Happy August, beauty lovers! This month is all about soaking up the last of those summer vibes before fall arrives. It’s also an important time to continue supporting black-owned beauty brands like Muji's Shea Essentials LLC!
As a fellow beauty junkie, I’m addicted to following pro makeup artists, estheticians, and influencers to pick up new tips. But sometimes the lack of transparency around secrets that could help us all succeed rubs me the wrong way!
In this month’s blog, I’m calling out the top beauty industry insights that many pros gatekeep rather than share. But knowledge is power, so let’s change that by talking openly. Here are the top beauty guru secrets I wish they’d let us all in on!
💰How Much They Really Make
One of the biggest things beauty influencers and artists remain vague about is their true income. They may humblebrag about being blessed or share glimpses of luxury, but most avoid publicly posting dollar figures.
Come on, pros – give us real talk insights into the business side!
How much does a 100k Instagram following translate to in deals and campaigns?
What types of brand partnerships bring in the big bucks?
How do sponsored posts work? How much do artists charge for wedding makeup?
This transparency helps up-and-comers tremendously when pitching rates and assessing opportunities.
🤝Secret Contacts and Connections
We all know successful beauty gurus didn’t get to the top alone. They had help from mentors, collaborators and industry execs recognizing their talent early on. But most remain coy about those pivotal connections that gave them their big break.
If you got a career jumpstart by having your work spotted at a trade show, through submitting to talent agencies or when networking at media events – share that! Give the rest of us a roadmap rather than pretending overnight success was pure luck and good branding.
💻Tools and Tech Used
Any beauty pro has a specialized lists of tools and tech that give them an edge. But much of it remains undisclosed, making it impossible for regular consumers to replicate quality techniques at home. What are those magical makeup brushes and skincare devices? Don’t make us guess!
Provide product names, shopping links, discount codes, hacks on how to use specialty tools properly and reviews comparing similar options. Help a sister out! The mystery helps no one.
🤫Trade Secrets of the Trade
After years in the industry, experts pick up all sorts of insider tricks of the trade. But rarely do they let us in on the tips that set their work apart. Quit holding out on pro secrets that could allow our skills to level up!
Tell us your application techniques, blending methods, precision shortcuts and little-known uses for common products. Share advisor wisdom on how to build clientele, market yourself and handle business operations. The beauty world needs more open source information spreading the skills, not gatekeeping. Knowledge should be for everyone!
🙄How Much Work They’ve Really Had Done
Let’s be real – plenty of beauty influencers and artists have had cosmetic procedures, enhancements or surgery along the way. Yet they often present an image of “naturally” perfect beauty. Come on now, that’s just disingenuous!
If you’ve improved your appearance through professional treatments, be transparent about it. No shame in doing what makes YOU feel confident. But don’t mislead fans into thinking fillers, Botox, facials, extensions etc weren’t part of your glow up. Authenticity goes a long way.
🎙️Unpopular Brand Opinions
We rely heavily on beauty gurus for product recommendations. But they’re often hesitant to publicly critique brands, especially big lucrative ones, out of risk of losing sponsorships or access. But your honest reviews help the rest of us avoid wasting money on mediocre items!
Don’t be afraid to share your real talk thoughts on overhyped products, problematic brand behavior, poor quality ranges, and items that just didn’t work for you. Your credibility comes from honesty. Give it to us straight!
📽️How Much Work Goes Into It All
It’s easy to see beautiful finished beauty content and assume influencers wake up camera-ready. But we all know that’s not the reality! Give us a peek behind the curtain at just how much effort goes into getting Instagram-flawless.
Share your hair and makeup routines prep time, product mixing tricks, cosmetic prep tools, photo editing apps, process of reshooting unsatisfactory content, and how you manage it all between family life and your day job. The polished facade contributes to unattainable expectations. Get real with us!
By being transparent about the privilege, connections, tools, treatments and work ethic that led to their success, pros have so much power to help up-and-comers gain an advantage. Gatekeeping does the whole community a disservice. Let’s lift each other up!
Are there any other secrets that I missed? Comment below!
Xoxo,
💚Amore Alimah
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