The makeup industry is vast and full of talented individuals who are changing the way and face of beauty each day. We’re always looking for inspiration not only in fashion but also to iconic makeup artists who have made a name for themselves. If you love all things beauty, here is a list of the top makeup artists in Los Angeles who are chic! At our LA makeup school, we’re always turning to these influential artists and seeing how they transform their clients and create looks that are ready for the red carpet or a night out on the town.

Patrick Ta

Makeup artist Patrick Ta has an uncompromising devotion to all things beauty. Born in San Diego, California, Patrick’s devotion to his craft has allowed him to develop a refined hand and keen eye for color and composition. After spending some time working at MAC Cosmetics in Arizona, Patrick moved to Los Angeles to pursue an independent career as a freelance makeup artist. He quickly captured the attention of many young celebrities who would soon become his top clients. Within his first year in Los Angeles, Patrick's passion and talent for the art of makeup has introduced him to clients such as Shay Mitchell, Jessica Alba, Joan Smalls, Camilla Alves, Kendall Jenner, Khloe, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Cara Delevinge, Padma Laksmhi, Olivia Culpo among others.

As soon as you graduate makeup school, you want to keep the momentum of your career going! One of the most straightforward goals you should have is to start booking clients. You can have the greatest skills as a makeup artist, but what is it worth if no one sees it? Booking clients is also a great way to sharpen and refine the skills that were taught to you as well. At our LA makeup school, we stress how important it is to make your mark and remain active in the pro makeup industry in Los Angeles! Here are some top tips that we teach our students…

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.

Inspiration can be found everywhere! At Chic Studios, we have a various array of books in our classroom library. During our LA makeup school Professional course, we focus heavily on finding inspiration and bringing photos from editorials and magazines. We encourage our students go through them every week to find looks that they’d like to recreate in rotations. Here are our top favorite beauty books found in our LA makeup school library. These titles are from leading makeup artists who are world renowned and have made a name for themselves in the industry. We’re glad to have their work available in our classroom!

Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin

For more than a decade, Kevyn Aucoin has been the makeup artist of choice for fashion and entertainment royalty. As a legend in the makeup industry, he has painted and sculpted the faces of magazine cover models and celebrities including Cher, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Janet Jackson. In Making Faces, Aucoin believes that makeup gives everyone the power to transform themselves and try out new personas. Published in 1997, this book is a timeless classic for anyone who wants to know Aucoin’s unique, innovative tips and tricks on makeup application. He believes that there’s beauty in fashion, trends are wavering, but true beauty defies the test of time. Aucoin not only explains the basics of makeup application and technique but also explains and shares his secrets on how use these usual fundamentals to create a wide range of different looks. In Making Faces, he teaches the tricks for enhancing, defining, and altering facial features with makeup through step by step demonstration. It’s an excellent book for those who are fairly well versed in cosmetics as a reminder to focus on the basics rather than mimic trends that come and go. Despite the age of the book, it’s still a go-to for many artists! There are also personal notes and stories added by Aucoin himself. We’re so glad to know that he dedicated his life to bringing out the beauty he saw in each and every woman, and his legend lives on today.

A self-confessed cosmetics nerd, Pat McGrath creates the looks for 80 major fashion shows a year. She’s had her work published in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and W, to name a few, and has worked with designers like Prada, Miu Miu, and Dolce and Gabbana. She’s also designed Armani’s cosmetics line and been in charge of Max Factor and Cover Girl cosmetics since 2004. Because of her success in the pro makeup industry, she is one of our muses at our LA makeup school! 

At Chic Studios, we take the expertise and knowledge of Pat McGrath’s legacy and cover it in our Fashion + Runway add-on! Our students not only re-create some of her runway looks, but they’re also given scenarios like working to create a uniform look and are timed to experience a real backstage setting. 

McGrath has launched so many items in the last year, but here are some of the products that are super chic and a must-have in any makeup lover’s collection! We can’t wait to get our hands on these products from Pat McGrath Labs in our LA makeup school classroom!

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!

In the Fall of 2017, Chic Studios LA, School of Makeup, moved from our Santa Monica location into a space in downtown Los Angeles called CTRL Collective right next to the popular Verve Coffee shop. Located on 9th and Spring Street, we’re in the heart of the Fashion District and surrounded by many amazing restaurants and sights. It’s the perfect location for students to walk around and get a coffee before class or grab a quick lunch or dinner. We’re 10 minutes away from Union Station which is the central location for those students taking public transportation. Being in the center of the Fashion District is constantly inspiring our staff and students every day. There’s always so much happening down the street from us, whether it’s an outdoor fashion show or our building holding a major photoshoot in the space. We’re excited to be centered in a landmark that is the main hub of Los Angeles’ fashion industry.