Tips/Tutorials

As a makeup artist, we understand the importance of showcasing your work in the best way possible. We also understand that social media has become a regular tool in this day and age. For business and freelance purposes, having social media will not only help your image through showcasing talent, but it will also represent your professionalism and credibility. Building online presence as a professional makeup artist is the best way to engage the online makeup community as well as have potential clients find you.

At Chic Studios, LA makeup school, we love the holidays so why not give someone the gift of beauty? It’s the season of giving and our favorite makeup companies did not hold back on their holiday gift sets this year!  Check out these amazing holiday beauty products that we would gift to fellow makeup artists and anyone beauty obsessed.

NYX Lippie Countdown Advent Calendar

NYX Cosmetics put a glamorous spin on the traditional advent calendar and created something exciting for lipstick addicts! The NYX Cosmetics Lippie Countdown Advent Calendar comes with 24 gorgeous lip products behind each door to help you get excited as Christmas draws near. This is not only a gift for anyone who loves lipsticks, but also for anyone who wants to step out of their usual shade range and try something new. You never know what you’ll get with their huge selection of different lip products! This fun filled box is available at NYXCosmetics and Ulta for $65 and includes 3 Butter Glosses, 3 Butter Lipsticks, 2 Intense Butter Glosses, 4 Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks, 3 Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks, 4 Matte Lipsticks, 3 Soft Matte Lip Creams and 2 Simply Lip Creams.

If you’re looking for hands on guidance and training when it comes to building a portfolio like a pro makeup artist, Chic Studios has a class just for you! Included in our LA makeup school’s Professional Course is a chance to build our students’ portfolio so that they have images ready as soon as they graduate and receive their certification.

One of the biggest challenges for most makeup artists is finding a way to showcase their work other than posting before and after photos on their Instagram or Facebook page. The most important thing that all makeup artists need is a portfolio. Yes, clients may look at other factors like experience or credentials, but before any of that, they need to see your portfolio. Turning to websites like Model Mayhem to find models and photographers looking to work for credit is a great way to start building a portfolio and getting your work showcased online. At Chic Studios, we know how important it is to have the best portfolio possible when embarking on an amazing career in makeup artistry! 

In our LA makeup school, we touch on how to set yourself up as a freelance artist as well as establishing yourself in professional makeup industry. In our Bridal + Business course, which is an intensive 22 hour course, you not only learn how to create bridal looks, but also how to handle clients, finances as a freelancer, and how to create a professional resume. 

After becoming a certified makeup artist, there are many paths to choose from in order to build your client base and nab a spot in the professional makeup industry. You not only received a great education, but have learned from the best and have a huge array of makeup products in your kit prepared and ready to create! Here are 4 ways to become a successful makeup artist in Los Angeles and set yourself apart from others in the industry. Good luck and stay true to yourself!

The road to becoming a successful makeup artist is filled with lots of passion, hard work and dedication. One of our goals at Chic Studios is equipping our students with the tools and knowledge to make that journey a bit easier. Once enrolling into our Professional Makeup Course, they're able to not only learn the basics of makeup artistry, but build on their knowledge to create the perfect elements of day and evening looks, bridal makeup applications, and business branding.

Here are a few tips from our makeup school LA team that we wanted to share with anyone looking to jumpstart your professional makeup artist career in Los Angeles and New York. Whether you're an aspiring or established artist, it's always good to have these tips in mind...

Stay on top of your makeup kit

It’s important to always know what’s in your kit and how to organize it correctly! Learn to consolidate certain products into travel size containers so that it’s easier for you to find it and also it won’t take up much room in your kit. Along with that, hygiene is key! Make sure you come to a gig with a clean set of brushes and once you’re home, clean them again so you’re prepared for the next job. You want your client to hire you again, so make sure you show it by having a clean work station and makeup tools.  

“It’s very easy to let months, even a year go by without restocking it. Keep an inventory of what you you have and when you reorder supplies.”  –Cynthia Rivas, Makeup Instructor

As a makeup artist, you always want your tools to be the best in order to make your client look and feel beautiful. It’s a great feeling having your clients gush and compliment you on a job well done. Makeup artists need products that meet their client's criteria: long lasting, versatile, works with many skin types, and enhances natural beauty. Here is a list of makeup school approved products that are perfect for pro artists! These products are a must have in any makeup kit-- beginner or expert.

MAC Cosmetics Face and Body

MAC Cosmetics Face and Body is an absolute cult favorite for makeup addicts! It is seen everywhere worldwide, used by top professional makeup artists, and a favorite in our Los Angeles makeup school classroom. From everyday makeup routines to TV/Film, this foundation promises to stay beautiful no matter what.

This foundation delivers a satin finish and offers a completely sheer, but buildable coverage. The moisturizing long wearing formula glides onto the face and body and provides stay true color. With 13 various shades to choose from, people can find their flawless and perfect match by simply mixing the colors. This foundation is so easy to mix so you can create a custom made shade for any client. It covers any imperfections all while remaining invisible and hydrating. Face and Body is a common go-to for makeup artists when it comes to brides. Most brides don’t usually wear a lot of makeup, so putting on a lightweight foundation will feel comfortable to them. It’s long lasting and also gives clients a healthy glow! If you invest in Mac Cosmetics Face and Body, you will not be disappointed.

We have a passion for fashion at Chic Studios! Did you know? At Chic Studios, we offer an add-on course that teaches students the ins and outs of working backstage on a runway show. Along with that, students will understand trend forecasting and see how these trends are executed into makeup looks within the fashion industry. To learn more about our Fashion + Runway add-on, click here! We noticed a lot of trends that took over the runway this Fashion Month and loved them so much that we're going to show you how to recreate them! Keep on reading to learn about our favorite trends...

Tip #1: Lower lash wings at Jill Stuart For eyes that multitask, flip the switch and draw a wingtip on the bottom eyelid with unapologetically thick liquid liner. The ultimate perk of this method, as demonstrated by Jill Stuart, is it leaves ample room for loads of glitter on the top lid.

Having the right makeup brushes is crucial when becoming a professional makeup artist. A great makeup brush will truly make a difference with any application. At Chic Studios, we make sure that our students have the right tools and we’re proud to exclusively use Real Techniques in our students’ makeup kits. In each kit, we give incoming students 18 new brushes that can be used to apply foundation, set powder, groom brows, and create gorgeous eye looks.

One of the most important things behind makeup artistry is using the right tools, and for many women, they’re not quite sure where to start. The majority of artists have grown up using triangle wedges, eye applicators, powder puffs, and even their fingers to apply makeup. Now that YouTube has been thriving as a way to learn the pro secrets, brushes seem like the perfect fit.

With so many different influencers and gurus to follow, we narrowed it down to our top 5 favorites! These beauty gurus came from humble beginnings and were able to cultivate and create a following in the last 7 years. Did your favorite make the list? If not, comment down below and share their instagram and youtube with us!

At Chic Studios, our Digital Beauty Influencer course takes some of these influencers’ aspects to help you define your brand and elevate your social presence. We teach you how to build your social media as a mini portfolio for your clients and followers. Learn more at the link.

Read more, take notes, and hopefully we’ll be seeing your name as a “must-follow” beauty influencer!

Chic Studios in New York City and Los Angeles is ground zero for brands looking for the best talent coming out of beauty school. And Amy Nicole is the visionary founder that took it upon herself to rewrite the rules of professional makeup education. The Chic Studios curriculum is grounded...