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MAKEUP TO GO BLOG
  • How to Raise Your Makeup Artist Rates Strategically: A Professional Guide

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    • by Tania

    Whether you realize it or not, your rates are a part of what gives potential clients an idea of how to value you.

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  • Flodesk, Email Marketing, and the Professional Makeup Artist

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    • by Tania

    How I overcame the struggles of email marketing as a pro makeup artist. I’ve gone through many email list iterations in my career, from the traditional “legacy” email service providers to platforms that were groovy but didn’t last long (RIP Tiny Letter). You see, I come from a land before time; My career pre-dates social […]

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  • Youthforia, Social Media, and a New Version of a Way Old Issue

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    • by Tania
    makeup to go blog tania d russell makeup educator Los Angeles San Francisco cosmetics youthforia foundation makeup black people

    Sharing my thoughts on the disaster that was the Youthforia foundation launch, the overall state of beauty culture and diversity in beauty, and makeup for Black people in general… I am a 54-year-old Black woman who has worked as a makeup artist in some capacity since the late 1990s. I have talked about the need […]

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  • Getting Makeup Artist Clients Beyond Social Media: Complete Outreach Guide

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    • by Tania
    makeup to go blog tania d russell makeup educator Los Angeles San Francisco cosmetics client outreach marketing

    Tips to gain more clients, collaborators, and opportunities in your freelance makeup artistry career… Let’s talk about marketing as a freelance makeup artist. What’s the number one question I get asked and that I see all over from aspiring and emerging makeup artists? How do I get more clients? What’s the first answer that comes […]

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  • The Basics: What’s In My Pro Makeup Artist Kit – Foundations

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    • by Tania
    pro makeup artist kit tour Face Atelier Ultra Foundation Pro bottles in various shades

    Part one of a tour of pro makeup artist Tania D Russell’s makeup kit, discussing her favorite foundation makeup products.

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Tania D. Russell...

Tania D. Russell is a career media makeup artist of 25 years and counting with a career that has run the gamut from early hip hop videos to print advertising. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Elle Sweden and Runners’ World, on TV shows for clients such as BET, MTV, and HGTV, and for more commercial fashion and beauty clients than she can remember.
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Let’s talk about being uncomfortable for a minute. Let’s talk about being uncomfortable for a minute.

For the past several months I have been contributing to a large-scale online education program in our industry. And unlike the courses and content I create on my own, this work was subject to full academic review. And the reviewers were analysts, college professors, longtime classroom teachers: serious education experts, not just other artists saying "yeah that looks good.” Y’all every time I pressed send on an assignment to be reviewed I was *nervous* nervous.

But every single one of my lessons were accepted.

I am not sharing that to brag. I am sharing it because going through that process taught me something important: I had been operating at a higher level than I was giving myself credit for. And I would not have known that if I had let the fear of being judged keep me on the sidelines.

This is the thing about staying in your comfort zone. It feels safe, but it also keeps you from finding out what you are actually capable of.

If there is something you have been hesitating on because you are afraid of how your work will be measured, I want you to think about that today.

If you want support in figuring out your next move, I have two ways to work with me. The Five Small Things Membership is where I share actionable business guidance on a consistent basis. And if you need to think something through one on one, the Need to Talk Strategy Sessions are available for that.

Both are linked in my bio. 

#mediamakupartist
#mtgfivsmallthings
#promakeupeducation
When I am reviewing the portfolio of an emerging a When I am reviewing the portfolio of an emerging artist who wants to work in media makeup one of two things will often emerge: either the makeup is too heavy handed and too glam for the type of work they're telling me they wanna do. Or it's not enough and it doesn't look finished on camera.

As an artist who's made a career out of natural makeup for commercial photography let me tell you, you probably need more makeup than you're doing when you're trying to do "natural". BUT ALSO be careful that you aren't doing a *neutral* soft glam because that's different.

Natural makeup for commercial photography - generally speaking - isn't the same type of "let me just throw on some tinted moisturizer and go to the grocery store". It is in no way actually no makeup.  It's just is supposed to have the *appearance* of being no makeup.

Particularly if you're largely doing beauty makeup for commercial photography which is historically what I've done. In that realm, our makeup still needs to have the finesse and the refinement of beauty makeup.  So how do we do this? A lot of practice and re-training your eye. Instead of focusing online where AI images are becoming super dominant, look at agency websites and fashion magazines.  That'll help develop your eye for edgier makeups as well 👍🏾

because it's not about liking or not liking – I love all  makeup. Well... I don't love horror even though I respect it lol. But it's about being well rounded as an artist. Because let me tell you I've been working 30 years and counting doing clean beauty makeup. 👍🏾

And if you want to study with me and learn this technique I promise you it's coming I promise. I'm working on some local classes here in LA to start so watch this space. 👍🏾
Here's the secret... Here's the secret...
Even if we don't call them "resolutions", it's pre Even if we don't call them "resolutions", it's pretty much human nature to go into a new year with new hopes and aspirations.

In the best of scenarios it's easy to lose your way. And I think it's safe to say that we're not in the best of scenarios right now. The good news is if you're feeling like your goals have drifted away already, it's not too late to get back on track. 

In fact the vast majority of the year is still ahead of us so let's pick ourselves up and plan what we want to do to make this our best career year yet 🎉

Need a little guidance? That's what I'm all about here at Makeup to Go. Comment Q2 and pick up my Quickstart Guide to help you identify what truly matters to you and your career for this year, and start making a plan of action of how to get there.

Comment Q2 and let's work on getting this year poppin'
Let's talk about the time I was booked to do celeb Let's talk about the time I was booked to do celebrity men's grooming and then the day before they asked me if I could also apply six bald caps to kids?

Yep this is a real thing that happened. 

"Scope of work" refers to what exactly is it that you are being hired to do. You must not assume that you know. You absolutely must ask questions before agreeing to a job.. Needless to say thinking you're gonna be doing grooming on one man and being asked to do bald caps on six kids is a significant change in the scope of work. 

This is why you need to ask the right questions before you give a rate and then once you do give a rate and you do sign contracts your contract absolutely must state the scope of work. That way you have recourse when the scope of work changes. 

But if you're too happy scrappy and just throw out a random number and that's it now you're stuck when the job changes.

In my case I did ask the right questions, the answer just changed. But was working with a great producer and a great client they understood we re-negotiated it was totally fine. 

However I see stories all the time online of artists thinking they were doing one job and being roped in to something else entirely and then trying to figure out what to do after the fact.

Any legit client will respect the fact that you are a professional and that you will have questions before saying yes on the dotted line. If a client runs to the Hills at the first question that you ask, that is deflection being protection. Just let them go.

Do you have any stories of a job turning into something other than what you thought it was going to be? (dealing with these types of scenarios are another type of actionable skill that we help artists develop in the Five Small Things membership.  Need a Confirmation Agreement for your media clients. I have that available too 👍🏾)
All images copyright of respective photographers | Many thanks to Sonya Bowman Photography, Saryn Christina Photography, and Together in Wellness RN for BTS and Portrait Images
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