Makeup and hair styling have now become two of the hottest professions in India. Right from wedding venues to special get-together s and occasions, there are different forms of work opportunities, where a professional and certified makeup artist can earn. Even now, Bollywood and other regional film industries have various platforms for make-up artists to earn handsome perks and salaries. There are options to make money even in theater, television serials, ad agencies, magazines and also in photography. A make-up artist can blend cosmetic colors and enhance the level of beauty for any individual.

What are the five prospects and academic credentials that set the benchmark for earning for a make-up artist?

• The academic credentials: Depending on the certificate or the diploma course, a makeup artist can start earning. According to the experience and the number of large projects undertaken, a make-up artist’s monthly salary may vary between 15,000 rupees to even 70,000 rupees per month.

• It is all about skill: The finishing texture and the right use and blend of makeup and colours give an edge to a particular make-up artist when compared to another. Creativity with colours, understanding the skin texture, age and flaws of an individual skin, dedication and hard work can make a makeup artist earn even in lakhs when he or she goes for a large-scale outdoor project. In India, the scenario of hiring professional nail, hair and make-up stylists is now very trendy, and artists are earning thousands owing to the demand of their job.

• Responsibilities undertaken: right from live television shows to political walks, campaigns, advertisements and commercial platforms, a makeup artist’s job is quite hectic. To know the right kind of make-up that will fit according to a person’s face and complexion is not an easy task. So a makeup artist can earn depending on his or her craftsmanship and dedication to differentiate between faces and skin textures and apply make-up accordingly.

• Work platform to be decided: A make-up artist can work as a freelancer in the beginning, and he or she can also have an independent makeup studio or salon. Depending on the nature of the job, he or she can earn in thousands, and extra hours of work can be paid as overtime.

There are multiple scopes and opportunities for earning, and an individual make-up artist can also start his or her signature collection to earn more and to set up a brand.