Is the makeup artist ripping me off? #repost

Article are from  Nikita Pere Makeup Artist, the article is a mash up of articles from both of them.  http://nikitaperemakeup.com/is-the-makeup-artist-for-my-wedding-ripping-me-off/

Is the Makeup Artist for my wedding, ripping me off?

Answer: NO.

I could end this article here, but I have a feeling you would like some more explaining.

Have you ever wondered why vendors charge so much as soon as you mention the word “wedding”? If you were simply planning your birthday, it would be so much cheaper, right? Right! Well, the fact of the matter is, you aren’t planning your birthday. You’re planning your WEDDING. Which, to most people, is a far bigger deal than your birthday. And I can only imagine that you would expect a far better and more personalised service on your Wedding day than if it was just any old other event.

Everyone has a completely different budget when it comes to their wedding, so remember to consider this when planning your day. AsBookMoreBrides explain in this educational article Ten Things Couples Need To Know About The Wedding Industry That The Media Will Never Tell You: “If you only have $10,000 to spend on your wedding, we can’t make it look like you spent $100,000 no matter what we do”, so make sure to spend the money in the areas that MATTER TO YOU!

This rings true for ALL areas of your wedding. If you’re only budgeting $500 for a photographer, rather than the average $5000 for a photographer, than you cannot expect the results of that $5000 photographer.

SO, if you’re like most brides and only want to look the absolute best on your wedding day, remember your makeup artist plays a main role in how you will look on your big day. Your makeup artist, however, is one of the vendors who doesn’t usually charge a wedding surcharge. Most artists charge the same price for each person at a wedding, as they do for an individual event makeup (do keep in mind that some artists may add a cost on to the brides makeup, to compensate for the extra care and time spent).

When you’re choosing your makeup artist, don’t be discouraged if they charge more than Joe Bloggs down the road that uses her mothers 20yr old Mary Kay foundation, and only charges $50. If you’ve been following a specific artists work for a while, and you are set on using them for your wedding, contact them at the initial stages of planning, and get them to do a personalised quote for you, so you are aware of the costs you need to incorporate in to your budget. Don’t contact them after you’ve blown your entire budget on an extravagant Vera Wang gown and Christian Louboutin pumps, and expect they will cater to you at the cheapest amount possible. I see this happening more and more, please do not expect your makeup artist (photographer, event stylist or ANYONE for that matter) to cost match or greatly reduce their service price simply because you don’t want to spend the extra money. Remember: Quality over quantity! The QUALITY of makeup artists, also, varies greatly – so this will be reflected in their pricing. You have people who are just beginning, more experienced artists, and the people who are the very best in the industry, who will obviously charge at a higher rate. Basically, you get what you pay for.

Remember, these people are providing services to YOU, and are doing their JOBS. Put your shoe on the other foot, and consider if it were you running your own business. When considering the costs of your services, you must consider (from a makeup artists point of view, specifically):

- The amount of money you spend on updating your techniques and keeping current with trends
- The professional quality tools you use ie brushes, disposables etc
- The professional quality product you use
- The quality of work you produce
- Studio running costs
- The costs of insurance, advertising, website costs etc
- The amount of time you spend doing quotes, invoicing, attending to enquiries, researching suitable products for people with allergies or special requests, packing your kit, on the road to your venue, finding parking, paying for parking and tolls where applicable (this is where travel &/or parking/toll fees will be invoiced), setting up, hanging around for touch ups, or the extra time spent waiting for your client to finish tying up loose ends on phone calls etc that delays the amount of time they are in your seat

It is all TIME, and not just the time that you’re sitting in the makeup chair. And it is someones job. Everyone deserves to get paid for their job, right? Vendors/MUAs have bills and living expenses, the same as anyone else.

I understand that not everyone can see the art in makeup artistry – and it “all looks the same”, but trust me, the quality of work varies significantly!

If the makeup side of your wedding, really is not important to you, and you really cannot determine the difference between a good makeup artist and an AWESOME makeup artist, or the quality of makeup, then yes, definitely go for your budget end MUAs! But if you are very particular, and only want to look the very best for your event AND your photos, then please do remember that good quality makeup artists, come at a price – they’re not just “trying to rip you off”, they’re providing a high end service. Don’t respond with “But I can get it from ‘x person’ for so much cheaper”, if that is the case, and that fits a bit better within your budget, then definitely go with ‘x person’.

At the end of the day, this isn’t a hobby for most, it is their job. Their income. Their business. You can’t go to Coles and expect them to halve your bill, because you spent too much money at the nail salon. You can’t buy a pair of shoes if you don’t have the money. Therefore, you can’t expect a service, if you’re not willing to pay for it.

Hope this makes a little sense, here, I have included a very rough idea on what you can expect to pay for makeup services.

Graduate artists: $60-$70pp
Experienced artists: $80-$120pp
Well sought after industry professionals: $150-$300+pp – and in some cases upward of $1000pp for some celebrity artists.

Travel fees are common for artists who have to travel beyond 25km of their CBD and are charged per km, and again vary between each individual business.

**These prices are loosely based on the average makeup artists pricing per person (Brisbane area), and is to be used as a guide ONLY. As stated above, please note that all makeup artists have different rates, inclusions and terms and conditions. Please consult your personal makeup artist directly for any further advice, prices or quotes etc. Average costs will also vary greatly depending on the State/City the makeup artist resides ie a small rural town mua may not have the same average cost as a major city mua.

Another article from JUDSDSWEET. #repost

rticle are from C. Eden Di Bianco at http://www.edendibianco.com/whyisbridalbeautysoexpensive/ and the other author is Nikita Pere Makeup Artist, the article is a mash up of articles from both of them.  http://nikitaperemakeup.com/is-the-makeup-artist-for-my-wedding-ripping-me-off/

Are you in shock by the quotes you are receiving from makeup artists for your wedding day? I understand that it can be bewildering and baffling. I can hear you say, “WHY?! It’s only makeup!”

If you’ve never had to inquire about having your makeup professionally done, you may find these makeup prices to be somewhat steep. And you are probably thinking this makeup artist has got to be trying to rip you off, and you are determined to find someone with lower pricing.

And you begin to wonder why vendors charge so much as soon as you mention the word “wedding”. Well, the fact of the matter is, it is NOT just any other day. You’re planning your wedding. This, to most people, is a bigger deal than just any other day. And I can only imagine that you would expect a far better and more personalized service on your wedding day than if it was just any other event.

When considering the rates of the services, you must recognize that these factors contribute to the cost of beauty services, including but not limited to the following:

1) Luxury: On location beauty services are considered a luxury service. I will be packing up and transporting bags of equipment and supplies directly to you in the comfort of your home, bridal suite or hotel, on demand at the hour you specify. Yes, I bring my service to you.

 2) Experience & Professionalism:  What made you want to contact me for services?  Maybe the look of my website or perhaps the quality of my images brought you here. Beauty is my full time job.  As a professional, my expertise is broad and extensive, and I bring this knowledge to each consultation.  The training I have received and put myself through, as well as experience makes my time as a professional valuable.

 3) Products & Tools: All of my products and tools are professional grade and kept in sanitary conditions. This means not only a constant need to buy new products for testing and to replace ones that are depleted, but also maintaining stock of sanitation materials and disposables such as tissues, Q tips, makeup sponges and puffs, mascara wands, false lashes, as well as hair pins.  I am also required to have makeup for every skin type, and shade in addition to different hair styling products and thermal tools appropriate for every hair type & texture.  

4) Other costs: Travelling to and from location requires time and money. As much as I wish to have the superpower to teleport myself and my almost 20kg makeup set bag to get to you, it is not possible. Whether I reach you by car or commute by public transport, the cost of transportation must be calculated and included. Advertising and website maintenance are also some of the miscellaneous costs being factored into pricing.

5) Time:  Aside from providing services on the day of, I will be providing skincare/makeup advice, taking your emails, sms/whatsapp/LINE and calls to answer questions. Your schedule becomes mine; if you have an early start in the morning, I have an even earlier start!  All of the time spent reviewing your Pinterest boards, discussing styling options, providing skin care suggestions, going over scheduling, coordinating, is time “on the clock” where I am devoting my attention to you.  You are receiving a customized service!

Believe me, it is all TIME, and not just the time that you’re sitting in the chair having your makeup and hair done. Ultimately, it is my job. Everyone deserves to get paid for their job, right? Makeup artists have bills and living expenses, the same as anyone else.

I do understand that not everyone can see the art in makeup artistry, but trust me; the quality of work varies significantly! The quality of makeup artists will be reflected in their pricing. You have people who are just beginning, more experienced artists, and the people who are the very best in the industry, who will obviously charge at a higher rate. Basically, you get what you pay for.

Well, if the makeup side of your wedding (or any other event) really is not important to you, and you really cannot determine the difference between a regular makeup artist and an AWESOME makeup artist, or the quality of makeup, then yes, definitely go for your budget end makeup artists! It gets to me when I get someone respond with “But ‘x person’ is so much cheaper”.  If that is the case, and that fits a bit better within your budget, then definitely go with ‘x person’.

Definitely, most brides will want to look the absolute best on their wedding day, just remember the makeup artist plays an important role in how you will look on your big day (and the years later as documented in ALL your photographs). If you are very particular, and only want to look the very best for your event AND in your photos, then please do remember that good quality makeup artists, come at a price – they’re not just “trying to rip you off”, but see it as getting yourself a high end service (and a piece of mind).

I know everyone has a completely different budget when it comes to their wedding, so remember to consider this when planning your day, and make sure to spend the money in the areas that matters to you.

Once you are set on whom to engage for your wedding, contact them at the initial stages of planning, and get them to do a personalized quote for you, so you are aware of the costs you need to incorporate into your budget. Don’t contact them after you’ve blown your entire budget on a Paris Pre Wedding Photo shoot, a fancy $8000 MTM wedding gown and luxurious banquet at W Hotel, and expect they will cater to you at the cheapest amount possible.

Please do not expect your makeup artist (photographer, videographer, wedding coordinator or anyone for that matter) to cost match or greatly reduce their service price because you don’t want to spend the extra money. To put it simply, you can’t expect a service, if you aren’t willing to pay for it.

Planning a wedding is never an inexpensive venture!  Sure, you can cut corners and do without, but when you are looking to hire a professional, keep in mind you must pay appropriately for these services.

I sure hope I made some sense and provided some insights on the charges behind beauty services.

Makeup artistry is my business. And I set a fair pricing for my expertise and prefer not to waiver from these amounts. It’s difficult to drop the rate for one client and have it get around, and I may end up having to offer lower rates for everyone.  Charging below the standard also kills the industry. Therefore, my rates are set at a reasonable price that is impartial and honest for every client.

The bottom line – it’s an investment, and some things that are worth the investment!