“It’s so rare in fashion today that people are eccentric,” said the makeup artist Nick Barose, whose social media feeds are a mix of posts showing his work on celebrity clients (Lupita Nyong’o, Alicia Vikander, Jane Fonda) and tongue-in-cheek commentary on the industry. His outspoken online persona works; it’s helped him get big jobs. But, he added, “Social media can kill authenticity, especially the more followers you have.”

Nika Kislak, a professional makeup artist based in Moscow, is known for work that is both imaginative and elegant. She was the chief makeup artist for L’Oréal Paris, Russia for three years but came to international attention last spring when her work was reposted on Instagram by Pat McGrath, the doyenne of runway makeup artists. Her career marries old and new traditions.

“Instagram provides the opportunity to make your dreams come true faster and make money faster,” Ms. Kislak said. “I dreamt of this kind of freedom as a child. But as we know, freedom is not free.” She was referring to the toll that social media can take on creativity. “It was much easier for me as a beginning makeup artist 14 years ago, without Instagram, because no one influenced my sense of beauty,” she said.

In September, an E! News story deepened the fissure between the old and new schools when it reported that in the new world of celebrity hair and makeup, success is measured in selfies. The article placed tangible value on behind-the-scenes snaps that makeup artists take with their clients, alleging that some artists are accepting social media posts from models and actresses (either with the artist or tagging the artist) as payment for their glam-squad services.

“You have these new Insta-artists who are being picked up by publicists and agencies to work on their celebrities,” Mr. Bennett said. “So now that other artist who would have charged a fee for that job, his agent isn’t getting called. Some makeup artists have also lowered their rates to contend with the change in demand.”