Janel Porter-Just Perfect Beauty Freelance Makeup Artistry

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. My biggest piece of advice to those looking to hire a makeup artist for their special occasion is to start looking early, book a trial well in advance of your date, book your artist as early as possible and COMMUNICATE with your artist so that he/she is on the same page with you and truly understands what you want! Ask questions at your trial makeup session and make sure to get all of your answers BEFORE the day of the wedding. If you have additional questions feel free to contact your artist; he/she should be more than willing to answer any/all questions to your satisfaction.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. When searching for a makeup artist, the buyer should think about time required for the job, i.e: doing makeup for a bride and two attendants will require a lot less time than doing makeup for a bridal party of 10. Space for set-up and lighting should also be considered. Make sure that ample funds have been allocated for payment and also decide beforehand on how the artist will be paid, i.e.: the bride will present a lump sum to the artist or each attendant will pay the artist individually. Waiting until the day of the event to hash this out will result in additional stress for everyone.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. I believe in communicating with my client through the entire process, letting them know what I am doing, what to expect, what product(s) I am using at each step in the process. Educating my client on what to do and how is very important to me.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love meeting new people and I love making them feel pampered and special. It's so gratifying to me to see a client's face just light up after a good makeover. It's not necessarily about going from "plain" to "gorgeous"; it's about making the client feel and look as special as they've always felt themselves to be.

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. One of questions most asked by clients is "what makeup do you use?" I actually use various brands of makeup in my kit--not one makeup line has everything needed or works for everyone so I use what works from several lines. Of course, if a client wishes for me to use products from a specific line or wishes for me to use his/her own personal products, I will do that also, unless I know that a particular product will be harmful.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. Most people, I believe, think about makeup artistry in terms of highly creative, avant garde makeup looks or the high fashion looks seen on the fashion runways and in print media. While all the crazy eyeshadow, diva eye lashes and bold cheeks and lips are certainly a part of makeup artistry, the hallmark of a good makeup artist is the attention paid to making the skin look as flawless as possible. A good makeup artist will first be concerned with the appearance of the skin; perfect (or as near perfect as one can get) skin is the foundation of a good makeup--everything else is built upon this foundation.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. My pricing is not really all that complicated: my rate is anywhere from $85.00 to $110.00 (flat fee, not hourly). For jobs booked more than 50 miles from my origin, I will also charge an additional $ .55 per mile. I do not consider myself booked for a job until a contract is signed. One half of the total fee is due up front at the time of signing and the balance is due the day of the event. I accept cash and personal checks as forms of payment. If the balance of a booking is being paid by personal check, the check must be presented at least two weeks before the day of the event to allow time for bank clearance. Rush jobs may be accepted at my discretion; additional fee may apply.