There are many asian bridal hair and makeup artists in the industry and it is still fast growing. It can be very confusing for a customer to select the right hair and makeup artist due to the volume of choice, and also with the cost of trials it can limit the number of hair and makeup artists that a customer would want to try out prior to selecting.
The Anu Malhi Training Academy team got together recently and had a think about what makes a good asian bridal hair and makeup artist and we’ve listed what we believe to be the top 5 qualities below (not in any particular order):
Professionalism
In order to be a professional makeup artist, yes you guessed it you need to be professional. What we mean by this is that a makeup artist treats the potential customer with a respect and courtesy they deserve. No matter how big the makeup artist is, there should never be the feeling that you are doing your customer a favour by adding them to your diary.
Never use foul language during any communication with a customer as this does not look professional and always dress appropriate to the way in which you want to promote your brand. If as a makeup artist you look scruffy then this subconsciously has an impact on the way the bridal makeup customer will perceive your makeup application. Look presentable, speak clearly and professionally.
Let the customer know exactly what you are planning to do prior to doing it, this then sets the expectation for the customer so that there are no surprises.
Punctuality
This is critical to the perception that bridal makeup customer or any other customer for that matter has on your hair and makeup services. Brides will naturally have a few nerves building up on their big day as it is their ‘Big Day’, the last thing they will want to worry about is whether their hair and makeup artist is going to be on time. So don’t even allow that doubt to enter into their minds, agree in advance when you plan to arrive on site to carry out the hair and makeup and stick to it.
If in the very unlikely event the time needs to change (e.g. crash on the way, previous bridal over ran by 10 minutes), communicate that with the customer as soon as you can to again set the expectation so that there are no surprises.
Good and sound training
Having good sound hair and makeup bridal training is very important to succeed in the bridal hair and makeup industry. There are many training courses out there that a student can attend, but make sure you attend the one that’s right for you.
Do not under any circumstance just think because you can do your own makeup that you can then do other peoples makeup to a professional level. You will benefit from attending a good course and the quality if taught right, should shine through on your work. Good training is critical.
Remember you only have one chance at a first impression.
Organisation Skills
We can not emphasise this skill set enough, you need to have great organisational skills in order to balance hair and makeup trials with actual makeups and customers will always want to move dates / times.
This comes with time of course and the more you practise the easier it will get. Use electronic calendars when taking hair and makeup bookings and send out confirmations wherever necessary so that everyone knows where they stand and again you set expectations with the customers. It is a very intense industry to get into and a lot of hard work so make sure you always organise enough time to relax and recharge your batteries.
Calm Nature
Not everyone has a calm nature to start off with, but with the right techniques and approaches to situations you can develop a calmer nature. This calm nature will help you when you are confronted with challenges either in the hair and makeup industry or otherwise.
Bridal makeups on the day can be full of tension as everyone in the household is running around trying to get everything organised and the photographers also need to take their shots, so if you can bring a calm nature to the brides day and hopefully some of it will rub off on them and allow the bride to start her big day off on the right path.
Should you have any thoughts or questions please do not hesitate to contact the Anu Malhi Training Academy.
Thanks
Anu & Team
