By Adedapo Adesanya

The beauty industry is one of the most promising and profitable enterprises for any one to invest their money in, especially in a country like Nigeria where there is a litany of events from weddings to birthdays to funerals and others.

It is also a business that has many uses and not majorly for entertainment or ceremonial functions. Other opportunities include makeup for films and TV, for music videos, stage plays, television shows and advertisements and making models up to create specific impressions on the runaway.

But before starting this profitable venture, there are some things you must consider or else, you might not be able to achieve any meaningful thing from the business. These key items are highlighted below:

Skill

This is the most important thing for a make up artiste to have. It is considered an art, and in the instance that the person who wants to start the make up business has no skill, but possesses passion, the first step will be skill acquisition for the aspiring make up artist.

Acquiring a wide range of skill can be done through many outlets. It may involve training as an apprentice under a professional or even acquiring the skill by volunteering as an intern in a reputable make up studio.

Nowadays, the Nigerian government has created several skill acquisition and empowerment programmes to it makes it possible for anyone to learn at a lesser cost or none at all.

According to the specialists contacted by Business Post, they recommend that the best way to learn the art of make up would be to serve as an apprentice under a professional. This, they echoed, will make them see first hand how it is done and also, in the instance of offsite jobs, they get to learn other areas of make up such as bridal makeover and model makeover.

Capital

With the skill acquired, entry into the make-up business requires money and considering the major tools used by make up artists, a standard capital for establishing a make up business is N100,000, which will be mostly spent on acquiring quality makeup kits. With the necessary capital acquired, the make up artiste may not really need a studio yet because at the beginning, he or she can always always work from home and as time goes on with the business expanding, a studio can be acquired later on.

But in the instance of availability of funds to rent a studio, he or she might rent a small space. With shop prices going for a low as N5,000 per month, a fair rent price for a year including agent agreement and other fees settled may culminate at N150,000, and adding the makeup equipment, this may extend to a standard capital of N250,000.

Studio

Setting up a lucrative make up business may involve the practitioner to own a studio or not, but having a studio is a plus because this allows the customers a physical location to visit and it adds a kind professionalism to the business. The studio is where the make up artist receives their clientele, train their apprentices, and handle other businesses.

Location

In the instance that the make up artiste has a studio, it is advisable that it should be located where it can be seen and reached with ease.

Make-up Tools and Uses

Makeup equipment for starting up a makeup business are the tools that the artist makes use of, they exist in various price ranges but for the entrepreneur willing to set up from scratch, the equipment and their prices have been adjusted to prices set following the Trade Fair market price, where a large cosmetic market is located and purchases can be made by the make up artist.

Brush Set: Used to lay foundations and apply concealers – N5,000.

Foundations: In several shades, used on the face to the tone of the clients body before proceeding to apply powder (at least five shades) at N1,500 per shade × 5 – N7,500.

Powder palettes: Matches the skin to correcting any skin issues the client may be concerned about – N6,000.

Eye shadow palettes: Different colours applied on the eyelids and under the eyes. It is commonly used to make the client’s eyes stand out or look more attractive – N3,000.

Face primer: This is a base for foundation or face makeup that allows it to go on smoother and also last longer. – N2,000.

Eyeshadow primer: It helps eye-shadow stay put and creates long- lasting vibrant color. – N1,500.

Many shades of lipsticks: Particularly red, nude, pink and purple: applied on the lips – N2,000 for a pack.

Bronzers: Used to darken areas of the skin without masking it, or to add warmth. Used to make the client’s skin look radiant and healthy – N1,500.

Blush: For coloring the cheeks in varying shades – N1,000.

Concealer palette for different shade types: Used to mask dark circles, age spots, and other small blemishes visible on the skin. It is similar to foundation, but thicker and used to hide different pigments by blending the imperfection into the surrounding skin tone – N1,000.

Set of Lashes: Artificial lashes used to beautify the face – N1,000 (for a set of eight lashes).

Lash glue: For holding the eye lashes in place. – N500 (per tube).

Contour palette: To shape the face – N1,000.

Face wipes: For wiping off dirt and make up – N500.

Eye, Brow and Lip Pencils: For shaping the brows and lips to desired structure – N1,000.

Mascara: Used to enhance the eyelashes. It may darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes – N500.

Setting powder: Helps to keep your makeup in place all day long. – N2,000.

Setting spray: To keep makeup in place for hours at a time. – N1,000.

Glitters /Pigments: Used in special cases to make faces look shiny – N2,000.

Makeup Bag: This is where all make up equipment are kept, it must be spacious and long lasting – N15,000.

Cape: used to cover the client’s body when the make up artist is working – N1,000 (full-length)

Ring Light (optional): used to lighten the face of the client for photographic effect purposes – N7,000.

Foldable Makeup Chair – N36,000

Total = N99,000.

Marketing/Advertising 

With the capital utilised to set up the studio and the make-up equipment acquired. It is important to get customers and the beauty industry is a very competitive space. Hence, the make up artist needs to think a step ahead.

The Internet is a very affordable advertising space. With social network platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, the brand can reach others. Marketing can also be done by offering free makeup to people of influence who can then spread the word. Also, the make-up artist can start by posting pictures of her jobs on social media platforms and tags friends to help spread the images.

Registering the Company

It is important for a makeup artist to register the business to give it a corporate look. This can be done for less than N20,000 with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Doing this will help the practitioner open a corporate account for corporate jobs.

Carving A Niche in the Make up Business

For every make up artiste in the business, it is important to create something different from what others do. To render the service in a way that gives him or her a comparative advantage against competitors. This helps retain customers and expand the business.

If you require further information, feel free to use the comment section below this article. We will get experts in the industry to give adequate answers to your questions.