I often hear complaints from belly dancers that no makeup artist can make them look nice. Do you have the same problem?

Typically I do makeup myself, but for creative shoots I like to collaborate with other professionals including makeup and hair stylists. Here are some tips I’ve learnt from my experience on how to get maximum results:

Check their portfolio. The easiest way is to look at their Instagram or Fb pages. Almost everyone today puts their work online. If you can’t find there any examples of makeup that you like, most likely this is not a good fit for you.
Send them a couple of photos that show your idea of the desired makeup. What belly dancers are calling Arabic/smoky/colorful makes is usually WAY different from what professional MUAs understand as such. So better show some examples, instead of describing it numerous times. Ideally, you can even specify what exactly you like on this or that photo.
Plan at LEAST one EXTRA hour for make up on top of what MUA said you, lol. Yes, most professionals can do their job quickly and efficiently, but don’t forget about all other small things that may happen: chat talks, your curious questions about the products, technical problems (for instance, lighting isn’t working and you need to move to another table/room), selfies or insta stories, etc. All these things add extra time, and there is nothing worse than rushing with finishing your look.

Do not correct or check makeup after every brush stroke. This is beyond annoying for the MUA, and I’m saying it from my own experience. About ten years ago I used to work as MUA, and such annoying clients were the reason why I stopped. You need to understand that makeup artist has a vision of the final look, and tries to bring it alive step by step. Never judge or try to correct work in progress. If you don’t trust this professional, why did you choose to work with him/her at all?

If something really bugs you, and you don’t like how it’s going so far, ask a question: “Is it going to be so dark for the final look?”, or “Are you planning to add some other colors because right now it looks super blue to my taste?”. It sounds different than a direct critique or dislike that can discourage artist’s enthusiasm. Plus maybe it’s only a work-in-progress stage that we just discussed above.
Be ready and open that your look will be different from what you are used to. Personally for me that’s the whole point of working with someone else. The ‘usual’ makeup I can do myself. The better you did your research on the artist, and the better photo examples you’ve sent, the close to your ‘ideal’ look the results will be. Also, keep in mind that even exactly the same makeup will look differently on different faces, so I’m always open to MUA’s adjustments according to my individuality, and excited to see the new version of my mirror reflection.

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Author: Iana Komarnytska
Photographer: Pedro Bonatto