Services
Marketing Yourself
In the retail business, experts will tell you that the three most important elements of a successful retail establishment are location, location, and location. In the hair, makeup, fashion, prop, and costume industry, there are three equally important rules to live by:
Show Me · Leave Me · Call Me
| Translation: | Show Me Watcha Got | (A portfolio and or a resume) |
| Leave Me A Reminder | (A promotional piece) | |
| Call Me Back | (Follow up with a phone call) |
Show Me It is not enough just to tell people what you’ve done. You have to show them what you have to offer. That means having a portfolio and/or a resume’ if your plans are to work in film and television.
Leave Me Once they’ve seen your work, you must give them something to remember you by. That’s where your promotional pieces come in – It’s the physical piece of evidence that stays behinds and reminds people of the kind of work you do.
Call Me You’ve displayed your portfolio, and left your promo piece. The only thing left to do is follow up. A good rule of thumb is to call back within five days of leaving your promo piece. Remind them who you are, and ask if anything is coming up that you might be suited for. At worst, they can tell you no, at best, you just may be in the right place at the right time.
Building a Strong Portfolio
The foundation of your marketing effort begins with your portfolio. The process of building a portfolio is usually a long, arduous, yet rewarding task that can take months, even years, to complete. Although complete isn’t the right word to use for a work in progress, I will use it here to mean that your book is ready to show, and generate work for you.
Year after year newcomers approach me with the same questions about their portfolios:
How Many Pictures Do I Need?
Most decision makers we interviewed thought that an artist should have at least 10-15 great test sheets before looking for an agency. There are of course exceptions to every rule. We suggest you use these as goals to aim for.
Everyone we spoke with was interested in seeing a range of work. Of key importance was that everything in the book be current. The biggest turn off seemed to be work that was dated.
What’s Wrong With The Pictures In My Book Right Now?
We found that the two universal wrongs were: bad photography, and models. While mediocre work in any of the disciplines, (hair, makeup, props, styling or costume) can present a problem, photography and wanna-be models were the most common errors noticed by book reviewers such as art directors, photographers, and fashion editors.
What Size Book Should I Buy?
Most agencies preferred 9x12 or 11x14. at The Crystal Agency, 9x12 is the size of choice for large portfolios. They fit neatly inside a federal express box for shipping, and can be carried around in most oversized shoulder bags if a stylist needs to lug one around to a meeting. Most magazine tear sheets fit perfectly without any trimming. Also when 9x12 prints are copied and reduced down to 6x8 for mini books, there is no noticeable loss of definition.
Where Should I Purchase My Portfolio?
There are several manufacturers of quality portfolios. Choose one that suits your style and budget. Almost everyone in the industry uses one of the three companies listed below. All of the firms are located on the east coast and are hapy to provide you with brochures and order forms for mail order.
Advertisers Display Binder Co., Inc. · Brewer Cantelmo · House of Prtfolios
How Many Books Should I Have?
No less than two and the goal is three to four.
How Long Will It Take Before I Have A Book I Can Show?
The process of building a portfolio will take no less than six months and more like one to one and a half years.
Negotiation
Whether you are with an agency or not, you will be responsible for negotiating with, and asking your clients for large and small amounts of money to cover clothing, accessories, props, wigs & hair pieces, special makeup fx, per diem, mileage, kit fees, and more.
While the need for this kind of negotiation happens daily with fashion stylists, costume designers, and prop stylists who cant do their job without spending money, hair and makeup artist who become the heads of their departments in film and television will be responsible for managing the budgets of their departments, and that means money.
Your agency can and will negotiate your fees, per diem, travel expenses, assistant rates and overtime. However, as the artist, only you will be able to determine how many assistants you will need and estimate the costs of the supplies you will need to successfully complete a job.
As an agency owner and negotiator, I often find myself redirecting a conversation that begins as a discussion about my artist’s day rate and mysteriously leads into how much I think my stylist will need for clothing.
The keys to getting the budget you need as a stylist are:
- Not to commit to a figure until you have gathered all the facts about the job.
- Be ready, willing and able to justify (in writing in necessary) why you need the dollars you say you do to complete the assignment.
- Be ready to walk away from a job when you can’t complete it within budget.
- Stand by your convictions.
An art director will throw out a figure that the company would like to spend on the clothing budget. You don’t have to feel tied to that number. By asking a lot of questions and fine tuning your listening skills, you’ll soon learn the important questions to ask an art director and how to buy yourself a little time before you blurt out a number that you have to live with.
Now I haven’t forgotten that in the beginning, artists sometimes have to work miracles and call in a lot of favors from vendors to get the job done. Just be very careful about where you spend your miracles and favors. Not everyone needs them, even when it looks that way on the surface. Become a detective when it comes to getting the facts. Don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper. Listen very carefully to what people say and even closer to the details they leave out.
Setting A Day Rate
As a freelancer, you will be setting your own day to day rate (fee). While you can and should charge whatever the market will bear, getting it is quite another matter and requires experience, skill, demand (for your services and expertise) and an impressive book or reel. Talk to others in and around your field. Makeup and hair stylist tend to get the same daily rate. A fashion stylist’s day rate tends to be a bit less per day, but they generally work a minimum of three days at a time (prep, shoot, wrap). Remember to collect your tearsheets. The more tearsheets (published work) you add to your book, the more credibility you have, and the more money you can ask for.
Job Etiquette
Here’s a trick question. You accept a job for less money than you want as a fee, and less money than you need for expenses, what do you do now? Answer: A great job! Nothing is more dishonorable than someone who accepts a job that they don’t want to do, and then they do less than their best. A minimum of 100% is what every client deserves once you have accepted the job. If you don’t like the pay or the job conditions, don’t accept the assignment.
Basic Fashion Stylist Kit
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Basic Hair Kit
- Brushes
3 different sized round brushes and flat brushes - Water Bottle
- Combs
Rat tail, wide tooth, regular comb, teasing comb, cutting comb - Cape
- Blow Dryer
- Clips and Pins
Long clips, roller clips, hair pins, bobby pins (3-colors: golden brown, black and silver) - Rechargeable Clippers/Trimmers
- Rollers
Velcro, Hot rollers - Products
Leave-in conditioner, gel, spray, pump and aerosol (laminate “cuticle smootherâ€), pomade - Scissors, Razor
- Hair Accessories
Comb, clips, rubber bands (variety-leather, ribbon) - Curling Irons
Small, medium, large sizes - Marcel Irons (3-4) sizes
- Heating Oven
- Spray Gel
- Laminates Spray
Options: hair pieces, wigs, falls, extension hair (braids).
Basic Makeup Kit
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Note: Your brushes are one of your most expensive and necessary investments.
Purchase good brushes made of sable, squirrel, badger, camel or pony.
Basic Special Effects Makeup Kit
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Resources
ALLURE
350 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: Between 44th and 45th Street
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Booking Editor · Fashion Editorial Staff
Book Review Policy:
Drop off book M-F @ 10am. Pick up book anytime after 10am the following day.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $200.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
BAZAAR
1700 Broadway, 37th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Location: Between 53rd and 54th street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
Bookings Editor
Book Review Policy:
Call prior to dropping off your book for review. Drop your book off in the morning between 10am and noon. Leave your book for 24-48 hours. Call prior to picking up.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $200.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
ESSENCE
1500 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Location: Corner of Broadway and 43rd Street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
Fashion Editor · Beauty and Cover Editor ·Production Coordinator
Book Review Policy:
Drop off by 11a Wednesday, and pick up in the morning on Thursday.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
GLAMOUR
350 Madison Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: Between 44th and 45th Street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
All Fashion Editors and on staff stylists
Book Review Policy:
Call and schedule an appointment with an editorial assistant. Your book will be presented to an editor for review. You will be contacted by someone in the department when your book is available for pick up.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
GQ
350 Madison Ave, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: Between 44th and 45th Street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
Visual Projects Editor ·Bookings Editor
Book Review Policy:
Drop off day is Wednesday before 5pm. Pick up on Thursday after 5pm.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $200.00 |
| Makeup | $200.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $300.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
IN STYLE
1270 Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue)
New York, NY 10020
Location: Corner of 6th Avenue and 50th Street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
All hair, makeup, & styling decisions are left up to the photographer, once hired by the magazine. The celebrities play a big part in those decisions.
Book Review Policy:
Drop off your book on Wednesday @ 10am. Pick up the book on Thursday after 10am.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $250.00 |
| Makeup | $250.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $300.00 - $400.00 |
| Fashion Styling | $250.00 |
ELLE
1632 Broadway, 44th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Location: Between 50th & 51st Street
Hair, Makeup, and Styling Decision Makers:
Sr. Bookings Editor
Book Review Policy:
Drop off book @ 10am. Pick up book anytime after 4pm the following day. Make sure the book is marked Attn: Sr. Bookings Editor.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
ESQUIRE
250 West 55th Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Location: Between Broadway and 8th Avenue
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Fashion Editor & Entire Fashion Staff
Book Review Policy:
Drop off Monday – Friday between 9am & 5pm. Make sure your book is labeled. Someone from the department will call to let you know when your book is available for pick up.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
LA TIMES MAGAZINE
145 South Spring Street, 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Location: Corner of Spring & 5th Street
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Art Director · Style Editor
Book Review Policy:
Drop off your book Monday – Friday from 10am – 4:30pm. Pick up the book in 24 hours
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Prop Styling | $150.00 |
| Fashion Styling | $250.00 |
LATINA
1500 Broadway, Suite 600
New York, NY 10036
Location: Corner of Broadway & 43rd Street
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Laura Encinas
Book Review Policy:
Drop off book at 6th floor mail room. Leave for 24 hours. Call (212) 642-0675 before picking up.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $200.00 |
| Prop Styling | $150.00 |
| Fashion Styling | $150.00 |
MADEMOISELLE
350 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: Between 44th & 45th Street
Hair, Makeup & Styling Decision Makers:
Fashion Editors · on staff stylist & photographers
Book Review Policy:
You can come and drop off your portfolio. Mirabella tends to hire people who have tearsheets, experience and who have been working for a while.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $200.00 |
| Makeup | $200.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $300.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
SELF
350 Madison Avenue, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: 44th & 45th Street
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Bookings Editor · Creative Director
Book Review Policy:
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $250.00 |
| Fashion Styling | $125.00 Prep / $250.00 Shoot / $125.00 Wrap |
SEVENTEEN
850 3rd Avenue, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Location: Between 51st & 52nd
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Model Editor · Stylist
Book Review Policy:
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $175.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |
VIBE
205 Lexington Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10016
Location: Between Hudson & Canal
Hair, Makeup & Styling Decision Makers:
Fashion Editor · Photo Editor
Book Review Policy:
Books can be dropped off anytime on Wednesday. Pick up anytime on Friday.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $150.00 |
| Makeup | $150.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $200.00 |
| Fashion Styling | $150.00 |
VOGUE
350Madison Avenue, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Location: Between 44th & 45th Streets
Hair, Makeup, & Styling Decision Makers:
Booking Editor · Fashion Editorial Staff
Book Review Policy:
Books can be dropped off Monday – Friday from 9am – 11am. They should be picked up anytime the following day. They prefer to see books that are sent by an agency.
Editorial Rates:
| Hair | $200.00 |
| Makeup | $200.00 |
| Makeup & Hair | $300.00 |
| Fashion Styling | All styling done in house |