- As seen in:
From department store makeup counters to working on set for a TV company, being a makeup artist is a hands-on, stimulating, and imaginative career choice. The perfect CV for a makeup artist includes relevant experience, skills, qualifications - including GCSEs - and industry-specific certifications such as an NVQ. Your CV should appear professional, using the conventions of a CV in an easily accessible format, while still communicating a sense of creativity that's required for a role in beauty.
Touch-up the presentation of your makeup artist CV with our professional templates
Get the attention of recruiters with these top tips
Your makeup artist CV highlights your qualifications and experience, but what else should you cover to ensure you stand out among a pile of candidates? Here’s what employers will be looking for:
An appropriate design
The candidate has identified a perfect design for their CV. They’ve chosen a simple format that delivers both a sense of creativity and professionalism. It makes the CV easy to read and helps recruiters navigate through the information.
A variety of skills
As a makeup artist you’ll have many responsibilities that go beyond simple application. The candidate has shared a variety of skills such as ‘subtle and effective sales skills’ and ‘customer-service orientated’ to demonstrate that they’re able to liaise with clients just as well as they can apply makeup.
Reverse-chronological order
The example candidate has also provided a very clear structure, using reverse-chronological dates to order both their work history and education. This makes it easy for employers to spot any gaps while noticing clear career progression from Retail Artist to Senior Makeup Artist.
Attention to detail
The details matter. See how the candidate has cited specifics such as ‘increased retail sales’ to show the results of their efforts.
A concise approach
Our example makeup artist CV uses bullet points to concisely summarise responsibilities at each job, along with key skills like ‘team player’, ‘excellent phone etiquette’ and ‘airbrush makeup artistry’.
Vital skills for your makeup artist CV
As a makeup artist you’ll be dealing with important clients every day. As the face a business, they’ll want to know you have the skills to carry your work out.
Must-have skills for makeup artist positions
- Attention to detail
- Safety and sanitation training
- Airbrush makeup artistry
- Phone etiquette
- Team player
- Client assessment and analysis
- Scheduling
- Time management
Extra skills to help your makeup artist CV stand out
- Subtle and effective sales skills
- Customer service orientated
- Strong verbal communication
- Data management
- Salon order processing
Frequently asked questions about makeup artist CVs
What qualifications do you need to be a makeup artist?
Practising on friends and family is a great way to get experience, but qualifications can set you up for a much more successful future.
Many makeup artists choose to complete an NVQ in Makeup Artistry as it’s recognised by most UK employers. Others choose the Makeup Artistry HND that blends the NVQ modules with business and IT elements.
What are the main responsibilities of a makeup artist?
Makeup artists have a broad range of responsibilities, including:
- Discussing looks with clients.
- Professional makeup application.
- Advising on product suitability.
- Keeping palettes, tools, & brushes clean.
- Achieving sales goals.
Does a makeup artist need to include a portfolio of work?
Commercial makeup artists are often asked for a portfolio to show their work in magazines, digital publications, and adverts. If you can put together images of your work, this is very useful to send to recruiters, as will help them to visualise your capabilities and style. As a retail artist, you might just be required to give references.
Related CVs Beauty Therapy CV Examples
Beautify your CV and wow recruiters
At myPerfectCV, we provide the foundation you need to build an amazing makeup artist CV without any stress. With templates and content already touched up to perfection, you can simply choose the components that suit you best and create a stunning CV in a few clicks.
