How to Charge for Halloween Makeup as a Makeup Artist

The best time of the year for a makeup artist is right around the corner. And no, it isn’t Christmas; it’s Halloween!

With glittery skeletons and gory SPX looks coming up, you might be wondering how to market and charge for your services. We’ll cover everything you need to know about doing and charging your service, as well as where to find the products to create makeup looks that your clients will love.

Things to Consider When Pricing

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced pro, you might be wondering to yourself: “how much do I charge as a makeup artist?” or better yet, “how much do I charge for Halloween?” Before deciding your prices, it’s important to take into consideration the following important factors:

Your Time

The biggest and most important thing to keep in mind before telling someone how much you’ll charge them is how much time it will take you to complete the full look.

Many artists often only consider how long it takes them to do the makeup look. However, this isn’t the only time-consuming aspect of your business! You have to consider how long it takes you to travel (if applicable), how long it takes to set up, and how long it takes to clean up, too.

Set yourself an hourly rate that you are content to work at. It’s especially important that makeup artists working full-time make sure that this amount is enough for them to live off of. Don’t sell yourself short! Clients are seeking you out because you are talented, and they like your work.

However, it’s important that you stay competitive with other professionals in your area. Check out their rates to see how you compare.

Once you have this base rate that measures your profit, let’s continue on to the additions that you have to factor into the service.

Your Kit

The biggest start-up fee associated with makeup artistry is the actual products you use on your clients. You always want to use the highest-quality products that you can afford to use, which often cost a pretty penny.

Try to calculate how many uses you’ll be able to get out of your kit and divide the initial cost by that number to see how much you need to add to your hourly rate.

This added value can often be a hefty number, especially if you’re using brand-name products. You might have some clients that are curious as to why you ‘charge so much.’ The best way to respond is to assure them that your makeup is top-quality and that they’re not only paying for your time but also for the makeup itself.

Your Schooling

Even though you didn’t go to traditional college, you still paid thousands of dollars in tuition fees to learn your craft. Once you go pro, you need to make sure that your makeup services are not only paying for your livelihood but also that you’re recouping the money you spent on school.

If you want to go back to school or haven’t been at all, check out Alchemy Beauty Academy! Our affordable makeup lessons provide the ultimate bang for your buck and are a great resume builder for both employed and freelance professional makeup artists.

Specialty Services

You should also charge according to the complexity of the design. If it’s a standard makeup look that doesn’t require a whole lot of concentration, you can charge your normal per-hour rate plus your expenses. If you have additional services, like gory SFX makeup, that require a lot of skill, it can be a good idea to charge an additional fee for your trouble.

If you’re doing hair AND makeup, remember to charge for the hairstyle, too.

If you’re working a Halloween party and will be doing makeup all night long, consider offering a makeup package to consolidate the numbers and give your client a discount.

Many makeup artists also charge extra for the application of false lashes. This additional fee typically ranges from $5-10 but depends on the cost and quality of your lashes.

SFX in Particular

SFX makeup is a completely different ballgame than traditional Halloween costume makeup, and it deserves its own section.

SFX stands for special effects and typically refers to hyperrealistic supernatural creature makeup or fake injuries. This art form is much more finicky than face paint, and you have to know how to properly use it for special occasions such as Halloween.

You should always charge more for SFX makeup that requires skillfully applied wax, fake blood, prosthetics, or even custom molds, not only because they take longer but also because the required products cost more than the average eyeshadow palette.

Putting it All Together

Once you have all your numbers calculated, add them all together to see how much you should charge per hour.

Here’s the magic formula for makeup artist pricing, whether it be for Halloween or in general: (base hourly rate * number of hours required for session) + product cost + tuition expense + additional service fees.

Once you have your price list calculated, you’re good to go!

Expand and Refresh Your Technique

Alchemy Beauty Academy is proud to present a Makeup Mastery Workshop with pro makeup and hair artist @deviz on October 7th. You’ll learn how to do an iconic skull Halloween makeup look (one of the most requested in the San Diego area) with airbrush makeup (or you can follow along with hand painting techniques). This class is just in time for Halloween!

To learn more about this crucial workshop, visit our website event page to read up and sign up while spots last.

Are you unfamiliar with the game-changing airbrush technique? Be sure to register for our intensive workshop on basic and advanced practices for a quicker, easier, and more precise way to do professional Halloween makeup. This masterclass runs from October 4th-6th, so sign up now!

Where to Buy Your Products

You might already have the necessities to rock out some hot looks this Halloween, but if not, this is a good place to start. We’ll list both full kits for starters and retailers where you can buy individual products to replenish your supply.

Makeup Kits

Ben Nye

Ben Nye is the leader when it comes to SFX Halloween makeup. Their products are affordable, high-quality, and easy to work with, even in fast-paced scenarios. This Theatrical Creme Makeup Kit contains everything you need to get started for only $78 from Camera Ready Cosmetics. It’s available in seven different skin tone options.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Three Creme Foundations

• Creme Contour Wheel

• Bruise & Abrasions Wheel

• Creme Highlight

• Character Shadow

• White Creme Color

• Powder Cheek Rouge

• Lip Pencil

• Brown Eyebrow Pencil

• Black Eye Pencil

• Liquid Latex

• Nose & Scar Wax

• Liquid Hair Color

• Translucent Face Powder

• Spirit Gum Adhesive

• Spirit Gum Remover

• Dark Blood

• Rouge Brush RB-11

• Velour Powder Puff

• Eight Sponge Applicators

• Stipple Sponge

• Flat Brush FB-3

• Flat Brush FB-7

• Eyebrow/Lash Comb

• 10 Pack Swab Applicators

Basically, everything! You may also want to invest in Ben Nye’s Nose and Scar Wax for fake wounds and other lifted looks.

Mehron

Mehron has been a big hitter in the SFX makeup game for over 80 years. We think it’s safe to say that they know what they’re doing!

The Mehron Special FX All-Pro Makeup Kit contains unique products that most kits don’t, such as pre-made prosthetics and even some basic hair tools. This professional Halloween makeup kit is $114.95 from Embellish FX and is a great starting investment in your craft.

You’ll get:

• Eight Color Palette Including three Mask Covers and five Color Cup Colors

• Clear Liquid Latex

• Squirt Blood

• Large Powder Puff

• Clear 3-D Gel

• Stage Blood

• Coagulated Blood

• Barrier Spray

• Crepe Hair

• Three Full-Size Stageline Makeup Brushes

• Colorset Powder

• Makeup Remover Lotion

• Brush Cleaner

• Spirit Gum Remover

• Spirit Gum

• Tooth FX Blood Red

• Tooth FX Nicotine

• Rigid Collodion

• Fixative A

• Hair White

• Modeling Putty/Wax

• Extra Flesh

• Bruise ColorRing

• Stipple Sponge

• Non-Latex Sponge

• Cotton Swabs

• Two Prosthetic Bullet Holes

• One Prosthetic Wound

• Application Guide

Our Favorite Retailers

Here are a few of our fave professional beauty supply stores that carry individual products to fill up your makeup kit.

Camera Ready Cosmetics

Camera Ready Cosmetics is an online beauty retailer that carries hundreds of brands and thousands of products in skincare, hair, makeup, and more. Their prices are competitive, and shipping is reliable.

You can find various prosthetics, stage blood, liquid latex, and everything else you can dream of.

Nigel’s Beauty Emporium

Nigel’s is located in North Hollywood and is a favorite for makeup artists in the area. They carry airbrush supplies, makeup, and skincare, and they even have an entire section dedicated to men!

Start Your Hair Education with Alchemy Beauty Academy

Want to become a double-threat in the beauty industry by learning how to do hair? Our classes on professional styling start in November. There are only a few seats left, so be sure to register before October 25th to get in on these essential courses!