Time and time again, I hear people saying, "Why do makeup artists cost so much? It's JUST makeup." If you saw everything that went into our business, the little lightbulb would go off instantly.
One big thing to remember is, we are running a business. Any reputable makeup artist will not be showing up to your event with cheap makeup from their personal stash. We put a lot of thought, time and planning into what kind of items to invest in to make you look and feel your best on special days throughout your life.
I went through my expenses to give a rough overview of what I spend in a year to help illustrate why you're not getting a real artist for $30 per face.
Let's start with the actual kit itself. My makeup bag alone cost me over $300. I use a top of the line bag that's easy for me to get around, is easy on my back and protects my products so I can arrive to you in tip top shape.
Next, I bring my own lighting with me to ensure a proper color match. Most hotel rooms and venues that I help brides get ready in have super yellow lights or cool fluorescent lighting that throws off the entire color of your makeup which makes it impossible to color match foundations properly. My lighting was $400 so I can make sure you don't walk out looking like Donald Trump.
The makeup itself is surprisingly one of my smaller expenses in the grand scheme of things. I did a quick calculation of my most used products and it came out to about $2250 (not including refills of things that I frequently restock like lashes, disposables, mascara, etc). I use mainly pro-grade products with a few things from Sephora or Ulta mixed in there that I like.
Lastly, we get to the more random things like an airbrush machine, my business (LLC) filing fees, insurance, rent for my studio, education and booking software. A very safe estimate for all of these expenses is $3000 per year which does not include the approximately 30% in taxes that I will need to pay in to the government in April.
All in all, my services all added together are worth around $7000 as a safe estimate. So, the next time you want to hire a makeup artist for your big day, reconsider jumping on the idea of a bargain bin artist and stick with someone who puts a lot of thought and effort into your customized look. Cheaper is not always better and I promise you that a true artist will make you feel so much better and you'll more than likely avoid getting an eye infection from one of us ;)
xoxo-
kate