We receive an email, “how much do you charge for makeup for my wedding?”, we answer with our rates and availability, we offer trials, and we welcome questions. That’s the last we hear from the bride at times. Why? The price.

This may leave some makeup artists scratching their heads wondering what went wrong. Why did this bride never contact me again? Were my prices too high for them? With this, the artist sends a follow-up email or even a follow-up call touching base with the potential client. They receive no response. The bride has most likely moved on.

There may be many reasons why someone may shy away from hiring a makeup artist and it may have nothing to do with the price. Sometimes, however, it is the price. So, depending on where you live there may or may not be a large market of competition for jobs among makeup artists and people who claim to be makeup artists. This may be where the problem lies.

See, the general population doesn’t understand what constitutes being a professional quality makeup artist. They simply see that if someone else can make them look better than they themselves can do, then that works for them! They don’t understand the factors that go into hiring a professional to do a professional job vs hiring the cheapest low baller out there who is going to cut as many corners as they can in order to get the job. Unfortunately, the bride (or other client looking for the MUA) is the one that is going to lose out and learn a valuable lesson. In the meantime,  the real artist is out of a job thanks to the undercutter or inexperienced person who did get the job.

For those people out there trying to figure out why we charge what we charge let me paint a picture to give you better insight on things so that you may choose the right artist for you.

Did you know that depending on the area you live in, artists charge differently? For example, the average price in NYC can be anywhere from $200-$400? In upstate NY it can range from $75-$125 and so on and so forth. Now, let me also advise you that in NYS it is not required for a makeup artist to be licensed and unless they’re going to be working in a salon somewhere. Freelancers are free to work as they please. This is a double-edged sword for both the customer and the professional makeup artist. For you, because anyone can call themselves a makeup artist simply because she’d like to do makeup as opposed to because she/he has had extensive experience or training in the field. For the professional makeup artist, this can mean that we have to compete with those people and may lose out due to price. Remember YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR so be wary of the super cheap “artist”.

A true professional makeup artist isn’t (generally speaking) going to show up with drug store makeup in their kit. Most cosmetic companies have a “Pro” line that is provided to professionals at a discount after they’ve proven themselves with credentials. You’ve got MAC and then you’ve got MAC PRO and most lines will offer these to a professional. The difference is staying power, pigment, finish & quality.  You also have to take into consideration the talent that you’re paying for. This combined with quality products is what being a professional makeup artist is all about. Any artist can beat your face with say Revlon and depending on their technique, it will look good…. for a while. Depending on your skin, you may look flawless for a couple of hours, and if that’s what you’re looking for then, by all means, proceed (that is if you don’t mind PAYING to have someone make you up with things you already purchase yourself at the local drug store). The difference between the pigments in the shadows and blushes will be the same as if you applied them. When you apply makeup and go to work, do you ever find that 4-5 hours into your day your colors look different and may have even faded? You’ve primed, you’ve buffed and you’ve applied what you thought would be almost too much to last all day, and yet at the end of the day, you find yourself touching up before you leave work? THIS is what I’m talking about.

We as artists invest in our kit. We purchase quality cosmetics in order to deliver a flawless finish and perfect coverage that will last as long as you need it to. We invest in ourselves as well. We educate ourselves by taking courses, hands-on workshops, reading and practicing our craft is all a part of our beautiful industry. Blotting an oily skin or reapplying lip gloss may still come into play but generally speaking, that makeup isn’t budging.

Our products, the professional products, aren’t cheap even with that discount. We might be saving 30%-40% on a foundation or lip gloss but we’re not just buying that one shade, we’re buying the entire set of different shades because we never know what color we’ll need for our next client. We also go through makeup quite a lot. Aside from using most of it on our clients, makeup also has a shelf life. If it’s expired, we have to replace it. If it’s lost, we have to replace it, if it’s stolen, same. And this goes for airbrush foundation as well. We not only need to purchase (and re-purchase) our airbrush makeup (foundation, blush, highlighter, bronzer, root cover) we also had to purchase the compressor and the gun or airpod to bring the magic to life!

It should also raise an eyebrow if you have an “artist” that is willing to charge “a la carte”. What I mean is “just eyes” or “just lips” and chopping up pricing to accommodate this. This is a person who’s only in it for the money and you should think about what else they’re willing to do just to “get the gig”.

I think it’s important to add that our work is our art and our passion. As professionals, we hold what we do in high regard and it can get insulting when you’re nickel and dime-ing to get a better rate. We know our worth, we add tax and we provide exceptional service. And let’s face it, if you could do it yourself, you wouldn’t be looking for a makeup artist in the first place now, would you? 😉

So do your homework ladies and gentlemen. It’s not “just makeup” it’s art, it’s also on your face (or body depending on the coverage you’re looking for) and generally speaking you’re seeking an artist because whatever you have coming up is important enough to you to want it done right.