Freelancing for MAC

[jeanna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by helloitsjeanna OMG JEANNA! MY NAME IS PRONOUNCED JENNA TOO! I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM IN HIGH SCHOOL.. LOL.. yeah but i'm kinda having trouble with appts. for freelancing.. kinda slow.. but i love doing makeup!

don't worry, i've been doing makeup as a hobby for a while, but i'm in the VERY early stages of freelancing as a profession. just find as many people as you can to practise on: friends, family, etc. you'll gain a lot of experience that way and try to take photos if you can to document your work so you're not scrambling to put together a portfolio when you need one. eventually your name will start to get around. promote yourself wherever you can, ie. website, livejournal... find magazine pictures and try to re-create them... talk to the MA's when you're buying makeup for yourself, ask intelligent questions.... just be patient, learn from your mistakes, and practise your butt off!! you'll master your craft for sure, as long as you have the natural drive and passion to become a professional makeup artist/freelancer (which it sounds like you do!). post pictures of your looks in the FOTD forum, the people here are amazing at giving constructive criticism and are totally supportive! believe me, i have a loooong way to go myself, but i'm determined to get there

good luck to you!

 

[PnkCosmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeni advertise. work with college students. be ready to work for little to no pay to build up a portfolio and resume.

Ditto.

You have to work on your portfolio first. Do as many models as you can. All different types. Do different looks on all of them to show your creativity. Make sure to include "commercial" looks in your portfolio as well. Wedding & prom looks, etc.

A lot of freelancers build up their portfolio by working for trade. This means that you network with photographers and offer to do makeup for a shoot in exchange for prints. This part is the hardest. It's pretty much working for free, but if the photographer is good, you'll def. want those prints in your book. The better the photographer, the better your portfolio will look.

 

[galvanizer]

curious, if hired by MAC to freelance, do they train you before you start? ro

I've always wondered this...
Also, how exactly does a freelance position work? Do you work at one counter or travel to different counters? Do you only work during new colour story promos? Basically, how does it differ from a regular behind-the-counter MA?

(I'm pretty much assuming once they hire you for *any* position, you don't actually work until they've given you training??)

 

[JamericanDiva]

To be quite honest with you, I'm not sure how it works... it may vary from city to city, region to region. I just got hired as a MAC freelance makeup artist. I was told that I would be involved in both the in store events as well as covering for short staff (when someone calls in or quits). This would be for the various MAC counters in my area, so I am not at one set location. They did not inform me of any training... I am a makeup artist and had to do a demo for them.

 

[galvanizer]

ah, thanks!

I know the interview is 2 part (verbal and m/up application) but from what I got from some MA's at a Pro store, they had a 5 day teaching seminar... Perhaps that's just once in a while or a yearly thing to add new techniques to your repertoire... She'd been to the same makeup school that i'd been to and she said the MAC training was phenomenal and that she learned more from MAC in 5 days than at her entire year at school.
Anyways, thanks for you reply *and* congratulations!!

 

[CassLOLsnort]

Freelancing Question....

I looked and looked but I couldn't find out exactly what a freelancer is. I know it means you're not a full employee but.... what are the duties?

 

[pinkmilk]

Its called on-call/freelance position and for on-call, you basically cover someone's shift meaning you have to do all the things a normal MA would do. For example, clean the counter, and you have an amount of stuff to sell per person. And for freelance, you are basically there for your makeup talent. When they have events you do makeup on the customers who usually have appointments. You have to sell a certain amount of products to the customer...


anything else you wanna know just ask me!

 

[maandusa]

freelance process?

i was asked to apply for a freelance position by my favourite local counter, and i dropped off my application last weekend. i should be getting called for an interview in a couple weeks. does the freelance interview process differ from a regular interview? any special tips for freelance interviews?

 

[MACGoddess]

I doubt that the freelance job process is any different from the regular employee process. A friend of mine applied for a MAC position, and she did everything with the other applicants and was offered a freelance position afterwards.

 

[saucipinkbabydoll]

No they are the same, makeup demo and then if they liked it then you go for your verbal interview

 

[bAbY_cHiCkEn01]

Freelance...

I was wondering how much you freelance artists spend on a whole kit and what kind of things does that generally include? and how much wastage would you guys go through, if any?

 

[giz2000]

I don't have an exact total, but I estimate that my kits has approximately $3,000-$4,000 worth of products, brushes, sponges, etc. I have two cases (one large traincase and one softsided case). The train case holds my brushes and brush belt, pigments, glitters, loose powders, alcohol, hand sanitizer, tools (sharpener, mascara wands, swabs, etc), mixing palettes, etc.

The softsided case holds all my color palettes, lip products, pencils, concealer palettes and anything else that didn't fit into the case.

As far as wastage, I don't really have much...I have basic foundation sticks (more portable and last longer than liquid), and if I need a specific foundation color, I'll take a sample from the counter.

 

[Villainiss]

That's a hard question for me to answer, because my kits have so many different things in them. But if I had to ballpark it, I'd probably say in total, my kits are worth between $6000 - $7000. But I have a lot of stuff, as a girl needs to be prepared! (I'd rather be over-prepared than under prepared!)

Personally, I have 3 kits: My staples kit, (a large metal traincase with wheels) goes with me on every job, my glamour kit (another metal traincase with a shoulder strap), and my special effects kit (a metal case that rests on top of my rolly case).

My first kit is my staples kit: Foundations (cake, cream based, and liquid), sponges (regular, stipple & powder puffs), brushes, brush cleaners, makeup & adhesive removers, tweezers, scissors, pencil sharpener,personal products for talent (razors, shaving cream, deodorant, bandaids, visine, nail polish remover, facial cleanser, toner, moisturizer, vaseline), Cotton swabs & balls, basic color palletes (lipcolors, blush, shadows), liners, lashes, lash glue (Duo), loose powders in varying shades, mascara, disposable mascara wands, eye lash curler, Spray Fix, Dermashield, Ben Nye cream color wheels (in Bruise, Camoflauge, Clown & Burn), hair stuff (clips, bobby pins, brush, comb, hair gel, hair spray) tattoo kit, water bottle, Kleenex, breath mints, baby wipes, makeup wipes, clothespins, safety pins, scotch tape, apron, pen, pencil & a notepad.

Special Effects kit: Liquid latex, latex gloves, adhesives (for prosthetics, appliances and/or lashes), Ben Nye cream color makeups in large variety of colors, airbrush, airbrush paint, stencils, compressor, some appliances, various bottles of effects stuff (colodian, A/B blood, crystal ice, ultra slime, clotted blood, reel blood, pyruvate, coffee grounds, etc.), additional brushes & tools specific to effects, needle & thread, sea sponge, morticians wax, castor oil, dental adhesive, 2 towels, and then whatever else is requested, depending on the job at hand.

And lastly, my glamour kit: wider range of foundations, concealers, powders, wider range of eye & cheek color palettes, lipcolor palettes & lipsticks, pencils, mascara, lashes, pigments, glitters, mixing mediums, paints, primers, moisturizers, etc.)

I find that if any wastage, it's stuff that a specific job has requested that I can't find use for somewhere else. I usually try to swap these products with fellow makeup artists before they go bad. But most of the time, the job pays for it, so it's really not much of a loss out of my pocket.

You'll find that a lot of jobs will provide you a kit fee to either replenish your kit or purchase specific product with, but if they don't, you need to factor that into your quote.

Pretty lengthy, but I hope it helps!

 

[Cingels]

Training for Freelance?

Hi! I just got a job at MAC to Freelance. I went it,filled out paperwork,etc,and the mgr said that the next time they will need freelancers is for SweetieCake in April,so he will be in touch and let me know. Alrighty,great.
BUT,is there any sort of training MAC will provide me? Are they just going to throw me in blind?? I have no MAC experience,just retail. Sheesh. I mean,Id like a bit of training

......thanks!

 

[MisStarrlight]

I got no training. I was there for 2 days before I even got a tour of the store-where things were & stuff.
Introduce yourself to everyone, be friendly & smile a lot. I spent my first week asking a million questions and apologizing for it.
You'll do fine though. Good luck!

 

[angela]

Freelancers dont go through basic

You're basically on your own. Just practice.. you'll do great!

 

[giz2000]

Nope..it's trial by fire...I was at a counter for over 1 year before I became a freelancer, so I knew the ropes beforehand...just don't be afraid to ask questions of the regular counter staff, and most importantly, make yourself useful at all times...clean the counter, help clean brushes, pick up and replace products when other artists are done with them...the MAs appreciate this like you have no idea!

 

[tigerlily]

Doing freelance work for various counters at same time?

Hi all! Is it possible to freelance for say, Lancome and MAC at the same time? Or for any other company/line for that matter?

Any help's appreciated! Thanks!

 

[MisStarrlight]

Most retail places have "competition clauses" where you're not allowed to work in similar places at once. I learned about this the hard way, but still maintain that MAC & Victoria's Secret Beauty and NOT even remotely in the same league.
That being said, MAC is owned by Estee Lauder (I don't know if Lancome is, I honestly don't know anything about any other company, I'm an ass). I know that you may freelance for any number of Lauder companies at once, but I do not believe that you may work for another company.
I would check with your manager though for a final answer.

 

[pinkfeet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisStarrlight Most retail places have "competition clauses" where you're not allowed to work in similar places at once. I learned about this the hard way, but still maintain that MAC & Victoria's Secret Beauty and NOT even remotely in the same league. That being said, MAC is owned by Estee Lauder (I don't know if Lancome is, I honestly don't know anything about any other company, I'm an ass). I know that you may freelance for any number of Lauder companies at once, but I do not believe that you may work for another company. I would check with your manager though for a final answer.

Lancome is owned by L'oreal, but most freelancers just work for one line, if they find out your toast, I know many people jump ship but you cant work for 2 companies at the same time, at least not in my area.