THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENCERS AND MAKEUP ARTISTS. #NOSHADE

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INFLUENCERS AND MAKE-UP ARTIST.

Influencer or Makeup Artist? Which one is really influencing you?

I have watched this industry for as long as I can remember, right back when Bieber was acoustic singing covers. (2009? Right.)

Anyways for a long time this industry has grown and over the last few years the intensity of it has become so noticeable that it is everywhere you turn.

However it has become apparent that the label of a Makeup Artist has become so saturated that people no longer know the difference between that and an Influencer.

An influencer is a significant person who is seen in the Media. Whether it be TV, Social or any other Network, they are seen as one who can ‘influence’ you and your decision to buy products; Well-known influencers included Manny MUA, Laura Lee, Jeffree Star and Soph does Nails.

However none of these are Makeup Artists. Yes, they have mastered the artistry of makeup upon their own face, but this is beyond different from applying makeup to a client. The ability to master your own face can be done by anybody, with practice and time but working on other people with different skin types, face shapes, irritations and blemish is a whole different game. It takes talent, work, practice and a lot of time. It most certainly won’t happen overnight.

Another difference with those that are influencers than those who are not, is money. An influencer will show you products which are New, On Trend, Sponsored or affiliated (not always but 9/10) which means that the representation of the product is, well somewhat biased.

In addition Influencers are sent products to review free.  This means that the $50/£50 Foundation they are using might be beautiful and they might love it but for a Makeup Artist that price tag just isn’t justifiable for a Kit that is being used daily. The convenience and Pricing means very little to an Influencer and when unboxing PR packages they often haven’t even looked at half of the brands in which they are showing,  meaning that to some of their audience the products may be unavailable where they live or it may come with hefty custom charges to get it shipped.  

Influencers are fantastic and they have a huge impact on the industry and those such as Nikkie Tutorials will collaborate with Makeup Artist which is amazing and I feel it would be amazing if Influencers accredited Makeup Artists and worked with them a lot more. 

Other differences are that the green cut crease Laura Lee just did on herself may look unreal, but the truth is as a Makeup Artist this isn’t what clients ask for. Most will come wanting neutral, Smokey eyes or subtle glam not a Green Cut crease with yellow shimmer. Many influencers play a role in creating something that no one else has done, something to get the views up to pay their pay check.
Therefor when starting as a makeup artist you need to decide whether the thing that appeals to you is the clients or the Influencer side. As a Makeup artist you can still have a creative flare and you can easily become an influencer alongside, especially since the industry is booming however the difference between the two is significant. 

There are many techniques seen in YouTube videos that are so unrealistic, things such as Baking. This can be used! However this isn’t a technique that was brought out by Influencers it’s a Technique used by Drag Queens and those on stage in order to allow the makeup to withstand the intensity of stage performance. Baking isn’t always fitting when working on a client as it can create texture and can actually highlight creases rather than hid or reduce their appearance.

Becoming a Makeup artist isn’t as simple as picking up a handful of brushes and the nearest products, nor is it buying the most expensive palette that an influencer has just hyped online. Its about the research, the in-depth time you spend to build a kit that suits your needs as well as your clients. 

Becoming a Makeup artist isn’t a cheap quick easy job, the kits cost Thousands, the time you spend building it, practicing, saving for it and researching each product in depth is beyond a 9-5 office job. It is a career path you choose because you are passionate about it, you have to really want it to succeed, you have to invest a lot into it and for the first few years you could be getting very little to nothing back and that can put a lot of people off and this is why you must be 100% committed as you could invest a lot of money to get little back which isn’t so much the issue, as you can earn money back, but the amount of time you invest you will not get back and therefor you should be certain it’s what you want.

I learnt a lot from influencers about Makeup and gained skills that have helped me when applying my own makeup but I have learnt very little in regards to Makeup Artistry and applying on others from them.
This isn’t to say don’t watch them but also take your time to research Makeup Artist on YouTube, Facebook etc. Many Makeup Artists now do online Master classes in which they show you real techniques in depth.

I think it’s hard for all in the Beauty industry right now and a lot of people are seeing it as a completion but it shouldn’t be it should be used as a platform to empower one another.

Remember Makeup is to enhance what you have not hide and recreate your entire face (Unless you want to) Transformation Tuesdays are not a necessity.

#GirlsSupportingGirls  #MakeupArtistsSupportingOneAnother #AllForOneAndOneForAll #TeamTogether