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From Paralegal to Red Carpet: Mia Connor on Building a Diverse Makeup Career and Mastering Content Creation.
Description
The Makeup Insider is a weekly one-on-one podcast exploring the life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance mua Vanessa Barney. This week: getting personal with Mia Connor, fashion and red carpet-style makeup artist.
For freelance makeup artists, content creation days are the new TFP’s (time for print). Mua’s often use this time to build their portfolio with work that shows their strengths, skills and diversity - ultimately helping them land the sort of work they want to be doing (and getting paid for!). Mua’s can also use this time to unleash their creativity and keep their work up-to-date.
Mia Connor, self-confessed quality control freak runs content creation masterclasses, born from many years of trial, training and transition.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
What does well.
Makeup artists need to stay abreast of trends, have an intuitive knowledge of colours, lighting, and style, fit the brief AND always have the end goal of making our clients look the absolute best. Easy, huh!
From juicy skin to dramatic eyes, Mia loves to mix up her style, while keeping synonymous with her brand and the environment.
2021 has seen the fresh no-makeup look remain a top favourite, alongside the ‘American’ glamour with heavy foundation, manicured brows, and deep contouring.
Wear different hats.
Having exposure to and training across, as many different areas of makeup as you can, ultimately will help build your portfolio and increase your scope of availability for jobs.
For Mia, training across multiple genres including glamour, editorial, fashion, lifestyle and special effects – to hairstyling, hair extensions, tanning and eyebrows (what can’t this woman do!), meant she could turn her side hustle into a career.
In the makeup industry, everything is pigeon holed. You can’t be seen to be the ‘jack of all trades’, you need to own one... or so we’ve been conditioned to think. Mia is happily an exception to the rule – and a great role model to other mua’s looking to switch specialities.
Shake up your career.
From paralegal to successful entrepreneur and well- regarded makeup artist. Mia’s career path is anything but ordinary.
Leaving a secure job to open your own business can be incredibly daunting, but ultimately if you’re happy to take the plunge and give it everything you’ve got – it can be very rewarding.
“It’s hard to start freelancing when you don’t know anyone in your city, so I hustled every hour I had outside of my 9-5, until I was busy enough to make the decision to do makeup full-time.”
Mia Connor