Makeup Schools in the South

It may seem like there is a lot of emphasis placed on makeup schools in California, New York, London, Paris and Madrid. Students residing in the Southern United States should be aware, however, there are makeup schools in the South that provide diverse programs with a quality education comparable to those in the northern United States and internationally.

With a little legwork, you can choose a makeup school in the South that offers you the skills you need to launch your career as a makeup artist.

One method of determining which makeup school in the South closely resembles your optimum program is to conduct a comparison survey. To begin your survey, you need to figure out if you want to practice general makeup artistry or devote yourself to a particular niche. There are numerous specializations: special occasions, weddings, photography, digital media, television, film, special effects, glamour, theatrical and live performances.

Once you have chosen the direction you would like to take your makeup artistry career, research your optimum makeup artistry program. This program can be anywhere in the world. Location does not matter; it is the course content you want to concentrate on. Carefully review programs to choose your ideal agenda.

Make a chart with several columns. Use the vertical columns to list advantages and course materials you consider important. The items in this column should be as comprehensive as possible so you can develop accurate evaluations. Abbreviated general suggestions for this column include:

• Accreditation
• Student financing available
• Terms of student financing
• Enrollment requirements
• Length of program (i.e. 6 months)
• Full time/part time
• Maximum class size (i.e. 8)
• Curriculum updated within the last "x number of years"
• Excellent Reputation within makeup industry
• Working makeup artist profession owned and operated
• Working professional instructors
• Instructors have over 5 years experience
• Graduate recommendations
• Permitted to contact previous students for recommendations
• Clean Better Business Bureau record
• Lecture rooms
• On-site lab or clinic
• Individual workstations
• Demonstrations
• Hands-on practice for students
• Grading policies
• Failed examinations retakes allowed
• Minimum passing grade (i.e. 80%)
• Makeup kits included
• Brand of products
• Tools and equipment included
• Portfolio development
• Business applications taught
• Job placement assistance

In addition, list specific items linked to theory and practical application components of a program in the vertical column.

The next step is to research makeup schools in the South. Using your chart with the list of essential elements, note the name of each school you are going to evaluate at the top of the horizontal columns. Investigate each school you believe might be suitable and tick off each element it has that meets your requirements listed in the vertical column. For the best results, try to choose a minimum of six schools for your preliminary analysis.

When your assessment is complete, your choices should be narrowed down considerably. You will be able to see at a glance which of the schools most closely matches your optimum program.

An example of how your chart will look follows:

No two schools will offer exactly the same curriculum; however, with an open mind you can weigh the pros and cons of each school to decide which of the makeup schools in the South is best suited for your career path.