As a freelance makeup artist, one resume challenge you may encounter is effectively portraying the breadth and diversity of your client base and experiences to demonstrate your versatility and skill set. Our guide provides targeted strategies to showcase your projects and testimonials in a compelling manner, ensuring your resume stands out to prospective clients and agencies.
- Apply best practices from professional resumes to spotlight your application;
- Quantify your professional experience with achievements, career highlights, projects, and more;
- Write an eye-catching freelance makeup artist resume top one-third with your header, summary/objective, and skills section;
- Fill in the gaps of your experience with extracurricular, education, and more vital resume sections.
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Designing your freelance makeup artist resume format to catch recruiters' eyes
Your freelance makeup artist resume will be assessed on a couple of criteria, one of which is the actual presentation.
Is your resume legible and organized? Does it follow a smooth flow?
Or have you presented recruiters with a chaotic document that includes everything you've ever done in your career?
Unless specified otherwise, there are four best practices to help maintain your resume format consistency.
- The top one third of your freelance makeup artist resume should definitely include a header, so that recruiters can easily contact you and scan your professional portfolio (or LinkedIn profile).
- Within the experience section, list your most recent (and relevant) role first, followed up with the rest of your career history in a reverse-chronological resume format .
- Always submit your resume as a PDF file to sustain its layout. There are some rare exceptions where companies may ask you to forward your resume in Word or another format.
- If you are applying for a more senior role and have over a decade of applicable work experience (that will impress recruiters), then your freelance makeup artist resume can be two pages long. Otherwise, your resume shouldn't be longer than a single page.
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List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.
Fundamental sections for your freelance makeup artist resume:
- The header with your name (if your degree or certification is impressive, you can add the title as a follow up to your name), contact details, portfolio link, and headline
- The summary or objective aligning your career and resume achievements with the role
- The experience section to curate neatly organized bullets with your tangible at-work-success
- Skills listed through various sections of your resume and within an exclusive sidebar
- The education and certifications for more credibility and industry-wide expertise
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Extensive portfolio showcasing before and after client transformations, diverse makeup applications, and creative work.
- Knowledge and proficiency in a variety of makeup techniques and trends, such as contouring, highlighting, color correction, and eyebrow shaping.
- Experience with makeup for different occasions and events, including weddings, photo shoots, fashion shows, and theatrical productions.
- Strong understanding of different skin types, face shapes, and color theory to provide personalized services for clients.
- Excellent customer service skills, reflected by client testimonials, repeat bookings, and ability to build and maintain client relationships.
What to include in the experience section of your freelance makeup artist resume
The resume experience section is perhaps the most important element in your application as it needs to showcase how your current profile matches the job.
While it may take some time to perfect your freelance makeup artist experience section, here are five tips to keep in mind when writing yours:
- Assess the advert to make a list of key requirements and look back on how each of your past jobs answers those;
- Don't just showcase you know a particular skill, instead, you need proof in the form of tangible results (e.g. numbers, percent, etc.);
- It's perfectly fine to leave off experience items that don't bring anything extra to your skill set or application;
- Recruiters want to understand what the particular value is of working with you, so instead of solely featuring technologies, think about including at least one bullet that's focused on your soft skills;
- Take care with wording each bullet to demonstrate what you've achieved, using a particular skill, and an action verb.
The below freelance makeup artist resume examples can help guide you to curate your professional experience, following industry-leading tips and advice.
- Spearheaded a team of assistant makeup artists for high-profile fashion events, consistently working under tight deadlines and exceeding the creative expectations of designers.
- Developed a new makeup application technique that increased client satisfaction by 30%, which was later adopted as a training module for new hires.
- Managed makeup inventory and negotiated with suppliers, reducing the costs of products by 20% without compromising quality.
- Collaborated closely with filmmakers to create and execute complex makeup designs for independent horror films, contributing to several awards for best makeup.
- Conducted workshops for amateur artists on special effects techniques, increasing community engagement and brand visibility.
- Balanced multiple film project commitments, demonstrating exceptional time management and organizational skills.
- Provided personalized makeup consultations for over 500 clients, with a retention rate of 85%, by utilising exemplary communication and customer service skills.
- Curated a diverse portfolio showcasing transformative before-and-after client looks, which significantly boosted referrals.
- Pioneered a series of online makeup tutorials that increased the company's digital footprint and attracted a substantial following.
- Oversaw a department of freelance makeup artists for television broadcasts, ensuring each artist met the network's aesthetic standards and performance criteria.
- Implemented a feedback loop with on-air talent to tailor makeup styles to individual preferences, enhancing on-screen appearance and boosting presenter satisfaction.
- Initiated a green-friendly makeup program that reduced waste by 25% while maintaining the desired visual effect for high-definition broadcast.
- Created bespoke bridal makeup looks for over 200 weddings, adapting techniques to diverse skin types and individual styles, resulting in repeat business and glowing testimonials.
- Forged partnerships with local wedding venues and photographers to offer clients a comprehensive beauty package, increasing service offering by 40%.
- Continuously researched bridal makeup trends to provide up-to-date advice and service, thereby becoming recognized as an expert in the field.
- Crafted innovative looks for editorial spreads in major fashion magazines, working closely with art directors to fulfill the vision of each photoshoot.
- Balanced multiple assignments across various publications while maintaining a 100% on-time project completion rate.
- Increased business through successful networking and portfolio showcases at industry events, resulting in collaborations with top fashion photographers.
- Entrusted by A-list celebrities to design and apply personalized makeup for red-carpet events, with attention to detail that complemented each client's unique style.
- Navigated high-pressure environments such as live television interviews, delivering flawless makeup application that stood up to HD scrutiny.
- Leveraged social media platforms to showcase high-profile work, doubling my Instagram following and enhancing personal branding as a sought-after makeup artist.
- Helmed makeup artistry for international marketing campaigns, aligning the makeup concept with brand vision to drive engagement and increase sales by 35%.
- Assembled and led a cross-functional team, coaching less experienced freelancers to develop their skills, which improved the productivity of the makeup department.
- Orchestrated makeup for large-scale fashion shows during fashion week, coordinating with designers and models to achieve a cohesive look acclaimed by industry critics.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the number of makeup clients serviced weekly to demonstrate workload capacity and client demand.
- State the percentage increase in client retention after implementing new beauty techniques or products.
- List the average sales figures for makeup products or add-ons to show aptitude in cross-selling or up-selling.
- Mention the number of makeup workshops or seminars conducted to highlight expertise and leadership abilities.
- Specify the growth of your social media followers to reflect marketing skills and brand influence.
- Quantify the reduction of product waste or costs through efficient inventory management.
- Report the total number of special events or photoshoots worked on to indicate experience in varied environments.
- Detail the number of positive reviews or ratings received to underscore client satisfaction and quality of service.
Action verbs for your freelance makeup artist resume
What to do if you don't have any experience
It's quite often that candidates without relevant work experience apply for a more entry-level role - and they end up getting hired.
Candidate resumes without experience have these four elements in common:
- Instead of listing their experience in reverse-chronological format (starting with the latest), they've selected a functional-skill-based format. In that way, freelance makeup artist resumes become more focused on strengths and skills
- Transferrable skills - or ones obtained thanks to work and life experience - have become the core of the resume
- Within the objective, you'd find career achievements, the reason behind the application, and the unique value the candidate brings about to the specific role
- Candidate skills are selected to cover basic requirements, but also show any niche expertise.
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Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.
Creating your freelance makeup artist resume skills section: balancing hard skills and soft skills
Recruiters hiring for freelance makeup artist roles are always keen on hiring candidates with relevant technical and people talents. Hard skills or technical ones are quite beneficial for the industry - as they refer to your competency with particular software and technologies. Meanwhile, your soft (or people) skills are quite crucial to yours and the company's professional growth as they detail how you'd cooperate and interact in your potential environment. Here's how to describe your hard and soft skill set in your freelance makeup artist resume:
- Consider what the key job requirements are and list those towards the top of your skills section.
- Think of individual, specific skills that help you stand out amongst competitors, and detail how they've helped you succeed in the past.
- Look to the future of the industry and list all software/technologies which are forward-facing.
- Create a separate, technical skills section to supplement your experience and further align with the freelance makeup artist job advert. Find the perfect balance between your resume hard and soft skills with our two lists.
Top skills for your freelance makeup artist resume:
Foundation Application
Contour and Highlight Techniques
Eyeshadow Blending
Eyeliner Application
False Lash Application
Airbrush Makeup
Sanitation and Hygiene Practices
Color Theory
Makeup Product Knowledge
Skincare Consultation
Creativity
Attention to Detail
Communication Skills
Time Management
Customer Service
Adaptability
Problem-Solving
Team Collaboration
Self-Motivation
Professionalism
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Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
Freelance makeup artist-specific certifications and education for your resume
Place emphasis on your resume education section . It can suggest a plethora of skills and experiences that are apt for the role.
- Feature only higher-level qualifications, with details about the institution and tenure.
- If your degree is in progress, state your projected graduation date.
- Think about excluding degrees that don't fit the job's context.
- Elaborate on your education if it accentuates your accomplishments in a research-driven setting.
On the other hand, showcasing your unique and applicable industry know-how can be a literal walk in the park, even if you don't have a lot of work experience.
Include your accreditation in the certification and education sections as so:
- Important industry certificates should be listed towards the top of your resume in a separate section
- If your accreditation is really noteworthy, you could include it in the top one-third of your resume following your name or in the header, summary, or objective
- Potentially include details about your certificates or degrees (within the description) to show further alignment to the role with the skills you've attained
- The more recent your professional certificate is, the more prominence it should have within your certification sections. This shows recruiters you have recent knowledge and expertise
At the end of the day, both the education and certification sections hint at the initial and continuous progress you've made in the field.
And, honestly - that's important for any company.
Below, discover some of the most recent and popular freelance makeup artist certificates to make your resume even more prominent in the applicant pool:
The top 5 certifications for your freelance makeup artist resume:
- Makeup Artist Certification (MAC) - Academy of Freelance Makeup
- Certified Makeup Artist (CMA) - Elite Makeup Course with Special FX
- Professional Makeup Certification (PMC) - International Makeup Association
- Master Makeup Artist Certificate (MMAC) - Vizio Makeup Academy
- Beauty Makeup Certificate (BMC) - Chic Studios School of Makeup
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Always remember that your freelance makeup artist certifications can be quantified across different resume sections, like your experience, summary, or objective. For example, you could include concise details within the expertise bullets of how the specific certificate has improved your on-the-job performance.
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Freelance makeup artist resume summary or objective? The best choice is based on your experience
If you're wondering about the relevancy of the resume summary or the resume objective to your freelance makeup artist application - here's the truth.
The summary and objective provide recruiters with your expertise and accomplishments at a glance, within an up-to-five-sentence structure.
The difference is that the:
- Resume objective is also more focused on emphasizing your career goals. The objective is the perfect fit for (potentially more junior) candidates who'd like to balance their relevant experience with their career goals.
- Resume summary can provide you with space to also detail the unique value of what it's like to work with you. Freelance makeup artist candidates who have many noteworthy accomplishments start from the get-go with their summary.
Ensure that either type of resume introduction presents your freelance makeup artist expertise in the best light and aligns it with the job advert.
The more details you can provide with numbers, the more compelling your resume summary or objective will be.
Real-world freelance makeup artist candidates follow these frameworks in writing their resume summaries and objectives.
The end results are usually as such:
Resume summaries for a freelance makeup artist job
- With over 8 years of experience in the cosmetic industry, this seasoned freelance makeup artist has achieved recognition for creating stunning bridal looks featured in 'Vogue Brides.' Possessing advanced skills in airbrushing, contouring, and color matching, they have successfully served a diverse clientele in New York and are now ready to bring Hollywood-level beauty techniques to high-fashion editorial projects.
- Former fashion photographer with 5 years of experience behind the lens, now transitioning to a freelance makeup artist career, brings an insightful understanding of lighting and composition to enhance facial aesthetics. Their newfound passion for color theory and makeup application was recently showcased at a prominent local fashion event, setting a strong foundation for their makeup artistry journey.
- Once a corporate sales manager with a decade-long career, this individual is pivoting to freelance makeup artistry, fueled by a lifelong passion for cosmetics and beauty enhancement. Their extensive experience in client relations and sales strategy are assets they are eager to apply towards building a standout portfolio in the makeup industry, committing to mastering the art of makeup through professional courses.
- Celebrated for crafting captivating, photo-ready beauty looks for over 10,000 clients in the competitive Los Angeles beauty scene, this elite freelance makeup artist boasts 12 years of experience. Known for signature bridal transformations and high-impact special effects makeup, they have garnered a substantial social media following and are looking to collaborate on major film and television projects.
- Eager to dive into the world of professional makeup artistry, this self-taught enthusiast comes with a dynamic energy and thirst for knowledge. With zero formal experience but an impressive self-curated portfolio showcasing their skills on social media platforms, they aim to gain hands-on experience and mentorship from seasoned artists to refine their techniques and embrace the transformative power of makeup.
- As a fresh entrant with no formal industry experience, this candidate is committed to starting a career in makeup artistry, drawing from a passion for enhancing natural beauty and experimenting with bold color palettes. They are driven to join a creative team where they can contribute fresh perspectives while honing their skills under professional guidance, aspiring to become a tastemaker in the beauty world.
Bonus sections for your freelance makeup artist resume
Looking to show more personality on your freelance makeup artist resume? Then consider including a couple of extra sections.
They'd benefit your application by highlighting your most prominent:
Key takeaways
- Ensure your freelance makeup artist resume uses a simple, easy-to-read format that reflects upon your experience and aligns with the role;
- Be specific within the top one-third of your resume (header and summary or objective) to pinpoint what makes you the ideal candidate for the freelance makeup artist role;
- Curate information that is tailored to the job by detailing skills, achievements, and actual outcomes of your efforts;
- List your certifications and technical capabilities to demonstrate your aptitude with specific software and technologies;
- The sections you decide on including on your freelance makeup artist should pinpoint your professional expertise and personality.
