So, as many of you know, I recently made the switch over to doing bridal makeup as well as print and editorials. And I could not be happier! I thought I would hate being around all those fire-breathing psychotic bridezillas. But, actually, the exact opposite has happened. Turns out that most brides -- read: MOST not ALL--brides are just really scared that everything will come crashing down around them on their wedding day so they are really happy to have a smiling face offering them something fun in the midst of all the turmoil that is wedding planning.
I swear, I am so glad, so thankful, so appreciative of whoever that magical person was who decided to make makeup artistry a profession. There could possibly be other jobs that I'd be good at doing, but I may not like them as much as others. There could be other jobs that I love to do (like staffing and human resources) but am not experienced in so they require additional training that i can't afford. There could also be other jobs that I'd love to do but would suck at (like being Beyonce). But, nothing in this world that i've encountered yet does for me what makeup does. Sometimes, i cant believe i get paid to do this job. Even though it's not full time yet, I thank God for each second that i get to spend doing my job. This was the Holy Grail I spoke of in earlier years when I said that if I could just do makeup in addition to whatever day job i had to have to pay the bills, I'd be totally fine. And I am. I work in purchasing at my day job, and I do makeup on weekends. And if my day job paid a bit more than it does, I'd do this the rest of my life....that is, until Ken Barboza comes calling. *oh, and he will call*
I've found that I love being the one source of fun, entertainment, and calm that brides need on their wedding day. Everything else is sooooo crazy for them, lol, that by the time i see them, they're practically bananas! With me, they get to sit down, be pampered, be fawned over, feel like a high queen, breathe and relax. Loves it!
Realizing that, in these economic times, makeup truly is one of those things each and every bride has to strongly consider incorporating into her big day beauty regime, I try to keep my pricing competitive yet affordable. And when i have to charge extra for things, or when I sense that a bride may not be so happy about her price quote, I go above and beyond in great service. Good artists typically cost anywhere between $120 to 200 for bridal makeup and/or hair. This could potentially put a serious damper on the fun of getting dolled up for one's wedding day... if one is strapped for cash...as many of us are. It could also cost me a lot of business because every bride reserves the right to have her baby cousin's daddy's big sister's best fried who dropped out of hair school 4 years ago do her makeup for free. Now, only God knows what her makeup will look like on the day of, but I understand the financial concern. Most good artists worth their salt simply won't do it for less than $100. For some brides, that's a LOT of money to spend on makeup when everything else is 10x more expensive. Though that's the nature of the beast, I still try to be reasonable and understand that every bride simply doesn't have it to spare. If you catch me on the right weekend, I may be running a special where you can get a certain percentage off your package price if you sign your contract and pay your deposit on the same date as your trial. Or, I may offer discounts if you have a large bridal party, say, more than 4 bridesmaids. I've also been known to give huge discounts for makeup and hair services. I think it's these things that set me apart from the rest. I think I'm a pretty decent makeup artist (1); I offer already reduced rates (2); I also offer timely and deep discounts on large parties and hair services (3); AND I give superb customer service (4, 5, and 6 because that counts for 3). It is frustrating at times because some of the other artists I know wouldn't dream of charging less for their services; it would cut too much into their overhead...and I sometimes feel less than professional for offering to do it for my customers. But then I remember, my goal as an artist isn't to make the most money off of each client. My goal is to simply give each client what they want, at any and all costs....which means that I can't always go for the jugular.
If you do the work you love, the money you need will come.
For this reason, we must always remember to strive to do that which we love to do--would do for free if given the opportunity--and not always that which pays the most.
Thank God for horrible customer service associates. They it so easy for a client to spot good customer service, it almost makes my job a cake walk, lol. *Ahem* Almost.
Good night, my loves!
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