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Retail

Beauty consultant

Beauty consultants give tailored advice to customers on beauty products, perfumes and treatments, and help them choose which ones to buy.

Annual Salary

£21,000 to £25,000

Average UK salary in 2024 was £37,430
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

37 to 40 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends; on a rota

1.4%
Future employment

There will be 1.4% more Beauty consultant jobs in 2029.

Day to day tasks

As a beauty consultant, you could:

  • talk to customers about what they want
  • demonstrate products and make recommendations to customers
  • give advice on how to use and apply beauty products
  • keep work areas and equipment clean
  • monitor stock levels and re-order supplies
  • stay up to date with new product ranges and trends
  • sell products to customers and meet sales targets
  • handle cash and card payments

Working environment

You may need to wear a uniform.

You could work at a store, in a beauty clinic or at a client's home.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
College

You could take a course at college to learn some of the skills you need for this job. Courses include:

  • beauty consultancy
  • beauty therapy
  • cosmetic make-up and beauty consultancy

You could also take a more general course in retail, sales or customer service, which may help you to get a trainee job.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Beauty Make-Up Consultant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, or Beauty Therapist Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

These take between 1 and 2 years to complete and are a mix of workplace training and off-the-job study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work

You could work in retail sales in a department store, then apply for a consultant's position with a beauty concession counter that operates in the store.

Direct application

You may be able to apply directly for jobs if you have experience in retail sales, make-up or beauty therapy.

More information

Career tips

Employers will look for people with a keen interest in make-up and skin care products.

To expand your knowledge, you could:follow trends and cosmetics 'influencers' on social media; trial new products and write online reviews; do your own social media, make-up or skin-care tutorials

Further information

You can find out more about careers in beauty consultancy and therapy from the Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority.

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With experience and further training, you could supervise other beauty consultants or move into retail management.

You could work as a beauty brand sales representative or start your own beauty business.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • customer service skills
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • persuading and negotiating skills
  • active listening skills
  • the ability to sell products and services
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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