Thing 2012 has taught me.

2012 has been quite the year for me. I traveled the world, met a lot of new and interesting people, and have grown a lot as an artist. Here's a short list of thing I have learned as a makeup artist this year.

1. The client is always right. This should be a no-brainer, but this is something that's really been pounded into my head this year. They want more blood on an fx makeup, even though it's going to completely cover all the detailed prosthetic work you've done? You add more blood. They want an orange lip that clashes horribly with everything else you've done on the model? You do the orange lip. At the end of the day, they're the ones writing your paycheck and passing your name along. Your job is to paint their vision in the best light possible.

2. Clean everything. Double, no triple clean everything. Empty out your kit and sanitize the inside. Clean your brushes after every use. Sanitize your hands. Wipe down and spray down all products, including powders. I'm a bit of a clean freak when it comes to makeup, as every good artist should be, but I've been hearing more and more horror stories of models getting sick or getting pink eye because their artist was lazy. Don't do it, plain and simple. Not only does it put your job at risk, but the health of the client as well.

3. Practice makes perfect. This holds true in any art form, but especially in makeup. There's always something new to learn. If you have some free time practice on yourself or a friend. There's no such thing as perfection, but it's something we all should be striving for.

5. Know more than you think you need to. I'm a makeup artist, nothing more. However, I can't even begin to count the times I've been ask to style hair, or do a model's nails, or help with costumes, or this or that. Know how to do everything. You never know what a client or a photographer is going to ask of you, and if you don't know how to do what they're asking, they'll hire someone else who does next time.

5. Be yourself. Don't get too bogged down with the stresses of the job. After all, it's only makeup. Have fun, enjoy the process,  and learn from every look. Most importantly, make everything you do and every look you create your own. Make it personal. Make it the best.

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