2 Different Routes To Becoming A Make-up Artist

Breaking into the make-up industry is hard work. I talked to two MUA's who took different routes to get there.

How to start a career in the Make-up Industry

The cost of education has sky-rocketed.  Three years at university could see you leaving with a dept in excess of £30K. Even private courses can run way into the thousands. I love learning and have been at the university of life for 53 years now and I am still waiting to graduate.  For 26 of these years I have worked in the beauty industry and love it even now studying on another course to add to my career.  Do all these qualifications matter really?  Can you get on and get a good job by being self- taught?  I asked two successful make-up artists.
 
What qualifications do you need to get into college?

Rebecca Marks MUA

“Well I’ve always been creative and took A levels in art and photography.”  “Whilst I enjoyed this I went into beauty therapy and worked in a spa.”  “I came across a media make-up at Swindon College and enrolled on that.”  “This was much more me.”
 
“When I was living and working in Bath, I heard about a new make-up academy opening up.”  “I took part in a competition they were running and I won!”  “This really launched by career.”
 
“On the day of the competition I was so nervous- I have competed in makeup competitions before but this felt different.  There was a total of 16 finalists and we had just three hours to re-create our selected designs. Judged by Peter Swords-King, the Oscar and BAFTA winning hair and makeup artist.  He is famous for films such as The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, Sam Thomson from The Body Shop International and the BAMM Principal, Melanie Crump, I couldn’t believe it when I won the competition! More than that, I couldn’t believe I had won a place on the flagship Peter King TV & Film make-up course at this incredible school. A school which I could have only ever dreamt of going to.”

Rebecca's work

What advice would you give to anyone wanting a career in make-up?  

“Go for it.  Best job ever, just be prepared to work for free, but it is the most rewarding and challenging job.  It is going to be hard to get where you want to be but it is so dam worth it!  I have worked as a Daily Makeup Artist on films such as Star Wars, Transformers even the premiere James Bond and every time I’m on set it makes me feel alive.  Being on a film set is one of the most memorable things I have done.  The energy and the buzz of all the actors and extras.  Looking at the most beautiful sets and all the cameras and big screens around you.  It all takes your breath away. The whole make-up team come from all walks of life.  Some are from the leading make-up brands to others being the personal make-up artist to Simon Cowell.” 
 
Working on the premiere of Spectre was an amazing time and I was desperate to meet Daniel Craig but because I don’t live in London I had to get the last train at midnight so I couldn’t stay for the whole premiere. The costumes are also out of this world and I remember on the Star Wars set we were not allowed to touch the costumes.  There was this one point when Chewbacca walked past me and I stroked his fur.”  That costume apparently cost thousands of pounds.”  I don’t think anyone saw me do it.”
 
I smile from the minute I get there to the minute I leave! People have even asked me how I stay so happy staying up all night to shoot but when you have wanted this career for so long and you finally get it it’s like a dream come true.”  
 
 
Instagram and You-tube were my best source of information

Thierry Davis MUA
 
Thierry has been in the make-up industry for six years but he kind of fell into it.  He said: “I always liked make-up but because I didn’t know how to do it, I wouldn’t go near it.”  I was working at Centre Parks and studying fashion and textiles at university.  My job was in guest services in the spa as a receptionist.  Part of this role meant that I had to sell cosmetics to customers.  One day the girls who worked on Bare Minerals showed me how to blend the powders and this sparked my make-up career.”
 
I just started experimenting with the make-up we had in the spa as the range was quite big it had everything you needed.”  As I got better I decided that I wanted to start doing weddings.”  As an incentive at the spa we would get vouchers and I would be able to use mine to buy bits of make-up so I could build up my own kit.  I used to visit MAC and buy a couple of lipsticks and then it spiralled out of control after that.”

Make-Up Artist Apprenticeships to get your foot in the door while you learn

After I had been at the spa about a year I spoke to the Bare Minerals rep and asked if they had a training academy for spas.  They did and I was sent on it for two days in Swindon.”  Then because they absolutely loved me, I was really good at selling they invested more training in me.”  

Get a retail job in cosmetics and learn about Make-Up 

I saw a vacancy for MAC but didn’t hear anything back.  Then one day I got an interview for Bath but didn’t get the job however I must have impressed them because I was trade tested.”  OMG! How did I get a job?  Looking back my trade test was horrible but I was offered a job three day a week in Bristol.”  MAC invested in me sending me to London for training.”  Learning new techniques and being able to express myself I loved every minute of it.”

Thierry's work

There are positives and negatives for going to college and getting qualifications.  For me I have had to work really hard to get where I am and I’m not saying that someone who has gone to school hasn’t but I spent a lot of time on MAC thinking I’m not as good as these guys.”  
 
I’ve got an interview for Featured Artist next week and that’s amazing and I will be super happy with that.” I have been asked to go and teach at BAMM which is also unreal.”
 
Many years ago, if you didn’t have qualifications you couldn’t get anywhere, but for someone who started out blending powders and being self-taught, working hard at it has paid off.”
 
 
https://www.instagram.com/thierry_davies_mua/
 
https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamarksmua/
 
 

I have been in the beauty industry for many years and like to share my knowledge.

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