Career advice from a beauty expert

Getting your foot in the door of the beauty industry is quite a challenge. So here is some advice from Eric Devezin, a professional makeup artist and owner of his own beauty brand.

He’s a man with over 20 years of experience, so you’ll want to know what advice he has to give.

1. How did you know you wanted to work in beauty? 

I have always loved film and television especially old Hollywood  glamour which led me to the makeup counter wanting to do makeup. I think I’ve wanted to be in this industry since I was a child.

2. How did you get started? 

I worked for Makeup Forever when I was 20 and then progressed into doing weddings, fashion shoots and music videos before moving onto film, TV and theatre.

3. What’s been the most important moment in your career so far? 

There have been lots of great moments so it’s difficult to choose one – having my products used and liked by my peers is a great compliment and always something I am grateful to have happen..

4. Talk us through your day…

No two days are the same – which is exactly how I like it! I can be working on a film or shoot, doing admin for the business or teaching the next generation of makeup artist.

5. What are the best / worst things about your job? 

There are very few bad things about my job – I still get excited about doing makeup, so early starts on films are not a problem. The best thing is doing a job I love and am extremely passionate about and being paid for it. I also love creating new products and going through the entire process of perfecting each.

6. What do you think people don’t realize about your job? 

I think that people perhaps don’t realize the long hours involved – typically 14 hour days when shooting. I think another thing that’s often not appreciated is the confidentiality that is required in this kind of work – more so now than ever.

7. What advice would you give someone looking to work in the same field? 

Stay focused. Love what you do and work hard. Always be on time and be super reliable. Get reputable,  training, this is really important – there are few courses that are truly recognized and respected in the industry.

8. What are your career goals?

I want to finish my book and get it published. I also want to have global distribution for my cosmetic company and on a personal note perhaps run my first marathon!

9. What would you say to your 16-year-old self? 

Learn to appreciate the moment! I would love to have documented each day or milestone in my life – I don’t feel it’s too late though.

10. What advice would you give to aspiring beauty students?

Some of the best advice I can pass along is that in order to succeed in the beauty industry you should assist as much as possible. Try to find someone whose career path you would ultimately like to emulate and work to get on their assistant roster. It’s the best way to learn the ins & outs of the business and make the connections you need to develop your portfolio.

Here’s my #1 advice: show up, be present, be supportive, pick the brains of your peers, ask questions, take chances, experiment, challenge yourself, be brave.