Makeup Artist CV Sample [Guide & Examples]

You need a makeup artist CV that stands out like Kendall Jenner in a Chik-Fil-A.

You’ve found it. But—

Why is it so hard to find good makeup artist jobs? The ones with low pressure, great clients, and pay you can actually live on?

It’s simple.

Everybody writes the same kind of CV. After reading about 50, the salon manager wants to throw a dart.

To get noticed, you need a makeup CV that gets attention like Sir John B or Pat McGrath.

This guide will show you:

• A makeup artist CV example better than 9 out of 10 others.
• How to write a makeup artist CV that gets more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a freelance makeup artist CV.
• How to describe your experience on a CV for a makeup artist to get any job you want.

Here's a makeup artist CV template made with our online CV builder app.

Want to save time and have your CV ready in 5 minutes? Try our CV builder. It’s fast and easy to use. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 18 CV templates and create your CV here.

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Use this cv template

Sample Makeup Artist CV—See more CV examples here.

1. What's the Best Format for a Makeup Artist CV?

Should you care about makeup artist CV format?

Let’s put it this way:

Your CV for makeup artist jobs should scream, “I go above and beyond in everything I do!!!”

Don’t look like lipstick applied on a bumpy road.

Start with the reverse-chronological CV format. It puts your most recent eye-candy up front.

Keep it clean with the best CV fonts, big headings, and lots of white space.

Then save it as a PDF. A makeup artist CV PDF won’t go all train wreck after you send it. Plus, PDFs are now machine-readable.

Worried PDFs won’t fly? Check the job ad. It’ll say “no PDFs” if they’re off limits.

Pro Tip: Need to put makeup artist on a CV for another job? Check out the combination CV format. It’ll blend in your best transferable experience.

Which makeup CV format are recruiters most comfortable with? See our guide: CV Format: Best Examples for Job Hunting Success

2. Makeup Artist CV Summary or CV Objective

What if a day spa made you read 100 makeup CVs?

You’d find a different day spa.

Guess what?

Hiring managers don’t like it either. They skim an endless pile of CVs and read the couple that look interesting.

So—make yours interesting.

How?

With a makeup artist CV objective or CV summary.

Which one depends how much experience you’ve got.

If you’ve got more brush-time than Dick Smith, use a makeup artist CV summary. It knocks ‘em dead with your impressive work history.

If your experience would fit in a day planner, write a CV objective. It shows the fire inside.

The secret?

Give life to either with measurable achievements.

These two makeup artist CV examples cut the crease.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [CV Summaries]

What’s ugly about the first of our makeup artist CV samples?

That's not busted, but it won’t haul in the interviews.

Instead, mimic the next of our makeup artist CV examples:

That’s lit. The perfect mix of adjectives, licence, experience, skills, and impressive things you did.

Is your experience au naturel? See the junior makeup artist CV examples below.

Two Entry-Level Makeup Artist CV Objectives

Has your experience still not been depotted yet? Use a licenced or self-taught makeup artist CV objective.

That used to mean showing your thirst to be the best. This freelance makeup artist CV objectives does that:

That’s so cool! But what if the other applicants have that plus two years of experience?

Don’t sweat it. Check out the next of our CV for makeup artist entry-level examples:

That’s the beat down.

Pro Tip: Having trouble getting hired full time? Find a salon that’ll hire you—even as a fill-in. That’ll get your CV for makeup artist jobs noticed.

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

Create my CV now

When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Which type of CV introduction is best for uneven career paths? See our guide:

 How to Write a CV Summary: 10+ Professional Examples

3. A Makeup Artist Job Description that Wins Interviews

Two problems that will make your phone stay silent.

The first? So little experience you probably think a foundation brush paints concrete.

The second? Enough bullet points to give King Kong a word-art tattoo.

Do this instead:

Start with your most recent makeup artist job.

Add 3-5 CV bullets that face tune your makeup consultant CV.

Look at the first of our professional makeup artist CV examples below.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [Experience]

The first of these sample makeup artist CV experience sections kills it:

That’s on fleek. The achievements and numbers will turn heads so fast the manager will need a Reiki treatment.

But mask those achievements, and:

Yuck. Like dark lipliner with light lipstick.

But what if you have no experience at makeup artist jobs?

See our next beginner makeup artist CV examples.

How to Write a CV for Makeup Artist with no Experience

So you don’t have experience for your CV for makeup artists?

Maybe you haven’t held makeup artist jobs. But—

I’ll bet a pound of caviar concealer you’ve got accomplishments.

Have you:

• Done makeup for friends or family?
• Volunteered your makeup skills?
• Done makeup for a couple weddings?
• Filled in at a salon?
• Performed non makeup-artist jobs that use skills like product knowledge, customer service, sales, or good communication?
• Put pictures of your work on Instagram and got shares and likes?

You can use those to put ring lights on a weak CV for makeup artist jobs.

Our next self-taught makeup artist CV samples give a walkthrough.

Two Beginner Makeup Artist CV Samples [No Experience]

The first of these two freelance makeup artist CV examples has overplucked eyebrows.

Eek. White lipstick.

So—add highlights to get this make up artist CV example:

Gorgeous.

Pro Tip: Always look like a makeup artist. Create some business cards and give one to anyone who compliments your look. You’ll build experience for your CV for makeup artist jobs.

Don’t make the salon manager pass out in the shampoo bowl. Beautify your makeup artist manager with action words instead.

4. Is Your Education Section Running? It Might Be

It’s makeup, not rocket science. You don’t need education on a makeup artist CV. Right?

Dead wrong.

Every CV needs education.

You can use the space to make the hiring manager say, “Wow,” or make her yawn.

Start with:

• School Name and Location
• Years in School
• Degree

Then match your education to the job ad like the right foundation.

The next makeup artist CV examples show how:

Makeup Artist CV Examples [Education]

Both these makeup artist CV samples are for a job that needs skills in bookkeeping, makeup application, and working with people.

That’s no generic facepainter. It’s a proto-Hrush Achemyan or Mario Dedivanovic.

Want to add accomplishments from high school or college? Put those next.

Now let’s look how the drones do it:

Ouch. Lee press-on nails, anyone?

Pro Tip: Show customer service skills in the other sections on your CV for makeup artist jobs. Experience upselling rewards cards helps too.

How should you put a G.E.D. on a makeup advisor CV? See our guide: CV Education Section: Examples & How to Include It

5. How to Put Skills on a CV for a Makeup Artist

Convince the salon manager you’ve got the skills.

*Poof* You’re hired.

Easy, right?

Well, not so fast.

Putting makeup artist CV skills on your CV is easy.

Convincing the hiring manager? That takes a little thought.

Do it like this:

First, read the job offer like it’s an email from Bobbi Brown.

Highlight all the makeup artist skills you see.

Then prove you’ve got those skills with the right achievements in your bullet points.

The professional makeup artist CV examples below show right from wrong.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [Skills]

Let’s say these skills are in the makeup artist job description:

Required Makeup Artist Skills: (1) Customer Service, (2) Sales

So—put them in your makeup artist CV skills list, with a few more.

Then do:

If you do that, you’ll need rolling storage for all your interview requests.

List of Skills to Put on a Makeup CV

Need some makeup artist CV keywords?

Use the list below.

But the best advice?

If you’re writing a makeup artist CV for MAC Cosmetics, look in the MAC the job offer to find your skills list. Writing for Bobbi Brown? Look in the job offer for that.

Pro Tip: Are you writing a skincare advisor CV? Talk up your product knowledge. In a makeup advisor CV, tell about your technique, artistry, and selling skills.

Are languages like Spanish or French relevant on a freelance makeup artist CV? See our guide: 99+ Key Skills for a CV [Best List of Examples for Every Job]

6. How to Show Licences and Certifications on a CV

Heart attack!

The salon manager hired someone else. Why? You’re not a licenced cosmetologist.

But you are. You just didn’t show it right on your makeup CV!

Put your licence:

• At the top of your CV, near your name
• At the beginning of your CV summary
• In a special “Licence” section under your summary

Then even if the hiring manager only glances, she sees you’re qualified for cosmetics jobs.

Pro Tip: What’s better on a freelance makeup artist CV? An aesthetician licence or a cosmetology licence? Ask around at a couple salons in your area, because the answer depends on the state you’re in.

7. Add These Things and Bake Your CV

Are you hitting pan on material for your makeup CV?

That’s good, because a CV needs more than just experience and education.

It has to show you’re as great to work with as Patrick Ta.

Do it with "other" sections that make you stand out like a mile of glitter.

The sample makeup artist CV sections below show how.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [Other Sections]

The first of our makeup artist CV examples is like goth:

She sounds fun. Now let’s hire a good makeup artist.

Instead, write extra sections to your CV for makeup artist jobs like this:

She can probably teach the hiring manager a thing or two. That professional makeup CV is double-cleansed.

Pro Tip: Join a networking group for women in your area. You’ll build quick freelance makeup artist CV experience. Not sure how to find a group? Try Meetup.com.

Is there a place for hobbies on a freelance makeup artist CV? See our guide: Best Hobbies and Interests to Put on a CV

8. What About a Makeup Artist Cover Letter?

Ugh. I don’t really need to send a cover letter with my makeup artist CV. Do I?

Only if you want to nearly double your chance of getting hired.

See, 60% of managers won’t read your makeup artist cover letter. The other 40% won’t read your makeup consultant CV without one.

In your cover letter, prove:

1. You understand the requirements in the makeup artist job description.
2. You can fill them like Joyce Bonelli.

This short example makeup artist will make jaws drop:

Always end a cover letter by offering something. Try, “I’m happy to jump on a call to talk about my goals to beat your sales averages by 25%."

Pro Tip: Need to prove your makeup artist skills? Track down a couple models and do their makeup for free. Take lots of pics. Voila—instant proof.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

What’s the makeup artist cover letter secret weapon? See our guide: How to End a Cover Letter [20+ Sign Off Examples]

9. Do This Before You Add Contact Info to a CV

What CV contact info tip can get you hired?

Start with:

• Full Name
• Updated Phone Number
• Professional Email Address

Like this:

Amy Hamilton, Licenced Cosmetologist & Makeup Artist, amy.p.hamilton@gmail.com, 07024474729

A "professional email address," is john.doe@gmail.com, not jillycancunlips234345@yahoo.com.

That’s the easy part.

But—

Make sure you add your Instagram account. Pack it full of great looks you’ve done.

Need inspiration? See this Cosmo list of the best makeup artist Instagram accounts.

A great social media presence lets the hiring manager see past your makeup artist CV.

Pro Tip: Check your social media presence before it wrecks your great CV for makeup jobs. One crude beach photo from five years ago could make you go all butterface.

Single spacing? Double spacing? What’s best in a CV for makeup jobs? See our guide: How to Write a CV: Complete CV Writing Guide with Examples

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write a makeup artist CV:

• Write a makeup artist CV objective or CV summary. Show your Hung Vanngo powers by listing measurable accomplishments.
• Write CV bullet points that tie you to the job like a 10-gauge piercing gun. How? Read the job ad, circle the requirements, and list matching achievements.
• Write other sections for your freelance makeup artist CV that show you’re great to work with. Add publications, certifications, networking events, and social media wins.
• Write a makeup artist cover letter. Make it personal and passionate to make salon managers stop breathing.

Do you have questions on how to write a great CV for a makeup artist? Not sure how to apply this advice to a film or special effects makeup artist CV? Give us a shout in the comments! We’d be happy to reply.

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