Developing a career path early can save you years of unnecessary waste of time. There are so many unorthodox careers taking center stage these days. – Photography, Event planning, DJ-ing, Dancing etc
When I was a kid, I wanted to become a Doctor because i had the passion of taking care of people and I also loved the way they dress always looked smart and sharp. By the time I was through with secondary school,I was already a freelance model and I wasn’t so sure anymore about becoming a doctor, I knew I was very good at craft and I was already making people's hair and also knitting which i did not learn,I also had the passion of looking good i could spend hours in front of the mirrow doing my makeup and sometimes get compliments this was what I was comfortable with.I was admitted to study health science edu at tertiary level but by my 2nd year I was already bored and by the time I was done with University I was already dreaming of becoming a Makeup artist A beautician in general.I eventually followed my passion and started by attending a school where i learnt how to make accessories,shoes and bags using fabrics(ankara) also i went for bead making training where i learnt basic beading,advanced beading,bridal beading,wire works e.t.c...to crown it up i attented 2 makeup schools the first one was where i learnt basic makeup which entails bridal,engagement makeup and gele tying etc...I went further by attending another makeup school where i learnt advanced makeup artistry which entails special effects(creating fake wounds and bruises etc),makeup for tv and film,fashion makeup,face and body painting,airbrush makeup etc...after a lot of practice I eventually started LVS Beauty Gallery.
So back to the crux of the matter – What educational requirement do you need to become a Makeup Artist?If your dream is to become a makeup artist, my honest opinion is that it is very important to have at LEAST a secondary school leaving certificate- the basic stuff. I am also strongly of the school of thought that if you do have the wherewithal to go further, by all means do that. Obtaining a higher degree is a plus and like I always say education sets the platform for you to be whoever or whatever you want to be.So far I have met people who studied courses like Business Admin, Marketing, Accounting, Economics, Mass Communication, Theatre arts, law, Engineering, Bio chemist, Dentist etc that are also makeup artists and are doing very well,There is really no identifiable structured educational requirement in Nigeria yet, however what can work for you are the few vocational institutes and Makeup studios that offer formal trainings which is relevant as they have relevant experience from plying the trade too. The Caveat to you is to be sure the trainer knows his/her onions.
Salary- There is no structured pay check; it all depends on how often you work and how you are able to market your skill. A Bridal make-up artist can earn between N480, 000 –N10m per annual depending on clientele.Types of makeup artist
Beauty Counter- These makeup artists work at major makeup brand counters/ floors, they help client with basic beauty tips and application based on their product knowledge for example Black up, MAC, Inglot etc
Fashion- These Makeup artists are In charge of looks for fashion events, runways, front cover magazine .They are very artistic and creativeBody and Face PaintingThey Paint the faces of children and also create artistic designs on the body.
Theater and Television- Anyone who appears before a camera needs a makeup artist to help them look their best. The artist must be able to create movie characters based on scripts and understand lighting.
Bridal Makeup artistThey help to make you look good on your special event like wedding, birthday; family photo shoot etc, in the Nigeria market ability to tie head gear is a bonus.I conclude by saying to become a professional makeup artist, it would help if you have the necessary training and also work on your skill by attending a makeup school with proper curriculum and experience not a crash class, definitely not a 3 days training class, you won’t learn much.
I would love to know if you are a makeup artist, how did you start out, which course did you read and where did you train? Do you have any advice for other aspiring makeup artists?
Nice write up LVS,I am not a makeup artist nor an aspiring one,but I love your works always beautiful,well done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ayo,you are greatly appreciated.
DeleteI always wanted to become a doctor. After secondary sch story changed. Got admission to study chemistry education, while i was in sch i realised sciences wasnt actually my calling. Being good in all science courses doesnt necesarily mean u must become a scientist or study science. My love for fashion n makeup was alarming. After sch my sis’s friend saw d potential in me n encouraged me. She had a makeup sch where i enrolled n even worked there in 2010 b4 NYSC. After then i ve been working n doing makeup by d side but my luv for makeup keeps me up all night n i recently adviced mysef to ff my heart. I just resigned to become a full time makeup artist n words cant express how i feel. The peace in my heart tho. I know its gonna be a bumpy ride initially but i cannot be bothered. When u ve a calling, just ff it. And with other MUAs who r ever ready to assist n support here in Lagos. I ve no fear. Many thanks LVS
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience,be determined and you will make it...cheers
DeleteThis is inspirational,kudos to you LVS...I am an aspiring makeup up artist and would love to learn makeup from you.....patiently waiting for your next makeup class.
ReplyDeleteDear Lola, your blog is so amazing!Yes,I’m a makeup artist.How I started out-I’ve always had a thing for the arts,but my parents wouldn’t hear about it.They decided I was going to study something that would enable me get a ‘regular’ job with a ‘regular’ salary.So I opted for Dentistry in UNN, but was given Zoology instead. But by 2nd year I already knew I was in the wrong place . during that period I already started shaping brows for my friends in the hostel:somehow they all trusted me and liked what I did with their brows.I still remember my first eyeshadow palette:it was a Sleek Storm.When I would see a pretty facial feature and start dreaming of how to get my hands on them, when makeup kept me awake at night, (I was always on the weddings section of Bella Naija, analyzing each bride’s makeup, checking the artists that did them;learning about them and how they started,learning makeup techniques, just soaking it all in.my classmates thought I was going bunkers lol) when all I did was draw brow shapes in my head, I knew makeup was the ‘ONE’ i was looking for.I knew I had to get some training to officially get me started, so by final year in my quest for information on how to go about it I bumped into House of Tara online, learned about their scholarship program,applied, and forgot all about it due to school stress.So when they called for an interview, I was ecstatic!I called my mum and told her I was going from Nsukka to Benin for an interview for makeup school, she said,”Makeup ?? Hmmm.ok o”.When I got to Benin the lady conducting the interview couldn’t believe that I came all the way from Enugu to Benin just for the interview. She kept asking me,”what moved you”? In my mind I said,”you won’t understand”.So I had an initial training, and subsequently a diploma,and then I kicked off with freelancing. Initially they were all skeptical, every single person in my family, cos they have never heard or seen anyone they know take up makeup artistry as a profession.They kept asking, is it from makeup that you’ll eat? How will you survive? ? but as I practiced and polished my skills, I got better and better, the jobs started rolling in little by little, mostly referrals by people I already worked with before.that was when I knew I was doing something and doing it really well, it gave me the strength I needed to improve much more.I guess the final traces of skepticism was wiped away when everyone who learned that I was a makeup artist had something wonderful to say about it,even my mother’s colleagues called to congratulate, and to speak to me about their own daughters who have desired to get makeup training for a long time.Right now my family gives me all the support I need,even helps me research about makeup, and once they hear anything about makeup on tv they’d say,”Come o, they are talking about makeup o”.
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