Hello, fellow makeup lovers

I'm wondering if any of you can give me some advice. I am in the process of trying to turn my passion for makeup into a part time business and actually make some money from this after years of working for free and portfolio building.

However, I am now stuck as to what to call my business so that I can both be taken seriously in the industry and be remembered. I currently have a website and profiles under the name 'Deviant Makeup' although I have been on the fense about this and unsure whether to change it. I also wish to offer services in both beauty/editorial makeup and special effects makeup for screen (both of which I have experience in but more of the beauty at the moment).

My question here is whether I should put everything onto one website but with seperate pages for each specialism, in which case I quite like the name 'Hybrid Makeup' or whether they should be separate websites to cater to individual industries and both have different names. Personally I find my own name (Nicola Bobin) quite boring and it never appealed to me to use it but I know most makeup artists do.

Any constructive advice is welcome, I just want something that will stick before I start making things official.

Brand with your name (you might add makeup artistry or something similar), but for businesses that are primarily offering an individual's creative skills, it's better to brand yourself, as opposed to a "corporate" sounding name that no one remembers. People that work with you and talk about you, will refer to you as <insert name here> the makeup artist.

If you work alone, don't have employees, and don't want to sell your established business years from now:  work under your own name.  If you sell your business or have lots of employees, ask how you want your name represented after you are no longer part of the business.  You can also work under a fictitious name that mimics a real name.  There would be some paper work involved with filing a fictitious name, real sounding or like the one you are considering.  Your state may have a different term for it.  It also depends if your incorporate, as to your best options.

Thankyou both for your replies, it does seem from the general responses I'm getting that I should use my name, otherwise I could be confused for being a big company, when I would actually work for myself and dont plan on employing anyone in the near future.

Also what's your opinions on having two separate websites? Would that be the more professional route to take? I guess it would make life easier if I did end up prefering one path to the other.....

I'm thinking something like 'Bobin Makeup Artistry' and'Bobin SFX'

Yes, your own name absolutely.

Either separate sites and portfolios, or one site with different portfolios to click on and leave the FX port at the bottom of the list. Both are professional, both work.

Thankyou all for your advice, I decided to go with Bobin Makeup Artistry and have sorted out a new domain name and revamped the website Smile www.bobinmakeupartistry.co.uk

If you are proud of your work, put your own name on it !

Hi I know you asked for replys from mua's, but hopefully my input may help. As a hair artist who is a one-woman Salon owner (no employees) and I also style hair on film, tv, editorial etc, I decided to name my business HAIR BY NEDJETTI LLC

I got separate websites to differentiate my business endeavors at http://Nedjetti.com ....one for my industry work and one for my salon, it really works out well. Actually HairByNedjetti dot com points directly to my Salon site & NedjettiHarvey dot com goes to my industry site

I chose to use my name in conjunction with my specific artistry within my business name so that even if a person has never heard of my name, they'd know what I do as a profession...

Prosperity to you and your business🌻

I agree put your name on it! It's your art work and people should remember that! Xo good luck