- Makeup artist Carissa, from Illinois, revealed some things she would never do
- One includes a health and safety hazard she claims other artists do on clients
- The makeup artist often posts videos on her TikTok about the industry and tips
A makeup artist has warned of an imperative issue to look out for when hiring a beauty professional for major events – revealing how it can put a client’s health and safety ‘at risk.’
Carissa St. Clair, a makeup artist who is based in Illinois, shared the video on her TikTok account, where she often posts content sharing her cosmetics expertise as well as ‘day in the life’ vlogs.
In the clip, which was posted in October, St. Clair spoke about the issue as she ran through a list of things that she would never do as a professional makeup artist, revealing why using dirty brushes and applicators are a serious health hazard.
‘I would never, and I repeat, never, use the same dirty brushes on each client, apply cream products directly to the face,’ she said.
‘Now, this should go without saying, but you have no idea how many artists I’ve seen, whether on TikTok, or just in person, doing those things that drive me absolutely insane.’
Makeup brushes that have been used on the skin and in different products can transfer everything from bacteria to dead skin cells and oil.
This means that bacteria will be transferred into the product, as well as onto other people’s faces and could lead to irritation or even infection.
Another practice that she called ‘absolutely disgusting’ was when other makeup artists applied mascara directly out of the tube and on to the client.
‘If you’re a makeup artist currently doing those things, brush up on your sanitation, because you’re putting your clients’ health and safety at risk, and it’s also just extremely unprofessional and disgusting,’ St. Clair said.
Similar to makeup brushes, mascara wands pick up dirt, skin cells, and bacteria – so the same issue applies with the re-use of these tools between clients.
The third thing on her list of things that she would never do as a makeup artist had to do with making sure you got an ironclad contract locked in before the big day.
‘I would never book a bridal party without a deposit and a contract signed,’ St. Clair said in the clip.
‘Having a deposit paid and a contract signed means that you are set in stone to provide services on that date.’
St. Clair furthered that having this contract in place was not only beneficial to the makeup artist, but for the client as well, because they wanted to ensure that you would be showing up for their special day.
‘You have no idea how many times I’ve had brides cancel on weddings and I can’t rebook them because sometimes it has happened literally two weeks before the wedding,’ she explained.
For example, the makeup artist admitted that she had once had her lighting set up damaged by children at an event, but that was something that wasn’t in her contract at the time.
Now, she has it locked in writing, which means that if it were to happen again, she would get reimbursed by the client.
Following that was something St. Clair admitted she had to teach herself not to do.
‘If a client didn’t like their makeup, I would never take it personally,’ she declared.
The makeup artist admitted that she used to take a client not being happy with their look ‘so personally,’ but is learning how to get over it.
She said that when it comes down to it, there were some things makeup artists could do to prevent that from happening in the first place.
‘You want to have a full consultation, you want to ask as many questions as you can, you want to make sure that they know it’s ok for them to tell you that if they don’t like something, you can change it,’ she explained.
‘It’s truly not a big deal, it’s makeup, it comes off, if they don’t like it, it’s literally not the end of the world. And it doesn’t define you as an artist.’
The makeup artist added that sometimes it’s not even your fault, as some people will just never be happy with their look.
She used the example of a recent client she had, a mother of the bride who was not happy with her foundation shade, which St. Clair didn’t take personally.
‘Making sure your clients are comfortable enough with you and you tell them nothing they can say can hurt your feelings, that you want them to be happy, they’ll be more likely to speak up and more likely to tell you what they love, what they hate, what they want to change.’
‘Because at the end of the day, my job is to make sure that when they get out of my chair, they’re happy,’ she furthered. ‘They’re my walking marketing.’
And, last but not least, the makeup artist revealed that she would never buy every product she saw on TikTok — although she admitted it was something she was still working on.
‘It’s so hard not to buy stuff for your kit, because you’re always like, I’m missing this, oh my God I need this,’ she explained.
‘At the end of the day, I don’t need another eyeshadow palette that’s a bunch of neutrals, because guess what? I already have it in my kit….’
She explained that you wouldn’t always see a profit if you’re always blowing your money on new, viral products on social media.
In the comments section of her post, many fellow makeup artists and clients chimed in with their own industry experiences.
‘I showed up to a wedding venue and nobody was there and when I called her she said there was no wedding anymore,’ one makeup artist claimed.
Another shared, ‘I had a client who cleaned up her makeup and it really broke me. That was the first time it was happening to me since the beginning of my career.’
‘My makeup artist canceled on me a month before my wedding and used her assistant to cancel for me. And she lied about why she was canceling,’ one client lamented.
In another video posted in September, St. Clair revealed a list of things that makeup artists wished they could tell their clients.
One of these secrets included that there was ‘no such thing’ as a ‘creaseless concealer’ or under eyes.
‘If you have creases under your eyes before you put on makeup, like me, they’re going to be there after you put on makeup,’ St. Clair said.
‘Don’t let social media and companies that advertise otherwise fool you.’
