How to Choose a Makeup Artist

Choosing the right makeup artist can really help your glamour photography shine. An experienced artist will know how to apply makeup for photography. They will also understand the difference between the intensity needed for natural and studio light. The right application will save you time and money on retouching.
There are many ways to find artists. The trick is to find one that is talented in the type of makeup application you need and compatible with your personality, your client's and the way you work.

Know what you want:
The first step in finding a good artist is to know what you want. What type of photography do you do? Editorial and fashion images can be very edgy and you will want an artist that keeps up to date on current fashions and trends. They will also need to be comfortable trying new things. If you do mainly beauty images you will want someone that specializes in flawless and polished makeup looks.
It will help if you know what you want and educate yourself about what type of looks you are interested in your artist creating.

Interview Artists: 
You will want to set up a time to interview and talk with each potential artist. Have a few questions ready to ask each one but also leave time to just chat. Explain what you are looking for and ask what experience they have in that type of makeup application. Take a look at their portfolio, but remember these are probably retouched. Ask about their kit and make sure they own professional grade cosmetics and enough products to accommodate all skin tones and types. Also ask about their availability and fees. You will want to know these things up front.

Do a trial run:
Schedule a practice shoot with any artists you are interested in and see how they work and how their makeup applications photograph. Sue Bryce said recently in a Creative Live workshop that she asks the artists that want to work for her to do makeup on her. She believes it is important to have an artist that has a soft calming touch and one that puts her clients at ease. You can tell these things easily if the artist is working on you. I think this is good advice, however I still recommend having them do makeup application on a model that you can photograph as well.

Remember the time you invest in finding the right artist for your work will pay off with better photographs and less retouching.