Module 1: The Professional Makeup Artist — Role, Business & Ethics
Building a Freelance Business: Pricing, Contracts & Liability Insurance
Freelance makeup artistry is a business, and treating it like one from day one avoids most of the problems new artists run into.
✓Pricing Basics
- Account for your time, travel, and the cost of products used, not just the time spent applying makeup
- Consider minimum booking fees for smaller jobs to make travel worthwhile
- Research typical rates in your area rather than pricing based on guesswork
✓What a Contract Should Cover
- Exact date, time, and location of the service
- Cancellation and no-show policy, including deposits
- Whether photos from the session can be used in your portfolio or marketing
✓Liability Insurance
- Covers situations outside your control, such as an unexpected skin reaction during a session
- Signals professionalism to clients, especially for larger bookings like weddings
A clear contract and basic coverage protect both you and your client before anything goes wrong.