How To Invoice for Makeup Services

It takes time and skill to provide the perfect makeup looks for your clients, but you shouldn’t have to put as much effort into invoicing. Once you know which details to include, it’s easy to set up automatic invoicing that takes all the guesswork out of getting paid. Here’s a closer look at how to invoice for makeup services, including a sample invoice to help you get started.

Types of makeup invoice templates

There are a multitude of benefits associated with issuing accurate makeup invoices, from keeping on top of client balances to getting paid more quickly. To get started, you need to choose the right makeup invoice template for the job.

Makeup artists work in a variety of different environments, from film sets to salons and spas. Some are self-employed freelancers, while others provide contracted services to a studio. This means that there are several types of makeup invoice to choose from, including one-off and recurring invoices. For complex jobs such as weddings involving application for multiple people, some artists will ask for a deposit or upfront payment.

Here's a quick rundown of the types of invoices to choose from:

• Recurring service invoices

• Hourly invoices

• Product invoices

• Flat-rate invoices

What to include on an invoice for makeup services?

No matter the type of makeup artist invoice or job, there are a few key details that you’ll need to include. These are important not only to keep your payments on track, but also for recordkeeping purposes come tax-time.

At the top of each invoice, include your business name, brand colours, and logo. As a makeup artist, you probably already have an eye for beauty and a refined aesthetic – this attention to detail should carry over into your invoice. From there, you can list the following information:

• Contact information

• Website and email address

• Specialty services provided

• Client name and contact details

• Name of studio or spa (if applicable)

• Unique invoice number

• Invoice date

• Due date for payment

• List of services provided, including hourly or flat fee and descriptions

• Applicable tax

• Payment terms and conditions

• Payment methods accepted

Be sure to keep a copy for yourself as well as your client to keep all records in order.

Makeup artist invoice sample

Here’s a simple makeup artist invoice sample to show what this looks like in practice. Of course, it should be customised to best reflect your services and brand identity:

Makeup Artist Name

Business name and address

Email address and website

Phone number

BILLED TO

Customer name

Customer address

INVOICE NUMBER: 00001

DATE OF ISSUE: DD/MM/YYYY

TERMS

E.g. Net 30 payment terms, follow link for payment

If you’re looking for a simple makeup artist invoice template, you can also download one from the link, or find more template examples in our guide.

How to make invoicing more efficient

Now that we’ve covered what should be included on your invoice and what it might look like, here are a few final tips to help make the process more efficient.

• Number your invoices: It’s not only required by HMRC, but it’s also good practice because this helps keep your invoices organised by client. For example, you could include a unique code for each project or client.

• Keep your timesheet updated:  Don’t wait until weeks after the job’s complete to try and track your hours. This should be updated in real time to avoid errors or client queries that can delay payment. It’s worth looking into accounting and invoicing software like Xero to automate this process. 

• Make payment easier: Issuing invoices is only one half of the equation; clients also need to pay. You can make the process as easy as possible by offering a variety of methods including direct bank deposits, electronic transfers, and embedded payment links.

GoCardless offers an easy way to collect payment directly from a client’s bank account for both recurring salon services and one-off makeup artist jobs. With a quick direct debit set-up for both artist and client, this helps improve cash flow and cut down on the stress of late payments. It also integrates with major invoicing software including Xero and QuickBooks to help keep on top of all your small business admin from a central location.

We can help

GoCardless is a global payments solution that helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of financial admin your team needs to deal with. Find out how GoCardless can help you with one-off or recurring payments.