So you want to be a celebrity MUA?

Makeup is all about glitz and glamour, so it’s unsurprising that so many makeup artists (MUAs) want to work with celebrity clients. After all, celebrity MUAs get to follow in their famous clients’ footsteps, such as the UK’s Lan Nguyen-Grealis or Mylah Morales who’s one of Rihanna’s go-to MUAs. Indeed, both MUAs have become celebrities and influencers in their own right with a huge social media following. So who wouldn’t want to be a celebrity MUA!

As you’d expect, it’s not easy to become a celebrity MUA. Not only does it involve a lot of hard work and creativity to get yourself noticed, it also involves a great deal of luck. But there are ways of improving your chances of finding yourself in the right place at the right time in order to get that coveted work.

Be a great makeup artist

To even be in with a chance of getting close enough to a celebrity to do their makeup, you’ve got to be a great makeup artist first. And that takes hard graft and practice. Luckily there are thousands of makeup tutorials being posted daily on social media, so you’ll always be able to learn about new trends and techniques that you can practise in your own time. And the more practice you do, the better you’ll get.

You can also do professional courses and degrees in different types of makeup, including makeup for film & TV. Not only will you get a great qualification, you’re also more likely to meet the right people as a result. In fact, it’s more than likely that your university tutors as well as visiting tutors will have industry connections they can introduce you to, so take any opportunity you can to network with them.

Apply for a job as assistant makeup artist to a celebrity MUA

Finding work with a celebrity MUA as an assistant makeup artist is probably the best step on your career ladder if you want to go on to become a celebrity MUA yourself. You’ll work under the artistic direction of the lead makeup artist and help them with their clients. By doing a great job and making the right impression on everyone, you’re likely to be asked to assist again. And the more great work you do the more likely it is that they’ll recommend you take over when the lead MUA is unavailable.

As you’d expect, these jobs are few and far between, so competition to get them is fierce. Therefore the more experience as an MUA you get now, the more likely you are to get the kind of work that gets you closer to becoming a celebrity MUA.

Find a job as an MUA

There’s no substitute for experience, so while you’re planning your big break, the best thing you can do is get a job in makeup retail. There is huge demand for MUAs by the luxury makeup brands, so there are plenty of opportunities to work in the retail environment, whether it’s on the high street. The more you engage with customers, the more you’ll improve your makeup and customer service skills, and the more confident you’ll become. And the skills and experience you’ll get working on the shop floor will make you much more employable.

If you’re looking for work as a retail MUA, we have plenty of opportunities available across the country. You have to be knowledgeable and passionate about makeup but don’t need to have formal qualifications. We’re looking for MUAs with superstar personalities and a great work ethic. We’ll provide you with any customer service and brand training necessary.

Interested? Send us your CV and tell us about yourself, and we’ll be in touch.