This is me at the start of my busy day of doing makeup. It would be the first time I’d be doing someone else’s makeup since our certification class ended, so I was about a month and half out of practice. My day already started stressfully, and I was nervous that my skills were rusty, but still… I was all smiles and confidence.
I would be making over a contestant for our local “Dancing with the Sumter Stars” charity event. When my client came into the dressing room, I sat her in my makeup chair and got right to it.
I airbrushed her foundation and contouring for two reasons: it gives a flawless face, and it saves time. And she loved it. 
Knowing that stage makeup needed a lot more “pow!” to it, I them began darkening her eyes with a very heavy bold black smokey eye that I would bedazzle with emerald green sparkles and silver eyeliner underneath to compliment her green dress and rhinestone accessories. I was once again confident that this would look amazing … until a large blob of black eye shadow landed all over her under eye. I’d been sweeping away the fallout from my supposed eye makeup masterpiece, but this sweep would make her look like a raccoon. So… I used a baby wipe to try to fix my oopsie. BAD IDEA.
Her overly particular airbrush makeup can off in blotches. And this makeup does not move or blend at all. She looked like she was wearing a Batman mask. I tried fixing it with extra airbrushing and contouring. And then she looked like she was wearing a very tan Batman mask… with two very discernible lines going across her cheeks like claw marks.
She said, “We have to clean my face off. Just my face; I love my eyes. But we have to start over on this.” So once I’d wipes her face clean (we later learned it was only semi-clean), I attempted to fix her complexion. She has a very tan face, so I tried to adhere to here own skin tone and smooth it out.
But at this point, my confidence had already run away screaming for help, my nerves were shot and hands trembling, and it was all I could do to keep from crying.
When I then tried to highlight and contour her face, she did not like that at all… She liked her tan face, and she liked it ALL to be tan.
She then and finally said, “I can’t go out like this. My skin is still a blotchy mess. We have to fix this.”
Now, I have to mention that she was not mean or rude about this in any way and apologized for stressing me out (as if she needed to!) She was simply in panic. She was on a time constraint, had to get her hair done and now her makeup fixed all while trying to mentally prepare for being a contestant in this dance contest! I had already taken over an hour creating this disaster. So this client experience for me would be called, how do you say… and epic fail.
As a makeup artist, you want your client to look in the mirror and go, “Wow, I look beautiful!” Not, “Oh my, God… I look like a freak.” That very much upsets my client and myself equally. This wasn’t just my first bad day… it was my first nightmare.
So what have I learn from this….?
What I Will Work on as a New Makeup Artist
- Better Client Consultation- ask questions!
What is your basic “look” with you makeup (eyes, face,
lips)? What do you NOT like or NEVER DO with your makeup?
How much makeup do you normaly wear- little, enough, or
the whole-nine? You want the client to feel comfortable
yet more beautiful than they’ve ever seen themselves!
- Have client check a mirror after every step so minimal
revisions have to be made.
- Less is best. You can always add more but never take away.
- Learn how to minimize eye shadow fallout.
- Learn how to fix makeup oopsies!
- Always look confident, even if you just made an oopsie.
- If using the airbrush machine, make darn sure you are as
careful as possible with the eye makeup application.
Possibly just stick to natural, neutral looks at first
until I’m better.
- Practice, practice, practice, and time myself every time.
Must get to 30 minutes.
Next time will be better. I have faith it will.
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