Pricing guide
How to price your makeup services
“What should I charge?” has no single answer, but it has a method. Start from what a job really costs you and how long it really takes, then decide what you need to earn per hour. Competitors’ prices come last, not first.
Why copying other artists’ prices fails
Another artist’s price list tells you what she charges, not what it costs her, how many jobs she does, whether she has a partner paying the rent or whether she is quietly losing money. When you copy a number, you copy her situation. When you build your own, you know exactly how far you can move and when you must say no.
Step 1: count every hour of a job
The hour in the chair is the smallest part of most bookings. Take one real job you did recently and list everything it took:
- Replying to the inquiry, answering questions, sending the quote and confirmation
- The trial, if there was one, including travel to it
- Preparing and packing the kit, sanitizing tools afterwards
- Travel there and back, including waiting and parking
- The job itself, including the buffer you always need
- Invoicing, chasing payment, sending photos or a thank-you message
Step 2: list the direct costs
Product used on the job (foundation, lashes, setting spray, disposables), fuel or tickets, parking, an assistant, and anything else you paid only because of this booking. Then write down the percentage you must set aside for tax and contributions. That number depends on your country and business form, so ask your accountant rather than guessing.
Step 3: work out what the job really paid you
Here is an illustrative bridal booking for one bride at €150, a common price for artists early in their career:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fee | €150 |
| Product and disposables | − €18 |
| Travel and parking | − €22 |
| Before tax | €110 |
| Set aside 25% (example rate) | − €27.50 |
| You keep | €82.50 |
| Hours: messages 1, trial 2.5, travel 1.5, prep and job 3, admin 1 | 9 hours |
| Per hour | about €9 |
Example numbers only. Your costs, hours and tax rate will differ: use your own.
That is the moment most artists realize why they are tired and still broke. The fee looked fine; the hourly result is not.
Step 4: set a target hourly rate and reverse the math
Decide what one hour of your working time must earn after costs and tax. Then calculate the minimum fee: (target rate × hours) ÷ (1 − tax share) + direct costs. With the example above and a target of €35 per hour: (35 × 9) ÷ 0.75 + 40 = €460.
You may not be able to charge €460 for that job tomorrow. But now you have three honest levers instead of one panicked one:
- Raise the fee step by step, starting with new inquiries rather than existing clients.
- Cut the hours: charge the trial separately, set a minimum booking, batch messages with templates.
- Change the mix: add services that pay better per hour (a second look, a bridesmaid package, on-site touch-up time) and take fewer jobs that pay badly.
Step 5: turn it into a price list clients understand
Clients compare what they can see. A price list with clear scope looks more expensive in a good way: it looks professional. Structure it like this:
| Line | What to state |
|---|---|
| Main service | What is included (look, lashes, touch-up kit, duration) and from what price |
| Trial | Price, duration, whether it is credited against the booking |
| Additional people | Price per person and the maximum per morning |
| Travel | What is included, and the rate or flat fee beyond that |
| Early start / waiting time | Surcharge before a set hour, hourly rate for waiting or staying on |
| Booking terms | Deposit, balance due date, cancellation rule (see booking terms) |
Pricing checklist
- I know my real hourly result for each type of job I take
- I have a minimum fee below which I do not go out the door
- Trials, travel and early starts are priced, not given away
- My price list states scope, not only numbers
- I review my prices at least once a year, and after every season
- I know which jobs I accept for portfolio or relationship reasons, and I decide that deliberately
The International MUA Business Academy goes further: rate logic for different kinds of work, quotes, deposits and how to judge an opportunity beyond the headline fee.
See what is insideQuestions
How much should a beginner makeup artist charge?
Enough to cover direct costs, tax and a realistic hourly rate for all the hours a job takes, not only the time in the chair. Beginners often charge less than more experienced artists in the same market, but the price should still be calculated, not guessed.
Should I charge for the trial?
In most cases, yes. A trial takes real time, travel and product. Many artists charge for it and some credit part of it against the booking. Free trials tend to attract people who are still shopping around.
How often should I raise my prices?
Review them at least once a year and whenever your costs, demand or experience change. Apply new prices to new inquiries first and honor quotes you already sent.
What if clients in my area won’t pay more?
Then check whether you are speaking to the right clients. Different buyers (private clients, planners, brands, productions) pay very differently. Changing who you sell to often matters more than changing the number.