The Cost of Beauty

I'm sure makeup artists and hairdressers alike are cringing as they read this… it's commonly known in our industry that what we charge for our services can be a very sensitive subject! I'm going to spill the beauty beans on why we charge what we charge. It's usually the first question I get asked, so obviously it's something that needs to be talked about… "What are your rates?"

I have to charge enough to cover my cost of doing business. If you have ever spent more than 10 bucks on an eye shadow, you can certainly understand how the cost of doing business for a makeup artist can quickly add up. It's taken me over 5 years to get my kit where I want it to be, and yet I still have items I would like to add. Now, great products do not a makeup artist make, however, bad products can make my job a living nightmare. It's in both my clients and mine best interest to stock my kit with the best products available to me with the widest variety to accommodate any race, ethnicity, style, or whims of my clients. I add to my kit at least on a monthly, if not weekly basis and I'm constantly searching for better primers, smoother lipsticks, and softer blushes. There's also all my disposables; mascara wands, tissue, lip brushes, q-tips…All this adds up and I need to take that in account when I figure out what a job is worth.

I also need to consider the extra things about my business that help me run my business. I could be the perfect makeup artist for a job, but how would that client ever find me if I didn't advertise? I do myself and my clients a disservice by not making my presence known. Most of my work takes me on-location and I not only need the ability to transport my kit without breaking anything, but I also need to take with me other things to insure my job is done correctly. That usually involves a professional portable light kit I've invested in and a director's chair so my chiropractor doesn't yell at me. Transportation is important, too!

But the biggest impact on how I price my services is the going rate for similar services in my area. Pricing out the same service for one geographical area, in particular Las Vegas can yield such a wide range of pricing that it's staggering. Some artists charge on the really low end of the scale to earn the business of the budget client. Other artists charge sky-high rates just because they can. So what do you lose with a lower-priced artist and what's to be gained from paying more? It depends on your perspective. As a professional, I want to be contracted not for my price, but for my talent, and I don't really believe that I'm worth a certain dollar amount per hour because the feeling a client has when she feels her most beautiful is absolutely priceless. I want my clients to book me because they feel I can achieve whatever it is they are looking for. Having a happy medium pricing for my area is the answer because it eliminates the questions of more or less.

So what's your beauty worth to you? Of course, the budget is a factor and must not be thrown out of the window, but I encourage you when you are shopping around for your artist to look more at the value of the artist and what they are bringing to the table as opposed to their rate. If an artist fits within your budget but artistically doesn't jive with your style, is that really a smart buy? The same could be said for the priciest artist in the area. The cost of your beauty is first priceless, and secondly valuable. Find your own style and the price will always match.