The Business of Beauty: How to Build a Thriving Career as a Freelance Makeup Artist

By Brooke Clarke

Picture this, me, a successful makeup artist of 10 years, walking into Australian Fashion week for the first time and shaking in my boots. Theres industry icons everywhere, and I’m feeling out of depth and a severe case of imposter syndrome. But put a model in my chair and brushes in my hand, and all of the nerves faded away as I got to do the thing I love most, makeup.

Build a Brand That Gets You Booked

First things first, you can be the best makeup artist in the world, but if you’re not on social media, or your posting low quality content, people will walk right past you. Your artistry might be stunning, but if no one can find you, or your work isn’t grabbing people’s attention, then your calendar stays empty. Word of mouth bookings only happen when you already have people in the chair. A few things that can immediately help with getting recognised by potential clients is:

• Portfolio: Show off your beautiful work! Keep it polished, curated, and up to date. Include a mix of work—editorial, e-commerce, beauty, and creative—if you want to book across multiple industries. Your portfolio should consist of high quality, professional images of your favourite works. Doing collaborations to practice new ideas or paying that photographer or model you really want to work with to execute your ideas, can instantly elevate your work and shave years off trying to figure out how to get ahead in the industry.

• Social Media: Instagram is still king, but don’t underestimate TikTok for building reach, especially if you’re targeting a younger audience. Be consistent, show BTS, and make people fall in love with your vibe, not just your work. I would say about 70% of my clients come from social media, and almost 100% of all creative jobs I get are because of my Instagram. Never underestimate the power of social media - you just never know who’s watching you and waiting to hire you!

• Website: Even a simple one builds trust and makes it easy for clients to find your rates, book, and contact you. It makes you look 10x more professional and opens you up to a much wider audience. Your website isn’t competing with an algorithm designed to work against you like social media, it’s your own little slice of the internet to show people exactly who you are and what you do. Remember: clients book the artist they feel connected to. Show your face and personality as much as your makeup looks.

Know Your Worth (and Stick to It!)

One of the biggest struggles for freelance artists in Australia is pricing. I see so many undercharging because they’re afraid of scaring clients off. Here’s the truth: undercutting devalues your work and the industry.

Factor in:

- Time (including setup and travel)

- Product costs (especially for high-end kits)

- Business expenses (insurance, software, etc.)

- Superannuation—because freelance means no employer contributions.

Research local rates, then price confidently. You’re not “just doing makeup”—you’re providing a luxury service and your unique point of view. With money comes all of the boring but necessary stuff too - in order to make money your business needs to run like a real business. That means opening an ABN, paying your taxes and super, doing your admin every single day, and making sure your back end is working as it should. I spend at least 1 hour every day doing my boring stuff, as without it I wouldn’t have a business at all! My most helpful apps and tips are:

• Canva (I use this for all invoicing and marketing materials)

• Xero (this keeps me up to date with all of my tax and bookkeeping stuff)

• wix - wix is a website builder that has templates you can base your website off of - it tells you everything you need to do, and you can completely customise it to look and function how you want it to. (there’s also Squarespace and a lot of other sites just like wix)

• Set up an easy payment system - I personally use square for my business and have never had a problem with it. I get all of the reports and can take payments in my studio, online for bookings, on my phone for freelance jobs, anywhere. It’s incredibly convenient!

Other makeup artists will get you more work than anyone else

This industry runs on relationships. Some of my biggest opportunities came from other makeup artists that I’ve connected with along the way. It always pays off to assist other artists - whether you gain a friend, a mentor, and paid work down the line. When I’ve been unwell or had any circumstances where I could no longer do the job I was booked for, the first people I’m calling are my industry friends, peers I’ve connected with over social media and love their work, and people who’ve assisted me on jobs and really impressed me. Not only should you be networking with other makeup artists, but also the other creatives you end up working with. Being kind, friendly and genuine can get you more work than your skills alone.

Chat to photographers on shoots, treat models with respect, connect with stylists and hair. You never know who you make an impact on and who will be booking you again. How to start networking:

• Assist for established artists (this often means unpaid work, but what you learn and gain far outweighs an assistant rate).

• Attend industry events and expos like Beauty Expo Australia or Australian Makeup Industry Awards.

• Be reliable, kind, and collaborative. Your attitude will get you rebooked just as fast as your skills.

• Follow and interact with your favourite creatives online, like I said, so much of my work comes from socials!

Diversify Your Work for Stability and Act Accordingly

One of the best parts of freelancing is the variety. I’ve painted full-body cyborgs for music videos, created soft glam for e-comm brands, and created beautiful, natural skin for fashion shows at Australian Fashion Week. This diversity keeps my career exciting—and my income steady. But when you do a lot of different aspects of makeup - it can be hard to keep up with what your clients might be wanting from you. This is where you need to sort the back end and front end of your business - so that you can get the most out of your career.

• Set up multiple social accounts if your work is very varied, i.e... you specialise in both soft glam makeup and body painting. Often the audience that loves to see your creative work is never going to be interested in seeing or engaging with your softer side, and vice versa. Keeping these socials separate can mean targeting both audiences and gaining you more work with both.

• Streamline your website - make it easy for people to see your portfolio and all that you do and make it easy for them to contact you if they have any questions. Having a contact form on my website allows people to directly contact me there, rather than having to open their email or send a text.

• Think beyond weddings and glam - there’s so much to experience in our industry - give it a go! You might find something you love more than you ever could have imagined, or it might remind you that you are on the right track. You’ll never know until you know! E-commerceEditorial - Fashion - Music videos - Film/TV - Workshops and education (a great revenue stream if you love teaching)

The Long Game: Longevity in Makeup

The truth is that success doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve been working in this industry for 12 years and I’m still figuring it all out. It’s a slow game built from small, consistent actions—refining your craft, showing up online, delivering exceptional service, and reinvesting in your business. But I promise you it’s worth the time and effort!

The Australian makeup industry is vibrant, ever-changing, and full of opportunity for artists willing to think like entrepreneurs. With passion, persistence, and a little business savvy, you can carve out a career that’s not only creatively fulfilling but financially sustainable too.

So, pick up your brushes and get to work. You’ve got this.

@jabbasmakeup