Makeup Is Art Professional Techniques for Creating Original Looks

We've gotten a few emails well-nigh what books nosotros recommend, and so here information technology is: the books nosotros consider the best makeup books, both for those people who simply want to acquire makeup, and those who want to outset a career in makeup artistry.

On the page beneath, we'll discuss two types of books: the kind that teach you skills and techniques, and the kind that teach y'all how to navigate the beauty industry and get paid for providing makeup services to clients. Any questions? Hop down to the "Comments" section and inquire away!

Books to Aid Yous Learn Makeup Skills​

First up: Making Faces, past Kevyn Aucoin.

Yous may notice that in any post nearly the all-time makeup books, you will ever find a few titles past Kevyn Aucoin. It'due south well-nigh like it's a requirement that wherever the words "makeup" and "books" are put together, y'all'll run across that proper noun. Why is that?

There are three reasons:​

• His story is really inspirational;
• He was an incredible makeup creative person; and
• His books are kind of the gold standard when it comes to truly helpful makeup guides.
  

Aucoin grew up in Louisiana, where he realized very early on that he was gay. He was bullied in grammar school, and absolutely tortured in high school---and afterwards one incident where has chased by classmates in a truck, he'd finally had enough. He dropped out of high school, entered the nearest dazzler school he could discover, and graduated at the superlative of his class. Even after graduation, though, he faced the same discrimination he experienced in high school: the women in his area felt uncomfortable having their faces done by a man, and his career never seemed to take off. He and his boyfriend left Louisiana and moved to New York City, hoping for a better life and more opportunity.

Within only a few years, his career had absolutely taken off. He'd begun working shoots with Faddy, doing covers for Cosmopolitan, and collaborating with supermodels similar Cindy Crawford and celebrities like Tina Turner. At 21---21!---he became one of the Creative Directors at Revlon. He wrote three books (The Art of Makeup, Making Faces, and Face Forward) and worked with dozens of notable designers. His success was quick and overwhelming.

Sadly, Aucoin died very immature---he adult a type of brain cancer called a pituitary tumor, and began severely abusing hurting medication. In 2002, he died of kidney and liver failure related to his drug use. His story is both very deplorable and very inspiring.

Almost the book:

What'southward so amazing well-nigh this text is that it seems to have aged so well. It may seem a niggling dated, but and so much of the material---including the photographs---seem relevant, or at to the lowest degree glamorous in a retro/tardily 90s sort of way. The first sections hash out the basics---skin care, unlike products for different peel types, and then on. The afterwards sections discuss skills and products: how to use foundation, tricks for concealing blemishes, shading and highlighting to modify facial features, etc. Later he creates diverse looks, and while this may seem a little dated---some of the looks include "The Flapper" and "The Starlet"---his words provide a lot of insight on how to create a FEELING: how to use colors and tones to make a person express an mental attitude through makeup.

Of all the books in our list, this is one most famous, and in our stance, it is DEFINITELY worth a read.

Face with A Heart: Mastering Authentic Beauty Makeup, by Chris Scott

Chris Scott is an incredible artist, and his book, Face with A Heart: Mastering Authentic Beauty Makeup, is a fantastic read.

Chris treats his career similar one big adventure---he's worked with some big name celebrities (Paul McCartney, Al Gore, Maya Angelou), been on dozens of tv set programs, taught as a visiting professor at the Fashion Makeup at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and---perhaps most impressively---he'due south developed his own makeup line, chosen Makeup Gourmet. He's living proof that not only is a career in makeup possible, but that it can fascinating and exciting and profitable.

The volume itself is fantastic. Then many makeup books look fantastic, merely don't have whatsoever existent substance. Chris Scott's book not only discusses various techniques, it provides step-past-step guidance on how to take care of your pare, prime lips and eyes and apply stains and shadows, and course a makeup strategy using model's various facial shapes. Chris supplements the book with a set of super-helpful how-to videos hither.​

Also, as a bonus---Chris discusses certain aspects of makeup artistry as a career, and as someone with more than than thirty years in the business, his insights are truly helpful.

Makeup Is Art: Professional Techniques for Creating Original Looks, by University of Freelance Makeup

The Academy of Freelance Makeup has schools in London, Paris, New York, and Belfast, and their instructors have trained hundreds (if not thousands) of men and women who have moved on to professional makeup careers. They are ane of the few schools that backs upwards their classes with actual job placements for students, and their alumni seem to rave nearly them. The authors are in the business of education motivated people almost makeup, and their power to teach comes across in the pages.

Their book, Makeup Is Art: Professional Techniques for Creating Original Looks, is how you'd hope a makeup artistry book would look: gorgeous full-size color photos of models wearing advanced makeup, shut-ups of skin treatments and masks, and detailed images of how-to techniques. The content starts with the basics (optics, lips, cheeks, etc.) only moves to some interesting places: there's a discussion of the different types of professional makeup awarding (namely, advertisement, editorial, and live events / catwalk / red rug), merely the book as well discusses body art, underwater makeup, and (gasp!) makeup application on men. Information technology'south kind of airheaded that more books don't include men as a makeup topic.

The text is dumbo and information-rich, and that'due south another big plus. Many books about makeup technique have almost NO insight on how to apply a technique, the obstacles you need to look out for, and the opportunities that each makeup production present. Most books that are published by a schoolhouse go in-depth near each topic, and this is no exception.

Jemma Kidd Make-upwardly Masterclass: Dazzler Bible of Professional person Techniques and Wearable Looks, by Jemma Kidd

Then, if you were sitting there thinking, "These all sound similar great books almost makeup, but I'm looking for something written by a woman who is English language royalty," then Jemma Kidd Make-up Masterclass: Beauty Bible of Professional Techniques and Habiliment Looks is your volume.

Jemma Kidd is many things: makeup creative person, fashion model, and finally, Marchioness of Duoro. If you're an American (and nearly of the writers of MakeupArtistEssentials.com are American, by the way---in fact, nearly live in Brooklyn, NY, the least majestic place in all of the United states of america), please let united states to unravel that: a Marchioness is the wife of a Marquess, and a Marquess is an English nobleman of hereditary rank. Jemma is married to Arthur Wellesley, Marquess of Douro, and that makes her the Marchioness.

And, please don't be impressed---nosotros totally had to look on Wikipedia to figure out what a "Marchioness" is.

Pretty cracking!

Anyhow, the Marchioness of Douro writes a pretty good book near makeup. She goes deep on a lot of topics that many cosmetics books ignore, and discusses makeup for various pare tones (porcelain, fair, lite olive, dark olive, and deep), age (she splits information technology up into teen to early on 20s, mid 20s to 30s, mid 30s to 40s, 40 to 50, fifty to 60, and 60 and across), and the facial shape. She then goes into different looks AND how to work different looks in unlike low-cal (ie, daytime, nighttime, wink photography, and so on).

This is actually a really skilful volume, and is both prototype-heavy and content heavy. It'south thorough and well-organized. Information technology's also i of the only titles nosotros found that includes a face map, which is a super-important took when y'all're starting out and learning makeup (and even when yous've made it and know what y'all're doing).

Last but not least---and this is fantastic, so if you're a pro and you're thinking about writing a book, practice this and make it piece of cake for united states of america---Jemma includes a list of her favorite products. That'southward fantastic.

Brand-Upwardly Designory'southward Dazzler Make-Up, by Yvonne Bell-ringer and John Bailey

This is 1 of two books on our list that'south published by a makeup school, and in that location's a reason why nosotros've included a 2d one: we think it'south fantastic. In our opinion, the Makeup Designory is i of the best schools of Makeup Artistry in the land---they've got locations in Los Angeles, NYC, and Overland Park, KS---as well as a unique cosmetics line that'due south sold in the U.Due south., Australia, the U.Thou., Spain, Japan, and a whole bunch of other countries. In other words, they know makeup, and they know how to teach it.

Make-Up Designory'due south Beauty Make-Up is pretty straight-forward---base, brows, eyes, cheeks, lips---merely it includes sections on applying makeup to mature models, applying makeup via airbrush, and working with brides. You get the sense that they borrowed from their live classes to write the book, and that's a good thing. There'south a (very) small chapter on really working in the beauty biz, but information technology's not long enough for united states to include it in our department titled...

Books for Aspiring Makeup Artists​ and the Business Finish of Things

Makeup Artist Money Manual: A Unproblematic, Step-by-step Guide to Your Long Lasting, Lucrative Career in Wedding Makeup Artistry, by Theresa Amundsen

Fifty-fifty though this is most starting a wedding ceremony makeup business, this might be the absolute best makeup book on our list. Seriously. Even if you lot're not interested in wedding ceremony makeup, Makeup Artist Money Manual: A Simple, Step-by-Pace Guide to Your Long Lasting, Lucrative Career in Wedding Makeup Artistry is an excellent read, considering information technology discusses running a modest business---and as a makeup artist, no affair where you lot go, you will be running a small business!

And then, let's be honest here: when you were a little girl or male child and you lot imagined yourself as a successful adult, traveling all of the world as a sought-after makeup artist, did yous imagine, "It will be magnificent! I'll constantly be thinking about taxes and start-up costs and creative person discounts and client rosters and branding my business!"

Chances are very, very strong that is not what you had in mind.

Only, sadly, it's function of being a makeup creative person. As we've said (like, a meg times---nosotros're sorry about bringing information technology up all the fourth dimension), makeup is a business organisation, and y'all'll need to master aspects of it in order to be successful. This book is a literal God-send when it comes to the nitty-gritty concern stuff. Information technology discusses:

• How to actually start a business---the forms you'll need to fill out, and the business plans yous'll demand to prepare;
• How to market your business and build a list of happy clients;
• How to build a website, use online advertising resources, and find new work;
• How to work with hard clients (in this case, brides); and
• How to maximize the money that your makeup business concern is pulling in.

Regardless of whether you want to practise bridal makeup or not, if you'd like to get into makeup as a career, this is a great book to have. The business concern principles that the author discusses are relevant to ALL makeup artists, and not only the ones who work on brides. Plus, to exercise all this research online would take y'all hours, if non days---merely most (not all, just most) of what you need to know is right here.

Makeup Makeovers Dazzler Bible: Proficient Secrets for Stunning Transformations, by Robert Jones

Robert Jones is another artist with a long and prosperous (and impressive) career: he's worked with celebrities similar Selena Gomez and Cindy Crawford, and had his work appear in Glamour, Vogue, Allure, and a ton of others. If you really like his stuff, he has a agglomeration of other books (Makeup Makeovers is one), but he tends to recycle material across his books, so this one may be all yous need. He'south got online courses available as well. (Note: there's some annoying music going on when the page loads, but information technology'south all the same worth the trip---information technology's a very skillful site).​

Makeup Makeovers Beauty Bible: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations is a fantastic volume, and if before-and-after photos are your thing---and who amidst u.s. does not like the magic of before-and-after photos---then this is the book for yous. The tutorials are splendid, and at that place'south plenty of material here, only the real value from this title is the discussion on lite. Nosotros've talked a lot virtually how it's non how you look when wearing your makeup, it's how you look in different light environments wearing your makeup. This book seems to become that, and incorporates strategies for different lighting scenarios. Information technology has advice and guidance on how to work with high-definition photography, and that's also hugely helpful. Most makeup artist books totally fail that photography is a vitally important part of makeup.

The volume also has plenty of guidance on how to work with brides, and that's a fantastic addition, because even if you're NOT interested in wedding makeup, it's at least something you should know about. We're friends with a few makeup artists who started out and were absolutely certain they wanted to do manner makeup, got a few fashion makeup gigs, hated information technology, and are now making a swell living doing nuptials makeup.​

Plus, special bonus: the book is spiral jump. Why isn't every single volume near makeup screw bound? WHY? It's a huge plus, because it makes the book waaaaay easier use to use when you're practicing the techniques in the volume. You won't have to weight both sides of the book down with a shoe or something.

The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre---2nd Edition, by Gretchen Davis and Mindy Hall​

This book is an excellent choice for future makeup artists, considering it discusses topics that affect makeup artists in various industries. Every bit we've discussed, there are many, many dissimilar means that you can become a makeup artist, and each area is a little scrap different. Bridal makeup is different than phase makeup, stage makeup is different than runway makeup, rails makeup is different than editorial makeup, and then on. And however, makeup artists demand to know how to work in each of these areas! This book does a pretty good chore of addressing the different areas, and provides readers with an introduction to the various "players" at any makeup job (ie, directors, photographers, event managers, and so on), and a quick introduction to the unions that many makeup artists join at some point in their careers.

While The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Motion picture, Television, Photography, and Theatre has more of a "business" thrust to it, the skills sections are however very good. Sections provide background data and build on the lessons provided. Plus, the authors talk over airbrush makeup, which is a topic that older books don't tackle at all (widespread use of airbrush makeup is yet adequately new, believe it or non), and that'south a huge plus. The book may overdo it a petty scrap---some of the lessons and diagrams about anatomy seem similar overkill---but the discussion on shadows, shades, coloring, and the products used to capture them are excellent. One bonus is that the authors state specifically the products that they use---and that's fantastic, because most dazzler books don't do that (beauty products go passe VERY quickly, and the authors want their books to e'er seem upwards-to-engagement).

For meliorate or worse, this volume feels like a textbook---something that you lot might have to read in school. So, it may be a trivial less seductive than makeup books that feature colorful images and beautiful models. BUT. The field of study matter is something you love, and then it's probably an easier read.

Nosotros've offered a few criticisms here, but that's not to say it isn't an excellent volume. If you're interested in a career in makeup artistry---as opposed to just learning a few new ideas---this is an fantabulous choice.

How to exist a Professional Makeup Artist: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners, past Yard Grand Reyna

This is some other book that focuses on the business side of makeup. Nosotros've included it because it's a more "nuts and bolts" approach to the career, and discusses building a kit, training, and portfolio building.

This is another book that doesn't really provide techniques or sleeky how-to photos; if that's your interest, you should look at the Kevyn Aucoin book and the Chris Scott book above. How to Be a Professional Makeup Artist: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners provides simply that: a kind of road map to a makeup artistry career.

Did We Miss Any?​

That was a LONG post! Why is that whenever nosotros write something, it's thousands of words long? Lamentable about that! That seems to happen on most of our posts. Perhaps information technology's a good thing? We want you to have all the information y'all tin.

Anyway, if you accept comments---questions about the books, titles we've missed, or maybe fifty-fifty a book you've written---allow usa know! Comment your centre out. Nosotros'll answer.​

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Source: https://www.makeupartistessentials.com/the-best-makeup-books-for-aspiring-artists/

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