Make-up artist

As a make-up artist, you could:

• research make-up and hairstyles of different periods and cultures
•  organise your make-up team and assistants
•  create styles based on the director and production designer's instructions
•  apply actors' make-up and style hair at the start of a day
•  check that design ideas work under different conditions
•  create special effects make-up
•  take notes and photos for reference and continuity
•  be on set or backstage ready to redo make-up and hair

• design skills and knowledge
• the ability to work well with your hands
• knowledge of the fine arts
• the ability to work well with others
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• to be flexible and open to change
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to use your initiative
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• courses run by private training providers

Many make-up artists work freelance and develop their career by building a network of contacts and receiving recommendations from clients.

With experience, you could become chief make-up artist or make-up designer. You could also develop specialist skills, for example applying body art, or making facial or body moulds for creating and fitting prosthetics.

You could move into areas like:

• fashion and photography
•  print and digital media
•  special effects

You might also work in medical aesthetics, using make-up techniques to cover scars and skin conditions to help improve a client's psychological wellbeing and confidence.