Last Updated August 29, 2024 by Davina Kelly
Are you a beauty enthusiast looking for ways to earn some extra cash? With these beauty side hustles, you can make money on the side in no time.
These ideas come from side hustles that my friends have successfully done, including one who became my very first bookkeeping client.
I have also drawn inspiration from beauty treatments I regularly enjoy from other skilled business owners.
In this post, you are going to learn side hustle ideas that offer something for everyone.
From providing makeup services to selling skincare products, and passive income ideas.
After reading this post you will have many options for side hustles you can do in your spare time and make money.
This post is all about beauty side hustles.
Best Beauty Side Hustles:
1. Hairdressing
Are you the go-to person among your family and friends for all things hair-related? Why not turn that skill into a side hustle?
You probably already have the tools you need to get started, if not you can pick them up at your local beauty shop.
There are a few ways you can offer hairdressing services. You can do it from home if you have the space, work at a salon in the evenings and on weekends or you can offer your services as a freelancer. You could easily earn an extra $250 a week doing this in your spare time.
As a hairdresser, you can offer a range of services for all different hair types. But if you niche down and provide hairdressing services to people with a certain hair type you will make more money. This is because you will be known as an expert. For example, you could be a hairdresser for natural curly hair.
I recommend showing your work on social media, this way potential clients can see examples of what you can do.
Pros: If you do it from home or freelance you can set your own rates and schedule. It is also very flexible and can fit around your other commitments.
Cons: It will require a lot of time and energy.
2. Makeup Artist
Applying makeup is a skill, if you enjoy expressing your creativity through makeup this can be a good beauty side hustle for you.
You can do makeup for weddings, photoshoots, and events. If you niche and offer makeup services for a certain skin type you will be able to create a loyal clientele and consistently make money. You can also get more clients through referrals because if people like your work they will refer you to their friends and family.
I recommend buying the makeup essentials and going for neutral colours to get started. Once your client base grows you can reinvest the money and buy a wider range of products.
You can offer your services from home or be a mobile makeup artist. I recommend doing both options to offer flexibility for your clients. The earning potential is $100 per client so this is a great makeup artist side hustle.
Social proof is important so you need to show your work on social media. This is also a good way to get clients organically.
Pros: This is a good way to make money while expressing your creativity and is flexible.
Cons: It is time intensive.
3. Nail Technician
Everyone loves getting their nails done. Whenever I get mine done I feel brand new lol If you are good at doing nails why not turn it into a beauty side hustle?
It doesn’t cost a lot to get started and this service is always in demand. Having your nails done requires maintenance so you can make consistent money if you have a few repeat customers.
You can offer your services from home or at-home services where you go to other people’s homes. I saw this become very popular after the crisis.
By including this option in your services you are catering to those who have busy schedules and prefer having their nails done in the comfort of their home.
The earning potential is $50+ per client. If you can do nail art you can add that to your services to make even more money.
Pros: It doesn’t cost a lot to get started and you can make a lot of money.
Cons: It is time intensive.
4. Eyebrows
If you have mastered the art of shaping eyebrows you can make good money with this beauty side hustle.
Most women are particular about their eyebrows, having them shaped the way you like is everything. If you can do that for someone they will continue to come back again and again.
Adding services like threading, waxing and tinting will allow you to offer a range of services to your clients.
The start-up costs are low, but if you can afford it I recommend taking a course.
To get started you can practice on your friends and family. Post your work on social media so that people can see your skills and request your services.
Pros: This is a good way to be creative and make money.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
5. Eyelash Extensions
Offering eyelash extension services is a profitable beauty side hustle. Just like eyebrows, eyelashes are essential for every woman. This beauty service is in demand and is one of the best beauty side hustles you can do from home. My best friend who is a mom of two does this on the side and makes good money. She loves it because she can fit it around her busy schedule.
If you have space at home you can create a zen environment to help your clients feel relaxed while being pampered.
To get started you need to take a recognised course and become qualified before you can start performing treatments. Read here to learn more about how to become an eyelash technician.
The earning potential for this beauty side hustle is $45+ per client. The good thing is that eyelash extensions will need maintenance so you can have repeat customers which will create a consistent income stream
Pros: Offers flexibility and consistent income.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
6. Skincare Consultant
If you are knowledgeable about skincare and passionate about helping others consider becoming a skincare consultant.
As a skincare consultant, you will provide people with personalised advice and recommend products to help with different skin concerns.
This is a very rewarding beauty side hustle because you will help clients to better understand their skin and use the right products.
If you specialise in a certain type of skincare you will make more money because you will be able to service an entire audience.
For example, if you are a skincare consultant for acne-prone skin you will become known as an expert in this niche. This will allow you to charge a premium price.
Being a good skincare consultant is about more than just recommending products. If you provide skin analysis and help to educate your clients you will build trust and in turn, make more money.
Pros: This is another rewarding way to make money using your skills.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
7. Become a Beauty Influencer
Becoming a beauty influencer is a great way to monetise your beauty skills and knowledge. If you are a hairdresser, nail tech, makeup artist, or facialist this is a great opportunity to use your skills to make money.
Social media has changed the game for everyone. This is where people go for entertainment, ideas, and information. When I wanted to learn how to tint my eyebrows I went to YouTube and watched a tutorial. As a beauty guru, you can create how-to videos and tutorials to show people how to do their makeup and advise them on the best products to use.
The great thing about it is that once you have built a following you can get paid to review beauty products. Brands will actually pay you to review their products and share your opinions with your audience.
Other ways to monetise this beauty side hustle are through advertising revenue, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing.
To do well as an influencer I recommend being authentic. Don’t only promote products to make money, be genuine and also provide information to help people and add value. If you aren’t genuine, people will be able to tell and it could hurt your brand.
The best platforms to be a beauty influencer are YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. The earning potential is $250+ per month.
Pros: This is a good way to build an audience. Once you build trust you could even create your own product.
Cons: Building an audience can take a while, but once you do, it will be very rewarding.
8. Waxing
Even though laser hair removal has become very popular, waxing is still a needed service in the beauty industry.
Waxing isn’t just for the legs, you can expand to every part of the body. If you offer your services to men you will stand out from the competition.
This service can be offered from your home if you have space, or you could rent a space in a salon or offer in-house services.
You can charge $20 upwards for each body part and also create packages for your clients. To increase your earning potential you can sell aftercare products.
Having your body waxed isn’t very pleasant, so if you create a spa-like experience and engage with your customers you will build a loyal clientele. People want results, but the experience is what they will remember and pay top dollar for.
Pros: This is still one of the most popular beauty side hustles.
Cons: Building your client base can take a while.
9. Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal has become very popular over the last few years. Relieving women from having to worry about hair on their faces is very rewarding. This is one of the best beauty services that make money.
Getting started with this beauty side hustle will cost you a pretty penny, but you can make the money back pretty quickly. You will need to take an IPL course to get qualified and pay for the laser machine and ongoing maintenance.
Before you invest in the equipment I recommend that you reach out to local beauty salons and ask if you can train with them in the evenings or on the weekends. Once you have built up your experience and taken the course, you will get clients in no time.
Most women want to be hair free so they will pay good money for this service. You can charge $200 per person for a package for one body part. If they want to do more than one area you can charge more. Once you are in business let people on social media know and also tell your friends and family.
Pros: This can be a very lucrative side hustle.
Cons: The start-up costs are high, but you can make the money back fast.
10. Mobile Tanning Services
Thanks to the evolution of technology you can now get a tan without going on holiday. This option is also less harmful than being in the sun.
Spray tanning is an in-demand service for clients preparing for special events such as weddings.
Offering this service as a mobile option is helpful for people who prefer privacy and want to do it in the comfort of their homes.
Pros: You can set your own rates and schedule.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
11. Create a Course
Creating a course is a great way to share your skills and knowledge with others. People love to learn from other people.
With the rise of online learning, courses have become increasingly popular over the last few years so this is a great opportunity to make money.
If you are a makeup artist you can create a course to teach people how to apply their makeup or teach other beauty professionals a skill.
For example, if you are a qualified eyelash technician you can create a course to teach others how to apply lashes and become qualified.
The earning potential is $1,000 per month. Courses are a great beauty side hustle because they will create a passive income stream. You create the course once and continuously sell it and make money. Platforms like Teachable and Kajabi are great options to use. Or you can list your course on platforms like Skillshare or Udemy which already have a large community.
Pros: This is a rewarding side hustle and a great way to make passive income.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
12. Facial Treatments
Having healthy skin is important especially as we get older. If you are a skincare enthusiast you can help people with their skin concerns and make money.
As a facialist, you can perform any non-surgical treatments such as skin analysis, cleansing, exfoliation, facial massages, and masks. You can also consult with clients and help them to create an effective skincare routine. If you want to perform more advanced treatments like chemical peels you will need to take a professional course. Read here to learn more about the course details.
Once you have gained confidence and have consistent clients it may be worth investing in this course because you can charge more for chemical peels.
It doesn’t cost a lot to get started, you can buy your products in bulk to save money. You can provide this service from home or rent a chair at your local beauty salon.
This beauty and wellness side hustle is a very rewarding way to make money. Helping people with their skin concerns can boost their confidence. The earning potential is at least $40+ per client.
Pros: This is a rewarding way to make money on the side.
Cons: There are no cons.
13. Teach Workshops
If you enjoy teaching you can share your beauty expertise by hosting workshops. Whether it’s makeup techniques or skincare classes, empowering others with these skills can be very rewarding.
You can offer these workshops online or you can do them in person. I recommend doing a mix of both to provide flexibility as some people prefer hands-on learning.
For example, you can run most of your workshops online and host in-person workshops a few times a year. This way you can cater to a wide range of clients and their preferences.
The earning potential is about $500 a month. To increase your earning potential you can offer one-to-one sessions for people who require more assistance.
Pros: This is a flexible side hustle.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
14. Beauty Blogger
If you enjoy writing you can become a beauty blogger. As a blogger, you can write content to share your beauty tips, recommendations, and tutorials.
To get started you need to decide which type of beauty you want to write about. I recommend that you choose an area you are knowledgeable and passionate about because you will be writing about it a lot!
Once you’ve made a choice you need to create your blog. It is fairly easy to get started and doesn’t cost a lot. Read here to learn how to create a blog.
To make money on your blog you need to have a lot of traffic. It can take a while to get traffic, but once you do it is very lucrative. The earning potential is $500 – $1,000 a month.
You can monetise your blog by placing adverts on your site, writing sponsored content and affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is probably the best way to make money from your beauty blog because you will be talking about products a lot.
Blogging offers location and time flexibility which makes it very appealing. All you need is a laptop and internet connection.
Pros: This is a flexible side hustle and can be very lucrative.
Cons: It can take a while to get traffic to your blog.
15. Wig Maker
If you are skilled at hair styling creating custom wigs is a good beauty side hustle to make extra money.
Custom wigs are in demand, not just for fashion but for people who want to protect their hair. Or by people who are looking for solutions for hair loss.
It doesn’t cost a lot to get started. The earning potential is $300 per wig which makes it a lucrative side hustle.
If you have made any wigs for yourself or others show your work on social media. This will help you to attract clients.
Pros: This is a lucrative side hustle.
Cons: It can be time-consuming because it is personalised.
16. Spa Party Planner
If you enjoy party planning you can combine this with your beauty skills and host spa parties. This is one of the most fun beauty side hustles.
You can organise spa days for events like bachelorette parties, birthdays or girl’s nights. This service will require you to be organised and creative.
People will remember how you made them feel. So if you make the experience memorable by creating a zen environment and including treatments you will have satisfied customers who will happily recommend you to others.
The earning potential for this beauty side hustle is $250+ per party depending on the party size. You can offer this service on weekends from your home or provide in-house services.
Pros: This is a fun way to make money on the side.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
17. Make Natural Body Care Products
If you love natural body care you can make and sell your own body care products.
Natural body care products can be created using various scents and ingredients which are appealing to those who prefer using clean products.
You can create products for people with specific skin care needs, for example, you can create body butter for people who have dry skin.
The start-up costs are low for this beauty side hustle and the earning potential is $10+ per product.
You can sell your products from your home or you can sell them on platforms like Etsy, eBay and Shopify. These platforms have a huge marketplace that you can tap into.
Pros: This is a creative way to make money on the side.
Cons: There aren’t any cons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Beauty Business Makes The Most Money?
The beauty industry is one of the most profitable businesses to get into. Once you have built a consistent client base you will make a lot of money.
Here are some examples of the most profitable beauty businesses.
- Laser hair removal
- Waxing
- Facials
- Spray tanning
- Eyebrow services
How Can I Make Good Money In Beauty?
The best way to make money from beauty is to either provide a service or sell products.
If there is an area of beauty that you are skilled in you can provide this as a service. For example, if you are good at doing hair you can provide hair dressing services.
Or if you prefer sales you can sell products. There are many ways to do this, see some options below.
- Become a beauty influencer
- Buy and resell products
- Be a skincare advisor
- Affiliate marketing
Final Thoughts
Having a beauty side hustle is a great way to make extra money. You can offer makeup services, hairdressing or be a facialist. Or you can teach others through online courses and workshops.
Whichever option you choose it will feel very rewarding to help others to look and feel their best.
Something to note is that some of these side hustles can be done in conjunction. For example, you provide freelance makeup services and teach workshops. This will increase your earning potential.
As with all side hustles you need to be dedicated, patient, consistent and continuously improve your skills. Once you do this and provide a good service to your clients you will make consistent income.
Have you found these beauty side hustle ideas helpful? Which one will you try?
This post is all about beauty side hustles.
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Davina Kelly
Hey! I'm Davina, the owner of Davinas Finance Corner. I'm passionate about finding ways to budget, save, earn more money and improve your life. After breaking free from payday loan debt and living paycheck to paycheck I want to share my experience to help other women improve their finances.