A day in the life of a Cirque Du Soleil makeup artist

What's it like to work for Cirque du Soleil? 

The second installment of our Spotlight on the Circus series looks at a day in the life of a Cirque Du Soleil artist. Curious about circus makeup artist jobs? We have the details! Nathalie Legault, CEO and founder of Agence Thaly, sat down with us to share some industry secrets.

What is the role of a makeup artist working for Cirque du Soleil?

They take care of the makeup concept and teach the artists to do their own makeup in less than an hour.

How much time is spent on this work?

Normally they demonstrate and explain 3 or 4 times, and then they should be able to do it themselves because they have an illustration with a description of the products to guide them in applying their concept. Once it is learned, it can be replicated at every show with the concept board.

How much does a makeup artist earn working for the circus?

Makeup artists who teach performers how to do makeup make about twenty dollars an hour, but those who do the makeup concepts all have different rates depending on what they choose themselves and their experiences.

How long does it take to develop the concept?

It depends on the artist. A few different concepts can be created in one day. It depends on your creativity and your state of mind on the day, I guess.

What are the differences between working for the circus and working for a film?

When you work on a film, you have to read the whole script to know what roles you are working on. What is the character doing? Is he going to get dirty, hot, sweaty? It's about establishing different makeup throughout the script. 

But if you're working for Cirque, you just use your creativity, the colors of the costumes. You know they can get hot at some point. So you create a beautiful makeup that won't take them too long to do themselves, and that can withstand the hot temperature of their skin. It needs to be something they can do themselves quickly.

How did you become a makeup artist for Cirque du Soleil ?

After trying to apply for the Tohu in Montreal, and being rejected several times, I decided to dedicate myself to my own makeup and my own business. Over the years, I got new clients and corporate events that loved my work. One day I got a call and someone asked me to do the concept for Cirque du Soleil. So I did work for Cirque du Soleil, but through my own company. It took me about 15 years to get there, but it was the best thing that could have happened, because it's even better when you work for yourself.