I Got this Crazy Amazing shipment of lashes today! A 70 pack. Yes. You read correctly. A 70 pack of various Lashes for only: $15.00 add shipping, (which was SUPER fast) and out the door I paid about $20.00 bucks! The Quality of these bad boys are pretty decent too. They need a little trimming but for the price you really can’t go wrong! I can’t wait to use them! Check out: Eye Splashes on Amazon!
Category: Beauty
Why I Charge So Much To Do Your Makeup
Over my ten years experience both working at a (very busy) cosmetics counter and as a freelance artist on my own time I’ve heard a number of funny things. But my favorite expression to hear when I tell clients my rates for a Makeup application is, “Wow, that’s expensive!”. (Often times followed by a funny look and/or head shaking in confusion.) I mean, yes, it is expensive. But like any service, beauty or otherwise, good work isn’t free. So today, I wanted to break down some of the reasons why Artists “charge so much”…
1. Product costs a TON: I own a lot of great makeup. With the exception of only a few products (see my previous post Splurge Vs. Save) NOTHING is ever purchased from a drug store. One foundation alone can cost me in the ball park from $35-60, depending on what the client wants. If I have multiple clients with many different foundation shades…that is a whole lot of foundation I will need in my kit and whole lot of money for me to fork out. So basically, a portion of what I charge goes to the actual purchase of future product.
2. Locality matters: An Artist who lives or works out of or in a larger city will often times charge what the going rate is for freelance artistry in that area. The cost of living is often times higher in larger cities, therefore the cost of makeup application will be too. Prices are higher for most businesses, homes and gas prices too in larger cities, so it shouldn’t be different for artists either.
3. Time: A good, basic, makeup application will take 30-45 minutes depending on the amount of work a client wants. (Then add that plus 6 bridesmaids at 6AM, just saying) But what the client doesn’t see is the amount of prep time it takes to do such applications. I have to prepare my kit with colors they want, sanitize lipsticks, liners, and wash brushes. For one client this can take fifteen minutes, for 5 clients this can take an hour.
4. Experience: A client pays for a certain level of professionalism and experience when they hire a freelance artist. Typically makeup artists who freelance are familiar with lighting, and makeup wear. They know what will work for a photo shoot versus a wedding without even blinking. The rate the artist charges is typically a reflection of the amount of experience they have.
For example, when I was a beginner in the Makeup world I would take whatever clients I could for free just for experiences sake, so I could build my skills and my portfolio. But as I matured as an artists, and began doing more shows, photo shoots and weddings my rates increased to reflect my experience.
5. Travel: This does not always apply. Some artists tack this charge on separately, or the rate of travel is already included in the cost. But as you all know, gas is expensive! The added benefit of hiring a freelance artist is that they come to you, so you are paying for the convenience of the service as well as a portion of their gas money
Moral of the story, you get what you pay for! Makeup artists need to make money too, and telling them that they charge too much won’t change their rate. Be kind to them. They have feelings too you know.
-Mimi
That Dress
Photo Credit Mimi B.C
I bought this dress recently from the Gap and I just about died. I love it so, SO much. Thing is my body right now isn’t where it needs to be to rock it. But thats ok! You see I love to purchase things like this in order to find fit inspiration.(#Finspiration?) I’m sure many of you have an “inspiration ______ (insert item of clothing here)”. So As a homage to my new dress my health changes documented below.
#1: DRINK MORE TEA and NIX COFFEE: Can’t believe i’m (typing) that out loud! Plus coffee has dairy and we all know how much many calories half and half can have!
#2: DON’T EAT FAST FOOD: With kids, and when you are in a hurry this is, very, very difficult. But it can be done. I’m super guilty of this, so this may be a hard one.
#3: MAKE GYM TIME A PRIORITY: Not that working out isn’t. I think working out is something that we do, but only when we have time. So much like bathing, gym time should be an important part of the day…no matter what you do, some exercise is better then no exercise right?
#4: COOK MORE: This goes in-line with the whole, not eating fast food thing. As a mom, cooking is something that I tend to pretty much suck at. Not going to candy coat it. I’m not a very good cook. But I try, and trying is all that matters.
#5: HAVE PEOPLE AROUND WITH LIKE MINDED GOALS: Of all of the of these health habit changes, this one is my favorite. I think that having friends and family who are supportive of your lifestyles changes (and tend to have a healthier lifestyle in general) make it easier to maintain a healthier balance!
So what is your fit-inspiration? In what ways do you modify your lifestyle to achieve this?
Before you shop for Makeup…
Want to buy makeup? Here is what you should know before you head to the makeup counter:
1. Make sure you know exactly what you want: or at least how much you are willing to spend. It is really easy to buy items you don’t need when you are with an artist who know what they are doing. (Meaning, works off commission and is extremely good at getting you to buy ‘extras’). Not saying that all artists are out to take your money, but many do have commissions and sales goals to achieve.
2. Not all artists are created equal: Remember the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover?” Well it applies here. Some of the BEST artists I know don’t wear makeup at all. Just because they don’t wear it on themselves doesn’t mean they can’t make you look gorgeous. And that artist with crazy liner and bright orange lips? Well, just because they have ‘crazy’ makeup also doesn’t mean they can’t make you look like a natural beauty. I suggest asking for recommendations at the counter before you get your make up done. “I’m looking for a _____ look. Who would you recommend?”
3. Research…: With the internet being what it is there are literally hundreds of ways to find different products that you will love even before you hit the mall. Doing a little research will save you time and money!
4. …But be realistic: One of my favorite things to hear when I worked at a counter was: “I want to look like (insert famous person here).” The thing is, her skin, eye shape, bone structure and lips…you guessed it– all different. And imagine her displeasure when I told her that she just can’t look like that because of x,y,z. As makeup consumers we have to be realistic about what we want to achieve with it. Do you want a dewy look? but have insanely oily skin? Maybe that look isn’t for you. Do you like really chiseled, contoured looks but don’t have time to do it? That might not look good on you either. There are ways to achieve the same style of makeup but remember to work with and enhance what you have. You may just be missing a beautiful feature unique to you.
5. Think about the time of day it is: Unless you already know what you want, going to a makeup counter on a Saturday during prom season, is a REALLY. BAD. IDEA. Or during a holiday. Just Saturdays and Friday nights are horrible days to have a lot of questions. If you have lots of questions try visiting counters early in the morning when traffic is typically lower, maybe a weekday morning, or late evening when everyone is home for dinner. Having (lots) of questions about makeup during a busy day can lead to a bad experience for both you and your artist.
6. Request a consult: So you HAVE to go on a busy Saturday, request an appointment. If you are buying a ton of product anyway, odds are you will be able to put that money towards a full face makeup application. So call your favorite artist ahead of time, schedule an appointment with them and everybody wins.
Xo-Mimi
Splurge Vs. Save: Makeup
So the question I get A LOT is: What are the best products to use? And I think “best product” is too general of a term, and I can write about those in another post. I do have a preference of splurging and saving. There are particular products that I feel are worth a good splurge and some that you can save a ton on! Read on…
Save: Mascara- Unless you are born (blessed) with amazing lashes, (that I am not by the way) Mascara is something that almost everyone uses, and can be purchased at amazingly inexpensive prices. The brush ‘style’ and ‘fiber-enriched’ will differentiate many formulations, but what I tend to say is, if it works for you, the cheaper the better.
Splurge: Foundation- Great skin can be faked, but great skin can also look very cheap depending on what color and formula you are using. So buyer beware! Best to have your color matched with a makeup artist at a counter to help you find a shade that MATCHES your neckline, works with your skin type and has right type of coverage for your liking. Spending a little more helps put your freshest face forward.
Save: Lipliner- Lip liners are great items to buy at a drug store, the colors and styles are all very similar to what is offered by more expensive brands for a fraction of the price.
Splurge: Eyeshadow- Eyeshadows aren’t created equal. Some shadows are more pigmented than others, so what you are seeing in the case isn’t necessarily what will show up on your skin. How shadow applies to the skin is super important for making your shadows look great and stay that way!
Save: Liquid Eye Liner- Dare I say this? I have been using drug-store-old-school liquid liner on clients for the LONGEST TIME. There are some amazing waterproof liquid liners out there (If you are afraid of the formula budging) and now the brushes are even better too!
Splurge: Pencil Eyeliner- Conversley, a good kohl eye liner is hard to come by. The water line, where pencil is typically applied, is such a sensitive spot for liner. If you are rubbing a (cheaper) liner in that area of the eye there is a good chance that irritation can occur. Have a makeup artist recommend a good kohl liner and test its application on your water line to see if it ‘tugs’.
Xo-Mimi
Mimi B.C. 