affect your market value. A larger following, increased engagement, and a robust online presence can make a substantial impact on your professional reach. This element can empower you to set higher rates even if you operate in a smaller town, showcasing the influence of a strong online presence in shaping your market value.

Your Makeup Niche

Within the makeup industry, various fields, including fashion, bridal, union, theater, salon, and more, they all have different elements to determine each rates. It’s crucial to research and educate yourself across these diverse fields to establish a foundational understanding of their differences. By deciding the direction in which you want to grow, you can effectively determine the rates you should charge, considering the unique demands of each field and what elements should be accounted for within your rates. This strategic approach ensures that your pricing aligns with the specific requirements of your chosen makeup path.

Your Expenses

When establishing your rates as a makeup artist, it's vital to recognize that you're not solely charging for the makeup service itself. Consider the time invested in preparation, travel, and the costs associated with quality products, and factor these into your rates. Just because you can complete a full makeup application in 45 minutes, charging $50-$80 doesn't equate to keeping 100% of that fee. Numerous factors need to be considered. Your rates should reflect not only your artistic skill but also the time and effort invested in delivering exceptional results. It's crucial to dedicate time to educate yourself and devise a realistic pricing strategy that not only supports your career but aligns with your chosen lifestyle.

A Formula for intermediate Artists

I've developed a simple formula that has provided me with guidance when determining rates. For example, if I charge $100 for an on-location makeup service, and the entire process – including preparation, travel, setup, service, and cleanup – takes 3 hours, the calculated hourly rate is $33. This makes it easier to adjust the hourly rate as I grow as an artist, using the formula as a guide (bearing in mind that it doesn't include the cost of products used on the job, making the actual hourly rate even lower).

To illustrate, if I charge $33/hr, someone wanting to book me for 4 hours would result in a half-day rate of $130, and 10 hours would lead to a full-day rate of $330. This prompts me to evaluate if the hourly rate works for me and make adjustments accordingly.

Extending this formula to rates like $100/hr, $120/hr, and $150/hr allows for flexibility. While this is not a definitive system, it serves as a general guide to jumpstart your thinking if you're unsure where to begin. People may have differing opinions on this, but this approach has proven effective for me, and I'm sharing it with you. Ultimately, clients will decide whether to book you based on your rates, experience, and social presence.

In conclusion, setting your rates is a multi-faceted process that involves careful consideration of your experience, online presence, location, specialization, travel, product costs, and the value of your time and labor. By evaluating each aspect, you can confidently establish rates that not only reflect your worth but also ensure a sustainable and successful makeup artistry career.

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When I first started my career as a makeup artist in 2014, my biggest goal was to get booked at New York Fashion Week. As we enter 2019, I’ve now worked over 100+ shows as a professional in the industry, including NYFW. While I may not have a vast knowledge of designers, I do know that Fashion Week can be a dream job in this industry. Before we continue, I’d like to clarify something: I can’t guarantee that these tips will get you a spot in NYFW. These steps are a short list of things that I’ve learned through my own journey to Fashion Week. My goal here is to give some insight into the process.

Location, Location
-This is a huge factor. Sometimes, your goals and passions require you to make some sacrifices. Though it’s not impossible, the chances of getting booked for NYFW as an artist that lives outside of NYC are slim. This is simply because the city is saturated with incredible artists, there’s no need for a brand to outsource their artists.
Work For A Brand
-I got onto my first NYFW show after working for MAC, a brand that has supported Fashion Week for years. I highly recommend doing your research and finding out which brands are most commonly involved with NYFW. While this can be a long and sometimes tedious process, it’s also something that can help you work towards achieving your goal. And although this was something that helped me, it wasn’t without its obstacles. For example, MAC requires artists to pass through five levels of certifications before reaching “Fashion Show Certification”. Even passing this, there’s no guarantee you’ll get booked. Staying motivated and working hard through this process will help to show your dedication.
Assist Artists That Key NYFW Shows
-Key artists typically bring other MUA’s that they’ve worked with in the past to their NWFW team. This means you should always keep an open mind to assisting other artists and building up your relationships in the industry. This includes taking the time to reach out to agencies to be placed on their assistant list. Doing this early on in my career opened a lot of opportunities.
Work Hard & Be Kind
- “Be kind”, the tattoo on my left hand, is a perfect reminder. You never know who you may work with or run into on the street, especially living in NYC. This means that a single interaction could help make your career. With this in mind, always remember to work hard on every job you get, paid or not. Just remember that having a negative attitude at a job won’t get you very far. Hustle, do good work, and be a nice person.
Get on Unofficial NYFW shows
-Follow the official NYFW calendar on www.nyfw.com. This showcases all of the official designers and shows during Fashion Week. In that time, there are hundreds of other unofficial/smaller events that are worth keeping an eye on. Keep in mind that these may be easier to get involved in when you’re just starting out. They can be small, sometimes a bit under-organized, and some even use false advertisement calling it “NYFW” to get creatives to support the event for free. but they’re a great way of introducing yourself to the fast pace of Fashion Week.
Make Sure Your Portfolio Is Always Ready
-If you’ve kept up with my articles, you’ll be familiar with my belief that Instagram is one of the most powerful platform for the makeup industry; who needs a website they pay for, or a printed portfolio that needs carrying around, when you can use a streamlined social media platform to showcase all of your work. This doesn’t mean that you have to post every day or every look you create. Think of Instagram as your book; the first 6 photos are your first impression. A quick glance at your page should represent and showcase you as an artist. Remember: quality over quantity.
Being In The Right Place At the Right Time
-Honestly, this play a huge roll in our industry. From my experience, at least. You have to be flexible and available. There was a time, a week prior to New York Fashion Week. I remember constantly checking my email hoping to get book on any shows (Paid or Non-Paid), it never came. One morning I received a call from a close friend asking if I was available that very moment to support an event. Her flight got delayed and was not going to make it. Turns out it was for NYFW. I grab my kit, jumped in a car and that was that.

All in all, staying motivated and doing your own research will always give you a clearer insight on what steps you need to take in order to reach your goals. If someone had told me five years ago that I’d be working NYFW or the Victoria’s Secret runway show, I would have laughed them off. Now, I anticipate having a full schedule for NYFW without having to worry about it. Each season it gets easier, and each season you gain more experience to help you in the future. If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I’d love to stay in touch, so don’t forget to drop your Instagram handle when you leave me feedback! @vanmakeupartistry

IMPORTANT:

NO ARTISTS SHOULD PAY TO WORK FOR NYFW. YOU CAN WORK FOR FREE IF YOU CHOOSE TO BUT DO YOUR RESEARCH TO SEE IF THE EVENT IS ON THE OFFICIAL NYFW CALENDAR. IF IT’S NOT AND IT’S BEING PROMOTED AS NYFW, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT BEFORE AGREEING. ANYONE CAN DECIDE TO CREATE AN EVENT DURING NYFW AND CALL IT NYFW, SO PLEASE DON’T FALL FOR IT. THERE ARE ALOT OF BAD PEOPLE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF NEW ARTISTS FROM OUT OF TOWN AND THE LIST OF NAMES I GATHERED IS GETTING LONGER AND LONGER.

Thanks to my amazing friends Jenn Marasca & Courtney Musick for helping me proof read!

If you find this article helpful, share, leave a review below and if you wish to buy me a coffee (Venmo @vanktr | Zelle vanktr@gmail.com)

A Beginner's Guide to Setting Your Rates as a Makeup Artist

Getting Into NYFW As A Makeup Artist: A How-To Guide