Make-Up Artist Training
If you love experimenting with new and bold looks, color combinations and application techniques when you're putting on makeup, a career in makeup artistry may be a rewarding and creatively fulfilling path. Becoming a makeup artist is more complicated than simply walking into a salon and applying for a job, however -- you need to be properly trained and licensed before you can begin your professional career. Whatever type of training you pursue, you must be well-prepared before you land your first client.
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Formal Education
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Most makeup artists must complete an accredited education program to qualify for a cosmetology license. These programs are generally less than a year in length, averaging about nine months. While you may simply study cosmetology in general, you may also choose to be trained for a specialty field. An esthetician, for example, specializes in skin care as well as makeup -- pursuing a specialty like this makes you more versatile when you're looking for your first job.
Building Your Kit
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Part of your training entails assembling a makeup kit. Some schools furnish you with a basic kit to use throughout your education, but others require that you pay for and build up your own. A kit is a set of makeup and tools that you will use on a regular basis in your professional career, including things like concealers, color palettes, pencils, glosses and different types of brushes. Depending on the type of kit you need to build, this can represent a sizable investment -- professional-level makeup and brushes are significantly more expensive than those you might find in a drug store.
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Apprenticing
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Working as a salon apprentice is a way to get your training in a real-world environment, which is especially useful if you plan on starting your career in a salon. An apprenticeship program may run significantly longer than a classroom-based program -- at Milwaukee Area Technical College, for example, a cosmetology apprenticeship can last between two and four years. Under the direct supervision of a salon manager, an apprentice receives hands-on practical training.
Licensing
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The final step of your training is to earn your license from the state in which you practice. Licensing requirements vary by state, so you must check with your state board to be sure that you meet them. In Pennsylvania, for example, a cosmetologist must complete between 1,250 and 2,000 hours of formal training, then pass the state board examination. Licensing exams like these may test your knowledge of both theory and practice.
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References
- Photo Credit The visagiste does make-up for young woman in a beauty salon image by Evgesha from Fotolia.com
