Makeup School

You want to be a makeup artist, is school the place to start? Some think so. Can it be a waste of money? Some think so. Here is a closer look at makeup schools, how they operate, questions to ask and things to look for.I have personally spoken with over 70 recent graduates of makeup schools around the world (students who have graduated in the past 2 years) and I am going to share my results with you in a diplomatic way, and without naming names (I still have a few years left in this industry) so you will still need to do some research on your own. The schools appear to be passionate about teaching and though I did not visit or interview all of the schools, I did interview students from all of the large schools. I have spoken with a lot of administrators as well and believe that most are sincere in their wish to help new artists and only a few deserve a public lashing. There is another reason that it would not be fair to give out specific comments about specific schools, THEY CHANGE. I chose to interview people that graduated in the last 2 years because I realize that schools evolve with new teachers, new administrators and schools are run by people, people who can make mistakes and then correct them (we hope). Someone reading this 2 years from now will be looking at research done 3 years prior. That is why it is important for you the reader to understand what information you need, how to get it and to impress on you how important it is that you do your own research. Here is what my research taught me.
Ignore your first impressionLet’s start with the first impression. Upon my arrival at a few of the schools I visited I was disappointed in the school building and surrounding area. I now know that you cannot judge a school by the building or location it is in. When I drove up to some of the schools my first reaction was “This is it? This is all of it? This is where people come from all over the world to learn makeup from the masters? This could be a 7-11 next week!” Be prepared to be unimpressed with some of the schools’ grounds, but don’t let it stop you - go inside! And remember in California and New York rents are high, the appearance of the school and the location had nothing to do with student satisfaction!