Becoming a Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist in Australia

Ok, here we go. I was a makeup artist—yes, I was—for six years! I’ve got the portfolio, and I’ve got the skills. But.... that was back home. This is a completely different jungle, hey! Scarcity mindset and impostor syndrome hit me hard. Am I good enough? Am I equipped with the right skills? Would my skills be suitable? Would people like my makeup style? My mind wouldn’t stop racing. I couldn’t sleep.

Part of it, I think, was because I was super excited. Back then, I was still employed, so I started with what made the most sense: rebuilding my kit (which I’ll link to in another post when I finish writing it, haha). But I had the money so I thought this should be okay. I won't spend too much, I thought....

So, I began practicing on my friend—the picture featured above—and I realised: broooo, it’s been 2.5 years since I last did someone’s makeup. I felt a bit awkward, especially because my friend’s features, as a South Asian girly, were different from what I was used to. I felt uneasy, to be honest. Or maybe I was just overthinking it. Thank God for her! That experience gave me a clearer idea of the things I need now, and let me tell you—it’s very different from what I used to rely on.

Luckily, I still had some of my personal makeup, but that first encounter made me realize something big: Oh my gosh, my makeup wasn’t even showing on her face! Cue a crash course in colour theory.

That got me thinking: Who are my clients? Asians? South Asians? Caucasians? WHO?!

And guess what—your girl decided she wants to serve them all. Oh yes. I want to be able to work on all skin tones. Honestly, I think that’s what every MUA should focus on first—before even building their kit. That was also my first mistake.

My brain got way too excited. Some people say I have ADHD. Honestly, I think it shows—no test needed, LOL. But that excitement made me obsessed with all the new stuff. I literally wanted to buy EVERYTHING. I started researching (ADHD girl, you know the hyper fixation drill) non-stop. And since it was the end of the year—hello Black Friday, gift sets, Christmas sales—I was bombarded with ads: “Buy this! You need that! Every MUA must have this!”

To be fair, I think I did okay (kind of). I told myself I didn’t need THAT much, but still, I went a little crazy. I started with drugstore makeup, and Priceline had this huge discount—half price for (almost) ALL makeup—so, yeah, I went a bit wild. Morphe had a sale too, and I also got a $200 Mecca voucher for $150, so naturally, it was shopping time, baby! Oh, and let’s not forget Shein and Temu for disposables—such good value. But looking back, did I really need that much when I was just getting started? Probably not...

Anyway, I’ll also create a blog post on my starter kit and share some tips. :) Stay tuned!

2023: The Year of Content Creation

Reels, short videos, and content were everywhere. But because I’d “quit” makeup before, I had no recent footage or portfolio material. That’s when I decided to start compiling what I had.

If you’re starting out (and you’ve probably heard this 1,000 times), the best thing you can do is practice—on yourself, your friends, your family—and RECORD EVERY SESSION. That leads to my next point:

Content Creation & Gear

Oh boy. I needed a tripod. I do have an iPhone, but I’m a camera girly at heart. I’ve tried—oh, I’ve tried—but I just wasn’t satisfied with the results. Back home, I had a mirrorless camera with a fixed lens, a ring light, and a mobile makeup suitcase with built-in lamps. Lighting and gear? All set.

Here? It’s just me and my iPhone, and I wasn’t making the most of it. The lighting wasn’t great, even though I had daylight from a window. Plus, I didn’t have a proper tripod, table, or chair.

So, I bought a mini lamp (RGB video light from Temu). It’s small and compact—perfect for portability. I told myself I wouldn’t get a ring light unless I set up a proper home studio (which, honestly, seems far off because I have way too much stuff—gotta work on that!).

Then I bought a tripod. Unfortunately, it was a terrible purchase—it was flimsy and wobbly. Honestly, it worked better as a selfie stick. Sad Inez coped with her disappointment by—you guessed it—buying more makeup. In the end, I decided to just hold the camera by hand and make it work. But that's the thing, you just gotta learn how to take content, no matter what your gear. Looking back, I think I was a little snobbish. I used to believe I had to use the best tools, like my Fujifilm camera, because I loved the results it gave me. But honestly, millions of other makeup artists thrive using just their phones—whatever phone they have. My biggest mistake? Not creating content because I didn’t feel like it. Don’t be like me!

Then, I decided to just start practicing. I’m incredibly lucky to have people willing to come over and let me do their makeup, and slowly, people started to trust me. I even printed out flyers—around 1,000 of them!—and started putting them in mailboxes. It felt so old school, but guess what? I got one booking! And I’m beyond excited!

Another thing I’ve learned is to address impostor syndrome. For a long time, I believed the tools would make my makeup better, but that’s not the case at all. What really matters is practice. And more practice.

This journey is a long game, but I’m genuinely so excited to see where it takes me. I can’t believe I already have a couple of bookings lined up—it feels surreal, but it’s happening!

I’m going to post more about my journey—literally everything (as long as writer’s block doesn’t hit me too soon!). So stay tuned, and thank you for being here. 💕