All You Need To Know About Makeup Certification From Schools And MUA Courses
Tags: Makeup Artist, Makeup Tips, Certification, Makeup, Makeup Classes

All You Need To Know About Makeup Certification From Schools And MUA Courses Zani Nov 21, 2021·4 min read

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When I was looking for certification to kickstart my makeup artist career, I was caught between official certification from makeup schools and informal certification from individual makeup artists. Both options seemed to provide substantial value, with skilled teachers at the ready. I did my research and spoke with alumni, eventually reaching a firm decision. But first of all, what is the difference between the two?

In Singapore, makeup schools provide Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ), which is an official, approved certification with regulated training and testing. They are recognized in the beauty industry and offer employers a level of quality assurance right of the bat. There are also NITEC courses that are regulated as well, but those I found cover wellness services other than hair and makeup, so I won’t be going into detail about them. Makeup artists who start their courses, however, set their lessons and guidelines, and either don’t have an exam at the end of the course or have much looser criteria to meet in such exams. That doesn’t mean that they do not offer quality education — they simply have the freedom to decide how they wish to teach and teaching techniques may vary from artist to artist.

Now that you know the difference between certification from makeup schools and makeup artist courses, let’s evaluate both of them.

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Chances for employment

I’m sure this is one of your main concerns — what good is any form of certification if no one will hire you for it? As mentioned, employers can be assured that makeup academy-certified makeup artists have achieved a high level of competency after going through stringent training. While a makeup artist course certificate doesn’t mean you aren’t competent, the lack of official qualification may lead to some uncertainty as to how much training or how well trained you are.

Note: Not all employers or clients require certification. We will address this at the end of this article.

Winner: Makeup schools

Quality of syllabus

Official courses have a standardized syllabus across the board so that everyone is being taught in the same structured manner and to be fair to enrolled students. Meanwhile, makeup artists offering certification may be able to offer some flexibility to accommodate different students’ needs. Most importantly, I found out from alumni from makeup schools that schools do touch on many different branches of makeup, from wedding looks to special effects to editorial looks, but they don’t go very in-depth in each one. They also weren’t very up to date with current trends. Makeup artists can update their courses as they wish since they have full control over what they teach, leading to less outdated lessons material.

Winner: Makeup artist course

Tailored lessons

This is a no-brainer. Makeup academies usually hold large classes, even though some might have reduced class sizes of 4–8 people. Makeup artists often offer one-to-one classes or a maximum of two-to-one. This allows for more customization for individual students, where the teacher can help fill in the gaps of knowledge the student has, and work with the student on skills they are lacking, enabling them to learn more optimally. Be it wedding or editorial makeup, you can be sure to learn the different styles if you voice them out in your one-to-one makeup class.

Winner: Makeup artist course

Honorary mention: Online classes

Since 2020, online classes have grown in numbers, and makeup ones are no exception. Some makeup artists I follow even started offering online classes as well. I find that much of the value from lessons come from physically practicing and applying what is learned, especially to others and not just on yourself. In the same vein, it can be harder to visualize and emulate what is being taught as not all of the content offered in makeup lessons translate well onto a screen. Hence, I am personally not a fan of online classes. However, with a lower price point and barrier to entry, they are still good places to start your makeup artistry journey if you are unsure of investing in a full in-person course.

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With the winner being evident, I ended up choosing a makeup artist course, although the particular one I am attending is called Bloom Pro Academy, founded by a makeup artist. The fact remains that this isn’t a course that offers regulated certification, but that does not deduct from the value I knew I would be getting. I did ample research on the different schools and courses available around me and found that the particular makeup artist I will be learning under was a good fit for me, and I hope you do your due research too.

With that being said, whether you are looking for employment under a brand or studio, or planning to freelance, your shiny certificate is merely a stepping stone. What you learn and how you apply it to build your portfolio is of utmost importance. Clients and employers simply want quality work from you and some proof of that.

If you want to find out more about my makeup journey or maybe reviews of the Bloom Pro Academy course I am taking, let me know! Thank you for reading and be sure to follow for more great articles like this!