Why I Chose Makeup Artistry
Taking an online makeup course and becoming a professional MUA is something I recently decided to pursue, after realizing I had a natural gift for it and enjoyed building the self-esteem of others. From a young age, I was intrigued by makeup brochures that outlined how to properly apply products. As I became older, I began to see makeup as art; the face, your canvas. I always gravitated toward fashion magazines and editorial looks. At the same time, the clean and classic natural looks also strongly appealed to me.
My interest in makeup artistry continued to blossom over the years. I often watched tutorials on social media. However, I quickly recognized the difference between the imagery I saw in fashion magazines and editorials, versus what was being pushed on social media. I then became extremely selective on which tutorials I watched, and who I followed. After some time, I decided I wanted to pursue formal training and take a makeup course. I knew this would be the best way to hone my natural ability. For me, earning a professional certification meant that I wouldn’t only be driven by social media trends. I would become truly knowledgeable about the accurate techniques and approaches for makeup application.
Searching for Makeup Schools
Choosing a makeup school can be a pretty daunting task. The internet is flooded with content and various opinions about makeup artistry! The first hurdle is to decide for yourself that you want to pursue further education. Not all cities have a body governing makeup artists; in some places, no licensing or certifications are even required to do the job.
(Note: To find out whether you need to obtain a license or certification to be an MUA in your area, I strongly recommend checking your city’s regulations.) The problem is, when no formal qualifications are needed in such places, some people think there’s no need to seek certification at all. This is flawed thinking that will set you up for failure. How can you compete with other makeup artists in the professional world if you don’t actually know what you’re doing?
Regardless of whether a certification was required of me or not, I knew there were experts in the field who could teach accurate techniques. Gaining such knowledge is valuable; there is no arguing this. Some of the best makeup experts I became familiar with also had formal training at the beginning of their careers.
The second hurdle I had to overcome was deciding whether I should go with an online education or a brick-and-mortar school. This decision took me quite a bit of time to make. There’s a common misconception that online makeup schools are a scam; that you can’t possibly learn how to truly do makeup unless it’s in a physical classroom.
Truth be told, there are plenty of reviews I saw out there of people who had mediocre experiences with certain online makeup courses. They simply didn’t get what they were expecting, and the educational feedback received from the school was poor. Without adequate research, it can be easy to pick the wrong school for you. Pursuing education is costly, after all. Who wants to burn their hard-earned money? I certainly didn’t. But I also knew that an online makeup course was the only option for me. My time was already limited, and I needed a flexible schedule where I could pace myself. Weeks turned into months as I continued to review several different online schools and their programs.
I refused to rush any sort of decision that I could potentially regret later!
Why I Chose QC Makeup Academy
After reaching out to several schools and looking at reviews, QC Makeup Academy stood out to me. As an online institution, QC showed me the advantages of online learning. Not only were the course assignments 100% self-paced, but I was assured that I would receive detailed feedback from my tutor along the way, in order to help me grow. I also researched into all of QC’s tutors. Based on their backgrounds, training, and experience in the industry, it’s obvious that these instructors know what they’re doing! On top of all this, seeing that QC Makeup Academy is an accredited institution with the Better Business Bureau was also a major plus for me!
Another impressive factor was the Academy’s fast response time. During my inquiries, I always received quick communications from the Student Support Team through their online chat support. I also received a full booklet that detailed all of their online makeup courses. As a result, I was able to review the tuition prices, payment plans, and make an informed decision.
My Journey with QC Makeup Academy
Once I started my online makeup course with QC Makeup Academy, I didn’t regret it. In particular, I enjoyed learning about:
· Professional standards within the industry
· The basics of skincare
· Makeup for television, film, and theater
The makeup supplies that QC provides you with include high-quality brushes, lashes, and eyeshadow, blush, contour, and concealer palettes. The fact that the school provides students with these different makeup kits (as part of the courses) means that they can properly practice with all the products they need. The educational materials are supplied in both hard and soft copies. This was another thumbs up, in my opinion. Students learn differently! For some people, like myself, having the physical reading material allowed me to retain the information easily. If I wanted to review a certain topic, the digital format was useful for quick identification of content.
The feedback I got from my tutor, Nathan Johnson, was always critical and encouraging! It was such a confidence-booster. Not only was it great to have a real expert within the industry commend your work, but it reinforced that once you maintained a certain standard, it surpassed geographical limitations. That’s not to say that the assignments themselves weren’t challenging, though. On the contrary, they’re designed to bring out your very best efforts. With QC, there are no shortcuts for assignment submissions. You aren’t allowed to use photo filters on any work you submit for grading, and the close proximity for images meant that there was no hiding any flaws (no matter how minor).
The assignments are meant to push you to become a better artist, and I can definitely say they succeeded! As a result of them, my eye became sharper. Every makeup look I saw, I thought about the technique and application behind it. While watching movies, the SFX on bruises and/or the overall makeup continuity within the film would always jump out at me. Your eyes simply start to become trained. In addition to the quality education I received, QC Makeup Academy goes one step further by providing an actual community of fellow students and international artists that you can be a part of. Monthly webinars on industry topics keep you informed and current. The Virtual Classroom provides a private forum where we can all talk, ask questions, and support each other’s journey.
Whether you’re new to makeup artistry, or a practicing artist looking to improve your skills, QC is a great place to learn!
Going Forward
Gaining my professional certification has reinforced the need for continuous education. It’s important to stay abreast of industry standards as I offer clients a quality service. I currently provide bridal services, and work with clients for special occasions. However, because of my gravitation towards editorial and fashion, I will begin to pursue that area in the near future.
“Never stop learning” is one of my themes – and QC Makeup Academy provides the perfect opportunity to gain the knowledge you need to attain your makeup artistry goals!
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