How to Become a Makeup Artist?

Nov 28, 2010

Veronika J.

Hey All!
I'm really considering beauty school for makeup artistry. However, I've been watching YT videos on gurus that are "freelance" and do not have a cosmetology license. I am wondering what are the steps to becoming a makeup artist. Do I absolutely have to go to school? For any of you that live in The Bay Area, CA, what are some good schools for makeup artistry specifically?

<3 V

Nov 28, 2010

RChelle M.

Hey Veronkia!
There are a few ways to go about becoming a Makeup Artist. I would suggest that you find out what your state requires as it relates to licenses/certification. There are several schools out there and if you already have the skill and talent many freelance artists dive deep into as many seminars and Pro shows as possible. Keep in mind that should you choose not to go to school it will be important for you to stay current. Good Luck

Nov 28, 2010

Veronika J.

Thank you so much Rchelle! (:

Nov 30, 2010

Breanna B.

If you're willing to relocate a little further south, I have a school for you. I went to Empire Academy of Makeup in Costa Mesa. It was everything I could have wanted and more. You learn everything from technique, to the business aspect, to all the inspiration you could ever need. I learned so much there I can't even tell you, but I do plan on sharing a lot of my knowledge here :). Although I'm not doing photoshoots anymore since I'm in nursing school full time, I still have all the tools to get back in it when I'm done with nursing school. I'll have 2 careers I love, who could ask for more? Anyway, I hope that helped and didn't sound too preachy lol

Nov 30, 2010

Veronika J.

Thank you very much Breanna!! (: I am looking for somewhere a bit closer to San Francisco. I want to do what you did, go to beauty school and then further my studies in something else!! 

Nov 30, 2010

Ashley C.

there a beauty school in SF called BLUSH it is very expensive on one hand but then again most placest are. you also need to consider and ask if these are REAL certifications some places will teach you all you need to know and give you there school certification but you cant do anything with it!
i found alot of school in california ARE like that. So i am going to cosmetology school i would HIGHLY suggest you go there instead. Plus if makeup doesnt work out you can do hair or nails or incorperate them all in your own personal buisness! which is what i am doing! plus you learn makeup in cosmo school too

Makeup artist on set can be asked to do hair styling (sometimes cutting), brow reshaping & nails at any moment. No not all the time but it does happen and if you say no they can just send you home. ive seen it happen i think its better to be over trainned that under! plus you can double your earning when you do hair & makeup for proms, wedding & photoshoots!

Hope that helps hun!
Makeup by ashes

Dec 1, 2010

Veronika J.

Oh my gosh, you are totally right (: I'm finishing up my Senior year in High School and I'm sooo anxious to start cosmo school. I heard about BLUSH and I am considering going there. It seems quite pricey. I'm thinking about going to cosmetology school for esthetics and taking makeup training classes at MAC and Kryalon.

Thank you for your input Ashley! (:

Dec 1, 2010

Yasmin K.

Actually, depending on the state, you don't need a cosmetology license to do make up but can get an Esthetician license which focuses on the face (which means you can't get into nails or hair). Of course esthetics is taught only in beauty schools along with those who are studying barbering, nails or the full shebang.

There are numerous makeup schools out there and each one may be stronger in one aree than the other. Makeup Artists magazine has a section on schools that you can view @ http://makeupmag.com/schools/.

Best thing to do is research what make up school you want to go to and see what their requirements are to get in. 

Dec 2, 2010

Ashley C.

Yes but she is talking about schools around san fransico in california. estheticians school is a good opition if you want to offer facials and waxing but you also learn that in cosmetology as well and its only a couple months more in training although esthetician is more focused on the face and skin. so it depend on what really you want out of a certification and how far you want to go.

Another issue is if you go outside of california yes the standard are a bit different and you can get certified faster (sometimes) but once you enter california they will make you do up to an additional 140 hours to certify you under the state of california requirements which really stinks! so you would have to pay to go back to school, i feel bad when woman end up paying just to get a certification they already have just to work in california.

Your so welcome hun. I am going through cosmetology school myself once i am certified to do hair and makeup i am going to enroll in a makeup or arts academy to learn the advanced makeup skills for movie production.

Once your certified you get discounts on school such as blush just like a mac pro card once your certified. plus some salons or companies you work for will send you (like mac & aveda) to get addition trainning. 

Dec 2, 2010

Veronika J.

I really have some thinking to do! haha..thank you all for your input (:

Movie production sounds so cool! I was looking into that and special effects as well. Boy, there's a lot to choose from!!

Dec 3, 2010

Avi C.

wow this is great stuff!

Dec 3, 2010

Krystale J.

I totally agree with Ashley! Cosmo school is a great way to just learn about everything! Its always good to learn more, then not enough. And a certificate is not always a great thing. Now a cosmetology or even Esthetician License you can do a lot more with! I was like you, and not sure if I wanted to just take some courses on makeup or do the full on school. It seems that the cost for just makeup courses is mighty expensive, and then you only get a certificate?? And that doesn't guarantee you much. Some of the schools will help you get jobs on the side for like fashion shows and other events they might take apart in. But if you want to be in a salon environment, you really need a licenses. Or if you want to start your own business, you need a licenses. Being you Youtube is great, if thats as far as you want to go. Don't get me wrong, I love watching youtube and getting tips and ideas from the gurus. But I really want to get the full on education I need to go further then on line videos and blogs can give me. I want to be able to mix hair in with my makeup skills, and yes maybe even nails! Its a good idea to have an all around training, that way you have lots of options! For now I'm trying to do free lance mainly to get hands on experience and get a name for myself out there. But I do plan on attending cosmetology school next year, and I can't wait!!
Well I hope that helps! lol =)

Dec 3, 2010

Veronika J.

WOW! Thank you for your feedback (:
I'm still a senior in high school but, today I learned that I can start beauty school in January!! I'm excited to start, hopefully things go as planned!!

Dec 3, 2010

Krystale J.

no prob! Its good for you to start as soon as you can! You still young! I'm starting kind of late, but it's only because I just found out what I want my passion really is! A lot people struggle to find out what they want to do as a career....and some dont. So reach for your goals and start asap! lol =) Good luck! 

Dec 3, 2010

Veronika J.

Aww thanks girl! (:
No matter what age I think it's great that you are going to cosmetology school!! It's a great and very fun thing to do, for me at least! I looove makeup and recently I decided beauty school is the right choice for me at this point in my life. In the fall of 2011 I plan to go to college!

Dec 3, 2010

MsGlitterazzi g.

I'd love to go to cosmo school, just for the heck of it. Everything I learned was on my own. I guess I'd just love to have that piece of paper, ya know. But with 2 kiddos and me taking them everywhere, it's nearly impossible. I wanted to go to Tricocci University, i'm afraid to see how much it costs, lol!!

Dec 5, 2010

Yasmin K.

It's no surprise that makeup artists (MUA) and other professional in the field (cosmetologists, stylists, estheticians, etc) get a discount on products. Discounts can be as low as 10% up to 40-50% off.

MAC Pro members get between 30% to 40% off depending on their field. MUA get the largest at 40% while a cosmetologist gets only 30%.

Many places don't sell to non-licensed buyers. Cosmo Prof sells only to licensed cosmetologist, estheticians and barbers. I don't think they sell to unlicensed MUA, not sure about that since I do know that you have to have a license number to get their pro card. I'm not sure what the exact percentage off items are but let's look at OPI nail polish as an example. Retail price of a bottle of polish is around $9. Card hold price: $4.25. That's a little more than 50% discount. China Glaze retails around $6.50, pro members get it for $3.50. (Okay, so getting my mom to stock up on stuff for me since she's the pro card holder.)

So while many YouTube MUA get their stuff for free, many also buy their own products. What I find irritating is when the guru is using nothing but pro stuff and doesn't disclose that they get a 40% to 50% discount on it or that they get it for free.

For those of you who want to become a MUA. I would suggest going to a reputable school and get your certification or license. As a student you can qualify for discounts - not as deep as a license holder but still a good discount. Once licensed you can get the products for far less than being a "self-taught" since most places require a legitimate license. MAC Pro doesn't require a license just two piece of "proof" of being a MUA.

Dec 5, 2010

Yasmin K.

"It's not required to go to a beauty school in order to become a makeup artist or get good jobs in the makeup industry. It does look good when you're applying for those things though. Some people are excellent self learners and some need the structure of a school. It's all up to you. :) "

Nor did I say it was. Beauty school is NOT make up school. I don't know how that could have been implied from anyone who posted about beauty schools. I know I'm not knocking down self-taught MUA however I will state again, if you want the deep discounts from the vast majority of industry suppliers you'll find most places require something more than a business card and a YouTube account such as a license or certificate.

Dec 5, 2010

Veronika J.

Thank you all! I know about the discounts because my step-mom is a hair stylist (: I just wanted to see if you all had some more insight on the industry nowadays. Sometimes your parents can be outdated! lol

Has anyone taken the MAC Master Classes?? How much do they cost? Are they worth it??

Dec 5, 2010

Yasmin K.

Oh! Misunderstanding then on my part! Sorry. :)

Dec 10, 2010

Michelle F.

Hi there! I went to Kandee Johnson's Glaminar and got a certificate. She says that you do not need a license to do makeup, just a certificate. I started a blog and posting some of my work on FB and I started getting people to ask me to do things! I post my stuff EVERYWHERE on FB.. network network network!  =)

Dec 10, 2010

Yasmin K.

As much as I like Kandee, her certificates are not considered to be valid by the MAJOR cosmetic companies as proof. MAC Pro membership is a hit and miss when it comes to obtaining their membership, many other companies are even MORE selective and will NOT allow you to have a membership without a LICENSE.

Here's an example... Make-Up Artist Magazine has a PRO card. It allows you to get 10% off the subscription plus get into MUAM Pro member events at IMATS. One of the criteria is "diploma/certificate from a **recognized** make-up academy". Again, Kandee's certificate is NOT a recognized make-up academy and she's not licensed to instruct. Many other companies are even more restrictive as I mentioned and will ONLY accept a license, proof of attending a recognized school or a diploma/certificate from a recognized school.

http://makeupmag.com/pro/

I know in my state while you don't need to have a specific license to work as a MUA you DO need a LICENSE to TEACH it in a professional setting. 

Dec 10, 2010

Jamie Lynn P.

All of that said, I have been able to create a business, in the Bay Area, doing special events and weddings without a license. Just putting my experience in. I still agree with all suggestions listed above.

Dec 10, 2010

Yumemi S.

hey veronika, im 17 and im in my senior year too in highschool and im going to graduate in may. its only the past year that ive started to become really interested in make up. i watch youtube gurus every single day and go online shopping (not really more like window shopping haha) for products that i cant get here (thailand) and ive found myself REALLY interested! and im in the exact same position as you, confused! im scared that if i go to a beauty school that after i graduate i wont get anywhere or i wont be able to support myself with the earnings from whatever job i will get ):

i really like fashion as well and i would love to design clothes and all that, i think it would be really fun but i cant get over the fact that i love make up SO much.

does anyone know schools in australia maybe? :/ or asia .... or canada....... hahaha idk i might take a gap year cause im just so damn confused! 

Dec 10, 2010

Yasmin K.

"m scared that if i go to a beauty school that after i graduate i wont get anywhere or i wont be able to support myself with the earnings from whatever job i will get ): "

A beauty school (cosmetology) will teach you nails, hair and face but it will not necessarily get specifically into makeup. Here where I live there are several licenses:

Barber - can only cut hair (can't do anything with chemicals)
Esthetican - Facials, waxing, some makeup (but again most cosmetology/beauty schools do not get in depth with makeup). Can't do nails or hair.
Nail tech - Manicures/pedicures only. Can't do hair, facials or waxing.
Cosmetologist - Can do every thing.
Cosmetologist instructor - Can do every thing PLUS teach.

My mother is a cosmetologist instructor, I took esthetics but didn't go take the state exam so my hours mean nothing now and would have to take everything again. I do makeup but not for living any longer, I use to but not any more and I didn't need a license for that UNLESS I worked in my mother's salon then I would need at least an esthetics license.

That said, going to beauty school is a GOOD idea but it may not be for you. Here's why I think it's a good idea. One day you decide you want to work in a salon, depending on the laws in your country, you would need a license. PLUS you can do more than just makeup - you can do waxing and facials. That's BIG bucks around where I live. When my daughter competed in a local pageant last year she was lucky that the services provided were free BUT the total for her bill - facial waxing, arm waxing, armpit waxing and makeup... close to $200!! That EXCLUDED her hair style and color which was another $150. Thankfully it was all provided by the salon to the contestants for free.

So while being a MUA is great and fun there is nothing wrong with going to beauty school BUT you most likely will NOT learn makeup application and would need to go to a makeup artist school instead if what you want to do is learn more about make up than what you see the gurus doing. There is just so much more than what they show and while I enjoy many of them the fact is that most of them are not even remotely showing you how to contour or highlight or dramatically change the face with makeup. There's just so much to the industry that YT barely touches it.

Go to the link above for Makeup Artists Magazine and click on Schools. They list international schools as well as ones in the States.