Just as you have to train your eye in order to become a successful makeup artist, you also have to train your ear. Effective listening is an essential skill for all makeup artists. While it is important to have a vision and to develop your own style, a makeup artist cannot be a dictator. Your job is to take other people’s ideas and visions into consideration and to collaborate with them. If the project is a photo shoot, the photographer, editor, and stylist all have input. Even though the model has no say, I believe she should feel good about the way she looks. For fashion shows, the designer usually has a vision, and it becomes your job to realize it. In theater, makeup artists collaborate with the costume designer and sometimes the wig designer to realize the director’s vision.
When the subject is an actress, you have to please her and usually others, including her agent, stylist, and photographer, which is not always easy. One time I was doing Tina Turner’s makeup and she requested a sexy look, which I had to balance with the photographer and stylist’s request that she have a more natural, no-makeup look. And then there was the actress who insisted on black-winged eye-liner that just wasn’t pretty. Or the singer who wanted her foundation five shades lighter than her beautiful ebony skin. Just remember that in the end it is a collaboration, and if you listen well, everyone can be happy.
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When your job is to make up a woman, it is important to pay careful attention to what she wants. Begin with a discussion of the woman’s lifestyle and skin type. Ask about her makeup preferences, including the type of coverage and finish she likes in foundation. Before you begin any makeup application, it is important to know how much time she wants to spend on makeup on a regular basis. You want to address any concerns she has and know what is comfortable. Find out what kind of foundation she usually wears and her favorite lip color. Listen for real meaning. Sometimes what she says is not actually what she wants. One woman’s idea of natural is another’s evening look. Continue to ask questions at every step. Have the client watch the application in a hand mirror. Let her assess the progress at each stage, and listen to her likes and dislikes. She might find a concealer too light or dislike a darker brow. Adjust accordingly. Listening will help prevent unnecessary work (like starting over), keep the client happy, and eventually produce results that you both can love.