If you are a makeup enthusiast with a knack for beauty trends, not to mention love to binge YouTube makeup tutorials and have experimented with a few looks, a career as a makeup artist might be for you. This is why you must think about having a makeup portfolio.

The beauty industry is competitive and intimidating, especially with the rise of makeup artists on social media. For that reason, whether you’re a seasoned makeup artist or a newbie, you have to emphasise a professional makeup portfolio that showcases your talent and helps to win clients over.

But how would you know what to include and what not? Well, use the given dos and don’ts to create the BEST makeup artist portfolio!

The Basic – What is Makeup Artist Portfolio?

Before we answer the essentials and non-essentials that goes into making a portfolio of makeup artist, let’s get the basics right first!

A makeup portfolio is a collection of visuals that demonstrates the expertise and professional style of a makeup artist alongside highlighting achievements or experience. It’s how you build an impression on your clients and land profitable gigs. Above all, the best professional makeup portfolio  helps you to demonstrate three key things:

• Unique style, beauty skills, and techniques you use
• Expertise in a specific beauty niche
• Proof of experience and talent

Now, that you know why is portfolio important to create, let’s uncover the two kinds of portfolio prevalent– online makeup portfolio and print portfolio.

If you’re looking to create a stellar first impression, an online portfolio is a way to move forward. Seeing you have taken time to build your website featuring the best works, samples, recommendations, and testimonials will exude professionalism and showcase your creativity. Even better, in the era of WhatsApp, email, or messenger, you can easily share your online makeup portfolio with clients at any hour of the day.

The print makeup portfolio, on the other side, allows you to walk your client through a makeup appointment using printed images to support your idea or style. You can further decide with a print portfolio what a client gets to see during the interview.

How to Create a Makeup Portfolio – Do’s and Don’ts

Now that you have gathered the meaning of a makeup portfolio, as well as why is it important, you might be excited to build one that will assist you in kickstarting your journey in the beauty industry.

So, let’s break down how to create a makeup portfolio.

Do: Focus on Your Best Work

As a young makeup artist, you must have experimented with different beauty looks and makeup trends. Yet, don’t make the mistake of putting together every work in your portfolio.

Instead, be selective and include examples that you’re explicitly proud of!

Maybe you have worked as a beautician for your cousin’s wedding or perhaps have re-created some celebrity looks. Just ensure that they are your most amazing makeup work, as it supports a stellar professional makeup portfolio.

Do: Add High-Quality Photos

Your makeup artist portfolio should really wow your visitors, blurry, poorly lit visuals of your skills won’t impress anyone, let alone potential customers! Only high-quality photographs will fit the bill, so take time out to edit and properly process your images.

Plus, a pro tip: avoid selfies in your portfolio, they are better suited for your social media!

Do: Add a Variety of Styles and Looks

If you have worked around many makeup styles or beauty looks, use it to your advantage. Clients generally prefer makeup artists who are versatile and know how to create different looks.

Even so, try not to overwhelm your audience with too many styles in your portfolio!

Better yet, look for a makeup artist portfolio template that features various segments for you to reflect your variety and style with different sections. For instance, take a peek at the makeup portfolio example of Amrit Kaur, a leading makeup artist that has divided her portfolio into – Fashion, Bridal, and Special Occasion!

Don’t: Forget to Add After or Before Images

Before and after photographs are critical to steer clients toward action and showcase your abilities in terms of makeovers, bridal makeups, events makeups, etc. It demonstrates simply how radical your beauty application is. Seeing side-by-side the image of when the work started to the final product can definitely be an eye-opener.

Moreover, they allow the clients to judge your skills as a makeup artist, including attention to detail, application techniques, product knowledge, and creativity, among others.

Don’t: Confuse your Clients

Going through your makeup portfolio must be simple and straightforward for your clients. Keep the user experience in mind as you put your online makeup portfolio together and ensure it’s not cluttered or confusing to navigate. As such, simplicity is the key.

Note that a poorly organized online portfolio with too many work samples here and there can turn off visitors quickly. So, select a makeup artist portfolio template that’s minimalistic yet visually appealing.

Don’t: Ignore Client Testimonials

Picking out a makeup artist is a critical decision for clients, irrespective of whether it’s an engagement, wedding, photoshoot, or any other event. And you know what makes it easier? Client testimonials!

When they learn about the positive experiences of other customers, they will be more encouraged to avail of your services. Moreover, testimonials in video or written format in the makeup portfolio can help the artist to establish credibility and gain clients’ trust.

Wrapping it Up

So that’s how you build a well-defined makeup artist portfolio that gives your career as a makeup artist the wings to fly.

Having said that, if you have decided to pursue a makeup artist career path, how about you start with a Diploma in Makeup and Hairstyle Artistry from the JD Institute of Design? The course ensures practical training with advanced tools and techniques in different variety of makeup looks and trends. It further supports students in identifying their creative talent and creating an impressive makeup portfolio.