Makeup Artist CV Sample [Guide & Examples]

You need a makeup artist CV that turns heads—like Kendall Jenner walking into a Chik-Fil-A.

Well, here it is. But—

Why is it so tough to land a great makeup gig? You know, the kind with chill vibes, amazing clients, and pay that actually covers rent?

Here’s the deal:

Most CVs sound exactly the same. After reading 50 of them, the hiring manager’s ready to pick one with their eyes closed.

If you want to stand out, your makeup artist CV needs to pop—like a look by Sir John 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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Sample Makeup Artist CV—See more CV examples here.

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

Should you stress about your makeup artist CV format?

Short answer: Yes.

Think of your CV as your first impression—it should shout, “I bring my A-game to everything I touch!”

Don’t let it look like eyeliner on a bumpy Uber ride.

Use a reverse-chronological layout. It showcases your freshest, fiercest work first.

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

And when you're done? Save it as a PDF. That way, it won’t fall apart in transit—and yep, 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

Imagine a day spa making you read 100 makeup artist CVs.

You’d be out of there faster than a smudged winged liner.

Well—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?

Back it up with measurable wins—results they can see, not just read.

These two makeup artist CV examples? Total game-changers.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [CV Summaries]

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

That version’s not terrible—but it won’t book you interviews either.

Want results? Take a page from the next makeup artist CV example:

That’s fire—a flawless blend of adjectives, certifications, experience, skills, and standout achievements.

Rocking a more natural look when it comes to experience? Check out the junior makeup artist CV examples below.

Two Entry-Level Makeup Artist CV Objectives

Still waiting to depot that experience? Go with a licensed or self-taught makeup artist CV objective.

Back in the day, it meant proving you were hungry to grow. This freelance makeup artist CV objective nails it:

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.

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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 reasons your phone’s not blowing up with interview calls:

One: You’ve got so little experience, you might think a foundation brush is for home improvement.

Two: You’ve crammed in so many bullet points, it reads like King Kong’s word-art sleeve.

Here’s what to do instead:

Start with your most recent makeup artist role.

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

Check out the first of our pro 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:

Yikes. That’s like dark lip liner with pale lipstick—just not it.

But what if you’re starting from scratch with no real makeup artist experience?

No stress. Check out the beginner makeup artist CV examples below to see how it’s done right.

How to Write a CV for Makeup Artist with no Experience

No pro experience for your makeup artist CV?

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

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

Ask yourself:

• 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?

Those all count.

Use them to spotlight your potential and add some serious glow to a beginner makeup artist CV.

Our next self-taught makeup artist CV examples show you exactly how.

Two Beginner Makeup Artist CV Samples [No Experience]

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

Yikes. That’s giving white lipstick energy—flat and outdated.

So—add the right highlights and polish to get a makeup artist CV that actually pops:

Check out this next example to see how it’s done.

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 faint into the shampoo bowl.

Give your makeup artist CV a glow-up with bold action words that show what you actually did.

4. Is Your Education Section Running? It Might Be

It’s makeup, not rocket science—so you don’t need education on your CV, right?

Dead wrong.

Every CV needs education.

Use it to make the hiring manager say “Wow,”—not drift off mid-scroll.

Start with:

• School Name and Location
• Years in School
• Degree

Then match it to the job ad—like finding the perfect foundation shade.

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 basic face painter—that’s a future Hrush Achemyan or Mario Dedivanovic in the making.

Got standout accomplishments from high school or college? Add 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.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, not so fast.

Listing makeup artist skills on your CV? Easy.

Actually convincing the hiring manager? That takes some strategy.

Do it like this:

First, treat the job listing like it's a personal message from Bobbi Brown.

Highlight all the makeup artist skills mentioned.

Then, back up those skills with solid achievements in your bullet points.

The professional makeup artist CV examples below show you exactly how it’s done—right and wrong.

Makeup Artist CV Examples [Skills]

Let’s say these skills are listed 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:

Do that, and you’ll need rolling storage just to keep up with all the interview invites.

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? Because you didn’t highlight your cosmetology license.

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

Put your licence:

• Place your license at the top of your CV, near your name
  Mention it early in your CV summary
  Create a dedicated “License” section right under your summary

That way, even if the hiring manager just glances at your CV, they’ll instantly know you’re qualified for the job.

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 and Perfect Your CV

Are you hitting pan on material for your makeup CV?

Good—because your CV needs more than just experience and education.

It has to prove you’re as easy to work with as Patrick Ta.

Do that with extra sections that make you shine 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 could probably teach the hiring manager a thing or two. That professional makeup CV is flawless—like a double-cleanse for your career.

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. Do I really need to send a cover letter with my makeup artist CV?

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

See, 60% of managers won’t even look at your makeup artist cover letter. But the other 40% won’t bother reading your 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 could 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—

Don't forget to 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 strong social media presence lets the hiring manager see more than just your makeup artist CV—it shows your creativity in action.

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. Highlight your Hung Vanngo-level skills with measurable achievements.
• Write CV bullet points that tie you to the job like a 10-gauge piercing gun. How? Read the job ad, circle the key requirements, and match them with your accomplishments.
• 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 to your freelance makeup artist CV.
• 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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