My MUA Journey pt.3 - Out On My Own!

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of my MUA Journey series, definitely check those out before we jump into this portion of my career...


In 2016 myself and my boyfriend (now fiancé) bought our first house. It was, and is, a massive deal for us to own our home, and it also meant that I could build my dream makeup studio on the property. So when I left Inglot that's exactly what I did!

Previous to this, I had used the spare room to take clients when needed, which worked but wasn't ideal. Otherwise I would just travel to the clients, which takes a huge chunk out of the day and possible appointment time. So I wanted to have something with more space, have it furnished and decorated as I wanted, and have it separate from the house. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out and it's been one of my favourite places in the world for the past 2.5yrs!

Moving on to a stage of working alone gave me huge independence in what I do, but it did mean I no longer had other artists to bounce off and learn from. So I've made an effort to keep up-skilling so that I can continue to grow.

I travelled to the London Makeup School to do an intensive course in makeup for deep-dark skin tones. Unfortunately I feel this is an area that the Irish industry is lacking in. So I wanted to go out of my way to make sure that I not only had enough theory and knowledge, but also enough practical experience to back it up. I had a great time and even wrote a blogpost about my visit.

During 2017 I also headed up to Dublin for a bridal masterclass by Mac senior artist, Lesley Keane.

 

As well as attending a Plouise masterclass here in Cork.

And even modelling for a Plouise masterclass so that I could pick up a few more tips, and see a new style on my own face. I also wrote a blogpost about that too!

Having the control of my career has allowed me to give more time to other services outside of makeovers. As well as attending masterclasses, I've also been able to give more masterclasses.

 

I had the opportunity to work for RTÉ on a Nationwide episode featuring Ashling Thompson.

As I said in my previous post, I love teaching, so giving more personal lessons has been great fun both for me and my clients.

The amount of weddings I get to do is growing hugely every year. I'm looking forward to glamming all 45 of my brides this year.

I'm also looking forward to working on a few more notable clients and familiar faces. Over the years I've had the opportunity to work on Síle Seoige, Grainne Seoige, Ann Cassin, Aoibhin Garrihy, Dee Devlin (and got to meet and spend time with the man himself, Conor McGregor).

I was named the south Bridal Makeup Specialist of the year at the 2018 Irish Make Up Awards held in Dublin. I was so thrilled, honoured and proud of myself to be up on that stage. I couldn't believe there was a time I nearly pursued something else entirely!

Sidenote: My Dad actually found a file on his old laptop that I made when I was in primary school. It was a brochure for my dream beauty salon! That should have been a hint for me!

I love what I do and I can't wait to continue my adventure now that it's 2019 and I've been doing makeup for nearly a decade. Throughout that time the makeup industry has boomed, blossomed and changed massively. As a much more popular career path for young girls, I often get asked how to become an MUA. Everyone has their own path but I do have a few tips to keep in mind.

• Having a qualification is great to put on your CV, but because makeup is a form of art there's not one correct way to do it. Styles, techniques and products are subjective to the artist. So I always recommend to learn from as many artists as you can. Attend masterclasses, take courses and book one-to-one training lessons.
• Whatever way you choose to learn makeup, make sure you're learning about hygiene. Proper hygiene practices are non-negotiable in being a professional makeup artist. 
• Get insurance! Whether you're in training and practicing on models, or working on clients, you want to insure yourself against any risks.
• Sales isn't for everyone, but retail isn't "soul destroying" like I had once heard. Working for a brand gave me experience I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. It's also the best way to work on plenty of different types of faces.
• Going out on your own can be lonely so keep that in mind if freelance is something you want to do. That is true for working alone in any industry too.
• Makeup artistry is a practical skill. So practice, practice, practice!

Thank you so so much for taking the time to stop by and read! I love writing and sharing, and it means a lot when other people enjoy what I'm doing too.

If you have any questions at all you can always easily contact me on social media (@christineocmua) or leave a comment below.
If you would like to book me for anything you can contact me through my MUA website ChristineOConnorMUA.com.
If you are an aspiring MUA and would like a course recommendation, stay tuned 👀 !

Love,
Christine
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