Breaking Down My Makeup Portfolio

Building your makeup portfolio for the first time and need some tips for getting started? QC Makeup Academy‘s Student Ambassador, Paula Alleyne, is here to help!

Paula is a graduate of QC’s Master Makeup Artistry Course. Her business, PAULA MONIQUE, specializes in bridal, editorial, and special occasions makeup. Connect with Paula directly in the QC Virtual Classroom on Facebook! 

The Importance of Your Makeup Portfolio

A makeup portfolio is a snapshot of some of your greatest work. It should represent you and allow potential clients to see your capabilities. Portfolios can typically come in 2 forms:

1. A physical portfolio,
2. Or an online one.

Physical vs. Online Portfolios

Before the world went digital, having a great physical portfolio book was essential. An MUA’s physical makeup portfolio contained tear sheets of any magazine publications of their work. It also contained high-quality printed images of their artistry in photoshoots. It wasn’t uncommon for a physical portfolio to have a section with business cards, too. This way, you could easily distribute them when you met with possible clients.

In today’s age, however, physical portfolios are not the only thing that’s required. You also need to have an online presence! With the click of mouse, potential clients from all across the world can access and view your work. Online makeup portfolios can typically be seen on an MUA’s social media pages and/or business website.

While we absolutely urge you to post your original work on social media platforms, remember that having a professional business website is always recommend! After all, a polished website will give off that professional edge you’re looking for when portraying your work.

Demonstrating Your Skills

Your makeup portfolio is also a great way to demonstrate your versatility as an artist. This is because the shots you showcase will display varying styles and techniques you’ve mastered. Just keep in mind that showcasing too much variety can be a recipe for disaster. You never want to lose your identity! Similarly, you never want to mask a dominant style that best represents you.

Your portfolio images should not confuse potential clients. When they look at your portfolio, they should quickly become aware of what distinguishes YOU from the competition. A makeup portfolio is one of the major factors that’ll draw in potential clients. Once drawn in, they’ll be more likely to book with you. In turn, they’ll likely share your work (and their positive experience with you) with people they know.

Thus, a solid makeup portfolio ensures that a chain of employment opportunities is created!

4 Tips for Your Makeup Portfolio

When building your makeup portfolio, there are a few tips you can follow:

1 – Only use high-quality professional images.

During your certification training with QC Makeup Academy, you’ll discover the difference between professional and unprofessional photos. For example, a candid picture taken with your mobile device is often times not a photo you’ll want to place within your makeup portfolio. Such photos may be appropriate for a social media account. If the photo – in any way – gives viewers a more personal and/or daily work-life experience of you as the makeup artist, it’s NOT the type of imagery that should be displayed in your portfolio selection.

2 – Be patient.

Building a portfolio with quality imagery takes time. Some professional artists state that a minimum of three years is what took for them to build a solid professional makeup portfolio. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to perfect your portfolio too quickly. Otherwise, you’ll be setting yourself up for unnecessary disappointment.

3 – Network with other industry professionals.

One really smart way to build your portfolio is to network with other professionals in your area. Just as you’re an upcoming makeup artist, there are plenty of upcoming photographers who are looking to develop their own portfolios. Collaborations are a great way for you to gain professionally-captured images, while also meeting and forging relationships with other people within your industry. Such collaborations may even transform into long-term partnerships and/or employment as the vendor develops his or her career.

4 – Reflect who you are in your makeup portfolio.

If you’re a makeup artist who loves clean beauty, let that shine through in your portfolio! If you gravitate more towards avant-garde looks, then when people view your makeup portfolio, they should clearly be able to see you as an artist who loves bold, colorful creations.

A Look Into My Makeup Portfolio

As a makeup artist, my personal style is natural beauty. I love naturally enhanced creations for bridal and editorial shoots. The following are some of the images which best represent me as an artist…

PHOTO CREDIT – Photographer: Rommel Alleyne / Makeup Artist: Paula Alleyne / Model: Bethany Pile of Casting Barbados / Bridal Designer: Jaye Applewaite / Hair Stylist: Tina Burrow of Déjà vu Salon / Diamond Distributor: Diamonds International Barbados / Jewelry Designer: Sonia King of SRK Designs / Lighting Assist: Akinwole Jordan / Venue: Barbados St. James Parish Church

As you can see, this wedding photo is elegant and soft (which ties back in with the overall theme). My model’s dress, hairstyle, and location are very much princess-themed. Moreover, the goal was for her makeup application to be enhanced enough that it defines her features, while remaining soft for the theme.

PHOTO CREDIT – Photographer: Rommel Alleyne / Makeup Artist: Paula Alleyne / Model: Tiye Kelly of Casting Barbados / Bridal Designer: Jaye Applewaite / Lighting Assist: Akinwole Jordan / Venue: The Crane Resort Barbados

Now take a look at this wedding photo, which has a more defined smoky eye. The aim of this application was to utilize the smoky eye technique in a manner which defined the client’s eyes. However, the look still needed to remained soft enough to be suitable for a wedding.

PHOTO CREDIT – Photographer: Rommell Alleyne / Makeup Artist: Paula Alleyne

I particularly love this editorial photo! It enhances the talent’s rich, brown tones. Creating natural beauty images for editorial work requires a level of technical ability, as well as a fine balance.

On the one hand, you must apply enough makeup for the camera to pick up on it. But on the other hand, you also need to make sure there’s not too much product buildup. Otherwise, the look won’t appear natural. Furthermore, an application of various shades of brown can easily look like one wash of color, rather than creating slight definitions around the eye.

PHOTO CREDIT – Photographer: Rommell Alleyne / Makeup Artist: Paula Alleyne

Finally, this last photo is a great age-appropriate shot. My client had turned 16. As a minor, her makeup application had to ensure that she was still recognizable, while not appearing overly mature. At the same time, the makeup still needed to be prominent enough to enhance her beautiful features.

Why Professional Training Makes for a Better Makeup Portfolio

Getting professionally trained in makeup artistry is a guaranteed way to enhance your skill level. By extension, it’ll also elevate the creation of your makeup portfolio. Remember: anyone who looks at your portfolio should be able to easily notice your level of skill and technique. By enrolling in QC Makeup Academy’s online certification courses, you’ll gain all the knowledge and mastery needed to reflect this advanced skill-set in your work!

QC offers great advice on building your makeup portfolio. This is particularly the case in their Portfolio Development Workshop. In this 2-unit program, you’ll learn the difference between a professional versus an unprofessional image. Moreover, you’ll learn the ins and outs of building your professional network. As we touched on earlier, establishing your network will only benefit your portfolio development in the long run.

If you dream of becoming a professional makeup artist, I strongly recommend checking out this online school. QC’s education will not only develop your technical ability; it’ll teach you all about industry practices and standards, too. In addition to this, you’ll get regular constructive critiques from your tutor(s). Plus, your course materials will provide you a wealth of knowledge on:

If you’d like more information, feel free to contact QC Makeup Academy’s Student Support Team anytime! You can also connect with me directly in the Virtual Classroom on Facebook. Thanks for reading!

Learn the technical skills needed to create a stunning makeup portfolio by enrolling with QC Makeup Academy today!