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Makeup Artists, just like any other artist, can get creative roadblocks from time to time. So what should you do when you feel like your creativity has dried up or you feel like you don’t know how to continue enhancing your creativity? Here are some professional makeup tips to help get those creative juices flowing again, and get you creating some fabulous and unique looks!

1 – Research and Inspiration

Go back to the basics and research creative makeup looks from the past. There is always something to be learned from those who have come before us. Why were those looks iconic? Find inspiration from artists you admire and even have a go at recreating some looks from those who inspire you. Inspiration doesn’t always have to come from makeup either, you can find it in art, colours, nature, shapes, textures, people, food, anything! It could be that a flower has caught your attention and you try to create a makeup look inspired by it. Don’t limit yourself when it comes to creativity and inspiration, the world is yours to explore!

2 – Try something out of your comfort zone

Has there been a technique that you have been too afraid to try? Perhaps there is a colour or product in your kit that you always avoid? Try and create a look focussed on something that is out of your comfort zone. Not every look you ever create is going to be perfect and amazing. Mistakes or imperfect looks in makeup are incredibly important, that is how we learn! You will be amazed how many great looks can come out of experimenting with something new. So get out that turquoise eyeliner that you never use and get creating!

3 – Pick it out of a hat

If you are really stuck and racking your brain on how to get started you can go back to the age old trick of putting a bunch of options in a hat and create a look based on what you pick out! It can be a good idea to have a few different categories to pick from, for example, shapes, colours, textures, decades, objects. You can either pick from a couple of categories or just one depending on what you are feeling. You could end up with something like this as your inspiration:

• 60’s
• Mint green
• Circles

OR

• Watermelon
• Glossy
• Graphic liner

What creative makeup looks could you create based on those inspiration starters?

4 – Explore shapes and colours

Go back to your colour theory and think about working with a monochromatic colour palette. Or maybe you could try working with only secondary colours. Try exploring colour matches that you wouldn’t normally gravitate to. Same with shapes, if you always tend to work with soft blended shapes, how about trying something sharp and graphic?

5 – Try and improve on a previous look

A great way to spark some creativity in your looks is to go back to a look you created from early on in your career and see what you would improve on or do differently now. Was there a creative eyeshadow look you thought you absolutely nailed 5 years ago that you now cringe at? It’s ok, we all started somewhere! But now that you have a little bit of experience under your belt, how would you create that look now?

6 – Collaborate

Collaborating with other creatives is such a fun way to get inspired! Find another makeup artist, hair stylist, photographer, model, stylist, whatever you like, and work together to create some magic! Working with others is such a joyful way to spark creativity. Not only do you get to work with people who are just as passionate as you are, but they will open up creative possibilities that you may not have thought of!

These are just some ways to get creative when you are feeling a little lacklustre. If you feel like you need some more guidance and knowledge, check out our short courses and Diploma on our website and come and study with the experts. Feel free to share your creative looks with us by tagging @aacm_au on social media!