Mikala Walker began practicing makeup artistry at age 12. She started out by doing her friends' faces for free, then began charging $20 per person. Now Mikala is so experienced, she commands a $75 (£61.66) fee for prom and bridal bookings — and some strangers on social media apparently have a problem with that.
Despite Mikala's skills (and her 47,000-strong Instagram following) some people are complaining that she's charging way too much. "That's BS," one Twitter user griped of her fee. Another wrote, "I know way better MUAs that charge half your price."
But in an epic tweet that's now going viral, Mikala clapped back and defended her worth. How? By giving her followers a peek into how much it costs to actually run her business.
She added up the prices of commonly used cosmetics and tools, ranging from $10 fake lashes to $100 pro makeup brushes, revealing that she had to invest at least $635 (£522) in products alone before she could take on a single client.
"I felt like if I broke down the individual cost of products, versus how much I charge per person, maybe some of those who previously attacked me could understand why," she told BuzzFeed News.
Her fans on Twitter certainly do, and are cheering both her flawless beauty technique and her $$$-worthy business savvy. A few even suggested she raise her prices.
Mikala told BuzzFeed her goal was to help "people get a better understanding of the makeup industry and the costs involved."
Not that she's listening to the haters anyway.
"To be a female entrepreneur means that I am showing the world that females are capable of accomplishing whatever they'd like to do and being able to do what you love with a passion is possible," she said. "I'd love to let people know that this is the generation of change, and that women can do whatever they set their mind to without regards to social limitations."
[instagram ]https://www.instagram.com/p/BRRY1vvhOYT/?taken-by=mikalawalker&hl=en[/instagram]
Hannah Orenstein is the author of several novels, including Meant to Be Mine (out June 7, 2022), Head Over Heels, Love at First Like, and Playing with Matches. She's also the Deputy Editor of Dating at Elite Daily. She lives in Brooklyn.
