top of page
Search

Being a freelance Makeup Artist during the Covid-19 pandemic

2020 was supposed to be my most successful year yet. I had finally gotten to a point where I was ready to launch my bridal brand, Vowed, with all its bells and whistles, and take my event makeup brand in a new direction. But this pandemic has proven that things don’t always go according to plan.


My last booking consisted of an 8 person bridal party. I wore a mask, and used a new set of gloves and brushes for each face – the next day, our country was put under lock down. Firstly, I need to admit, working in a mask and gloves was probably one of the most uncomfortable experiences I’ve had to deal with when it comes to my job. Even with a mask, I felt I still had to speak less than usual, which almost caused a barrier between the connection with myself and my clients (never mind possibly needing to cough in a room full of people), and a huge part of what I love about doing makeup is getting the feel of different products, warming cream products on your hand to melt and blend it into the skin – and to top it off, my bride will forever have her makeup artist wearing gloves while doing her makeup in her wedding photos. Cringe.



"..a huge part of what I love about doing makeup is getting the feel of different products, warming cream products on your hand to melt and blend it into the skin.."



From that day on, I slowly started losing all the jobs I had booked for the rest of the year, events had been postponed due to the lock down and the uncertainty tied to the pandemic. Everywhere I looked, people were panicking, especially the people in my industry, or related industries – fellow makeup artists, hair stylists, event planners, florists – were all losing jobs, and therefore income – and everyone wanted to speak about it on the internet, all. the. time. People were having conversations with me too, worrying about their future. I had to work to ensure that I don’t let their energy infiltrate mine, and do my best to send positivity to them instead. Upon introspection, I realized that what seemed like complaining, was people just trying to make others understand the repercussions of what the virus was doing to their business or well-being. This is when I needed to remind myself that everyone copes with situations differently, and that’s when my empathy kicked in.


I for some reason have been staying strangely calm throughout this. Just a back story, I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember, and in all honesty, being a freelancer with an inconsistent income fueled my anxiety at times, but this was something I did not plan for, or even consider as a possibility. My worries have rather lead me to the thought of me losing a hand and therefore being unable to work (this is how my crazy mind works), but never a global pandemic. So I was not prepared for this in the slightest. As a makeup artist, I work in a very close proximity to clients, and the majority of my clients are getting their makeup done to attend events, which have been restricted due to lock down too. I feel for my clients during this time, having planned and looked forward to a special day, only to have it taken away in an instant.


I’m a firm believer in the law of attraction, so as much as I have my down days, I have been working on my mindset, creating a space of abundance, and doing things that bring me joy within this time. This is what has been getting me through. I do think that everyone feeling the effects of Covid-19, should allow themselves to feel whatever it is that they’re feeling, even if it’s negative, but try not to let yourself stay in a dark place for too long. At this stage, I’m really not sure when I will be able to work with clients again, or what my industry will look like once this all blows over, but I have grown so much in this period, and I know that this will eventually be a thing of the past and we will all adapt to the new normal, this is what I choose to focus on.










 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page