A question for pro muas~Makeup Academies... Is it worth it

Nov 22, 2011

Jordan K.

So I received a brochure for a makeup academy in the mail today n as im looking at the pictures I'm thinking to myself I jus seen a tutorial on that the other day n I know I can do it... N its not common for me to run into a mua that has been to makeup school, most are self taught, so with me, an aspiring mua, it makes me wonder if the schooling is really necessary or if I should spend that money on my kit, advertising, business cards, photoshoots, etc... Does it really matter if you have that certificate to be a mua? Do you have to be certified or have a license to do makeup???

Nov 23, 2011

Karen B.

FOR ME I THINK SCHOOL ISNT THAT NECESSARY, ALL ARTISTS PRACTICE AND WILL NEVER QUIT. BUYING YOUR OWN MAKEUP COULD BE CHEAPER, BECAUSE YOU DONT ALWAYS NEED HIGH END BRANDS. PRACTICE ANY TIME YOU CAN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, DO MAKEUP ON ANYONE THAT'LL LET YOU, DO FREE JOBS TILL YOU BUILD A PORTFOLIO, GET BUSINESS CARDS, WEBSITE, PROMOTE YOUR SELF AND BUSINESS WILL COME TO YOU. (ALL IN MY OPINION)

Nov 23, 2011

Angel M.

Well, the certificate will help you get artist discounts which is a career plus. I teach makeup classes but please trust that this information is based on honest opinion and rest assured that I'm not trying to sell you since I am not doing a class in GA any time in the near future. An art can not be taught...it is creative expression and makeup is an art...you're just painting on a different canvas every work day. Most schools go over some common rules of thumb, guidelines, etc. but that's it. Here's the thing though, a cook doesn't go to school really to learn how to cook...they go more or less, to learn how to make a living as a chef. If you attend the right school you can start your career upon completion essentially instead of figuring out how to start for 1-5 (or more) years. And about your kit...I assure you, you will waste $1,000 of dollars buying all the wrong things. Any decent school offers a kit with tuition. My last point, while youtube will show you how to do a smokey eye and apply eyelashes and wing liner etc. the gurus will not show you how to land gigs and market yourself, business professionalism, what's expected of you on sets, bounderies and ethics, how to build a portfolio, mourge, or a name, how to live your life as a tax deduction etc. becuase they don't know how. The bulk of them were starving artist themselves unawear how to launch a career and accidently gained notarity from their videos. Rewind to any of their earlier videos and they all were working at MAC when they starting doing videos...they were not working runway shows, photo shoots, editorial shoots, film, etc. and there's a good amount of them who still aren't. I'm pro training mainly because in this career training never ends and the elites are constantly taking a class somewhere so they can stay on top of their game. My only point is to find a school that will offer you all the tools you'll feel you need to get started with your career upon completion.  

Nov 23, 2011

Amanda C.

Angel explained it perfectly! I went to school for makeup to learn just everything she said. If I didn't I wouldn't have gotten the start that i've already had! Plus a lot of professional gigs require that you have a certificate.  

Nov 23, 2011

Jordan K.

Thank You SO SO Much Angel your advice is always informative and knowledgeable to the point I would feel nieve not to take it in the utmost consideration, your professional opinion is truly helpful to someone jus starting out like me, I really appreciate you putting in the time to answer my questions so I don't do this the hard way... with that out the way is there any chance you know a good school in the atl area that you would recommend?

Nov 27, 2011

Angel M.

Sorry for the late response. I'm also going to have to say that sadly I haven't researched schools in places other than New York, Chicago, Miami, and Cali. What I would suggest is that you do some homework. You have an idea on the tools you need to get started...find a school that is offering you the most for your money.

Questions to ask and consider:
How much is the cost of tuition? And what does tuition include? It is important to set a budget. This is a business you are starting and education is part of the money needed in your start up cost. If you have two thousand budgeted for school and another 1000 for a makeup kit yet you find a school that cost 1500 and includes a makeup kit, this might be an option to consider.

How long is the course? It is also important to know what you want to gain from an education...what are some of the things you want to learn about this business. If you know nothing about the business yet you want to learn everything you will not receive that amount of training in a day long class. I only recommend day long workshops for people who are already in the business and are looking to advance in a particular area. Example, Professional artist seminar/workshops, Bridal makeup workshops, airbrush workshops, trend workshops etc. can be a day long. MUA101...does not happen in a day.

What is the course outline? You should know, before you invest any type of money, what the course will go over. If the school can't give you a lesson plan ask them directly what topics are covered. If they don't mention some sort of business portion ask them flat out if they will be discussing the business aspect of being a mua.

Do they offer job placement? 9 times out of ten you are going to get a "no" to this question since makeup artistry is a creative career based on creativity and no one can get a job for you, you'll have to obtain the job on your own. But it is important to see how they elaborate on this question. They might not offer job placement but do they have a message board available to alumni posting available jobs and gigs in the area. Do they have a relationship with theaters and agency's where you will receive more clout because you said you attended a certain school.

Who is your teacher and what is their professional background? If the instructor didn't work on Angelina Jolie this shouldn't deter you from attending the school. I personally would prefer an instructor who has "been there, done that". Everyone's goals for their career aren't going to be the same. Not everyone want to be an MUA to the stars. Some people want to create their own company, some want just to learn for themselves. Whatever their goals may be you want a teacher who can give pointers on each walk of life. You never know, your personal goals may change.

What is the schedule? You need to know if you are available to attend the course. What are the days? What are the times? Can you work your schedule around this schedule?

There a many other questions you may want to ask but I'm going to stop here because this is getting extremely long. Remember the questions are based on what is important to you. This is your money you're spending and you should ask every possible question before investing in your future. Hope that helps and good luck Jordan.  

Nov 27, 2011

Eunice S.

You benefit so much more from the connections you make and the Academy beside your name when you go to a make-up school.

It's definitely pricy - my friend paid $10,000 for her schooling in make-up application; but they provided her with the best brushes, and a fine array of teachers. She could have been done in 6 months time, but she also went into hair and nails - the full deal.

worth it!