This “Insider’s Guide” is dead on for hiring someone for holiday parties and get togethers around the holidays. And best of all…you don’t have to take the first couple pieces of advice to go to a department store (because they work every weekend anyway) you can just check out our portfolio and hire us! 🙂

We hope this helps in glammin’ up your holidays!

Insiders’ Guide: How to Hire a Makeup Artist: allure.com

Insiders’ Guide

How to Hire a Makeup Artist

Makeup artists don’t just do weddings. If you want to look nice for a big event, find an expert at a store’s makeup counter—most of them do freelance work for a surprisingly low fee.

· Shop around. Head to the department-store counter of your favorite brand and study the people doing makeovers. Who looks appealing and friendly? Wait for the person you want.

· Schedule a test run. The easiest way to try someone out is to get a free makeover right there in the store. If you like the way you look, then make an appointment with that person for your event. It’s also nice to buy one or two of the products that she used on you. If the makeover didn’t turn out that well, you shouldn’t feel obligated to buy anything—or to hire her.

· Make yourself clear. Once you’ve found someone you like, ask plenty of questions. How much does she charge? ($75 to $150 is typical, depending on where you live.) Will she bring her own makeup and brushes, or use yours? Make sure you’re entirely clear on the costs and your expectations, and speak up about anything she did during the test run that wasn’t perfect—”The eyes are heavier than I wanted” or “That lipstick washes me out”—so she has a chance to correct it.

· Get the timing right. Schedule your appointment for about three hours before the event; that way, you won’t feel rushed, and the makeup will have a chance to settle. Be sure to tell her that you don’t want her to use a mix of lipstick shades, which makes touching up much more difficult. (Plan to buy the lip color from the makeup artist so you can take it with you that night—you shouldn’t need to reapply anything else.) And while a tip isn’t expected, you can always throw in an extra 10 percent if you’re really thrilled with the results.