Makeup Artist Schools in Illinois

Whether you'd like to make makeup your career--or if you simply adore makeup and want to learn some new styles--we're here to help!

Below, we have an in-depth discussion about the different ways you can learn about makeup, a list of different jobs within the makeup industry, and finally, a list of all the cosmetology schools and makeup artist schools in Illinois.

We are fanatical about makeup, and we're excited that you love it too! Let's get started.

Different Types of Makeup Training Opportunities

There are a wide range of makeup training facilities where you can attend to build you skills, and you'll have to decide what exactly you'd like to learn. Here is a quick run-down of your options:

Schools That Focus 100% On Makeup. Unfortunately, there are only a few schools in the United States that focus solely on makeup. Fortunately, a few of those schools are in Illinois! They provide a truly in-depth understanding of makeup theory, and students are taught how to build a professional makeup kit; how to create different looks for different facial shapes, tones, and skin types; how to disguise skin imperfections; how to use airbrush makeup; how to build a professional makeup portfolio; and how to run a small business and get clients. These programs tend to be expensive--it's not uncommon for a four-month program to cost more than $10,000--but many attendees are happy with the experience. We've listed each of the schools available to you below, so take a look.

Cosmetology Schools. Whereas makeup schools teach you everything you need to know about makeup, cosmetology schools give you a broader beauty education. Instead of just learning makeup techniques, you'll learn how to style, color, and shape hair; how to keep skin healthy and beautiful; how to do professional manicures; and finally, you'll also learn a range of makeup techniques, such as how to use blush, mascara, and eyeliners, how to contour the face using shadows and highlights, and how to do different styles of makeup (such as bridal, fashion, etc). The most advantageous thing about going to a cosmetology school is that when you graduate, you'll be able to take the Illinois state cosmetology test and get a cosmetology license. That'll allow you to work in any beauty salon in the state.

Short-Term Workshops. In many cities, there are short-term makeup courses held at convention centers, conference halls, hotels, and salons. Makeup artists will teach a specific subject, such as how to work on models for photo shoots, or how to run a makeup business, or how to work with a specific skin tone or facial shape. There are two reasons why workshops are so fantastic: 1) you get to travel to a nearby city, and 2) they're usually inexpensive. You can check for workshops on EventBrite.com, Yelp.com, GigSalad.com, and CourseHorse.com, and look in heavily-populated cities like Chicago, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Aurora, Peoria, Springfield, Evanston, and Champaign.

Private Classes with Professional Makeup Artists. This is a fantastic opportunity for self-starters. Contact one of the makeup artists in your community (or, if you live in a rural or less-populated area, your nearest city) and arrange a one-on-one class. Or, if you have friends who are also interested in learning about makeup, arrange for a group lesson and negotiate a rate. You will get some fantastic hands-on instruction, AND you'll be able to ask the artist to teach you exactly what you want to know. The best part about learning from working makeup artists is that you can ask them questions about what it's actually like to be a makeup artist, and even make a professional connection that you can use later. And who knows? If the artist is doing well and needs some help, maybe you can even get a makeup artist assistant job out of it!

Illinois Special Effects Makeup Schools

There's one discipline of makeup that we didn't mention above, and that's special effects makeup (sometimes called "SFX makeup").

If you've ever wanted to transform people into various science fiction creatures, SFX makeup may be your gig. Great SFX makeup artists are incredibly creative, and learn to use materials and chemical processes to create wigs, skin, and outfits to transform people into movie characters. There are actually some very good special effects makeup programs in Illinois, and we've listed them below.

Makeup Career Options

So now that you've got an idea of where to develop your makeup skill set, what kind of makeup artist can you become? We wrote a LOT about this on our homepage (so check that out if you want some more details), but here's a quick rundown of the different jobs that makeup artists have:

Illinois Beauty Licenses

So if you do eventually decide to take the plunge and become a makeup artist in Illinois, will you need a license? We've scoured the state laws and reviewed all the information on the Illinois Board of Cosmetology website, but we can't find any laws that discuss makeup artist licenses--and we know of plenty of self-employed, independent makeup artists who do not have licenses (and plenty of people who work at makeup counters who do not have licenses).

However--it is not unlikely that the state of Illinois will eventually get more serious about making self-employed makeup artists get some kind of beauty license. If they update their laws, we will most definitely update this page and write some posts about it.

And, here is something else to keep in mind: you may not need a license if you're going to do freelance makeup as a self-employed makeup artist (ie, someone who works with brides, or actors, or models, or musicians, or directors, and so on), but if you work in a business establishment (such as a beauty salon), you'll need to get a cosmetology license or an esthetician license.

If you have any questions about licensing, you should contact the Illinois Board of Cosmetology at (888) 473-4858. They're the organization that regulates the beauty industry in Illinois, and they will be able to tell you if any of the licensing rules change.

Where Should You Go Next?

So where should you go? Should you go to a cosmetology school, or a makeup school, or do private lessons, or what?

Let's take a quick look at the pros and cons of each option:

As for short-term workshops and private lessons--those are fantastic; the only bad thing about them is that you'll only be able to learn about specific aspects of makeup.

Here's the advice we usually give people: learn about all of the various educational opportunities available to you. Get information about Illinois cosmetology schools. Gather information about makeup programs. Look online for upcoming workshops in cities near you. And, of course, scour our excellent website. When you have a clearer understanding of your career options, you'll be able to make an informed decision about your professional career.​