Makeup Artist Schools in Ohio

Welcome to MakeupArtistEssentials.com! If you're a person who want to become a skilled makeup artist--if you're someone who just wants to learn more about makeup!--you're in the right place.

On this page, we'll discuss the different ways you can get a makeup education, the licenses the makeup artists need/don't need, and the makeup artist schools in Ohio available to you.

Your Options for a Makeup Artistry Education

Makeup artists get their beauty education in a number of different ways. Here are the most popular:

Cosmetology Colleges​

For many men and women who want to enter the field of beauty, a cosmetology school is the most logical first step. As a student, you'll be introduced to many different areas of beauty, including hair styling, hair coloring, and hair cutting; skin care routines and beautification; manicuring and pedicuring; and makeup application.

Cosmetology schools differ from makeup schools, in that they don't focus specifically on makeup; instead, they teach all aspects of cosmetology, and students come away from training with a solid base on which to build more skills.

Why Cosmetology Can Be A Great Fit: Cosmetology colleges are relatively inexpensive (private beauty schools can get pricey, but a community school should only cost a couple thousand dollars), and after you graduate, you'll be able to get an Ohio cosmetology license (and we'll talk more about licensing in a minute). AND, as a makeup artist who also does hair and nails, you'll have a competitive advantage when looking for work.

Why It May Not Be A Great Fit: After you're done at a beauty school, you won't be a *professional-level* makeup artist. You'll still need to build your skills.

Makeup Artistry Schools​

Beauty schools provide a general beauty education, but makeup artistry schools teach students makeup, and makeup only. Classes provide a detailed and comprehensive explanation of all areas of makeup, including:

Some makeup schools even teach students how to start a freelance makeup company, and outline some of the opportunities and challenges of running a small business.

Why Makeup School Can Be A Great Fit: You'll learn a LOT about makeup. A LOT. You'll also make professional connections and see how other makeup artists earn a living. It's a great way to enter the field of makeup.

Why It May Not Be A Great Fit: Some makeup schools are very expensive, and not every major metropolitan area has a school dedicated solely to makeup artistry. Also, upon graduation, you will not be able to obtain any kind of Ohio license.

Ohio Makeup Workshops​

Ohio is a great state because it contains SO many metropolitan cities. There are, to name a few, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, Canton, Springfield, and many, many more. Each of these cities may host a couple of makeup workshops at some point in the year.

Here's how it works: a makeup artist will rent out a commercial space in a convention center, hotel, college, or beauty salon, and provide a one-time makeup class. It may last a single day or a week or two, but it will be 1) inexpensive, and 2) specific to a certain topic (they may focus on wedding makeup, or working with photographers, etc).

You can look for upcoming workshops on sites like EventBrite, Yelp, Thumbtack, Gig Salad, and Craigslist.

Why Makeup Workshops Can Be A Great Fit: They're cheap! They usually cost anywhere from a couple hundred bucks (or lower) to $1,500 at the highest. Also, you'll spend time with fellow makeup enthusiasts, AND you'll get to travel a little bit and visit a city near you.

Why It May Not Be A Great Fit: If you're looking to start a full-time career as a makeup artist, workshops are a not a great way to build a makeup education. They're a great way to build new skills, but you'll need to do a lot of work elsewhere, as well.

Private Makeup Lessons​

Why wait for a workshop to roll around, when you can reach out to a nearby makeup artist are arrange for private lessons?

This is a fantastic option, and it can be a lot of fun. Plus, if you have family or friends who also love makeup, you can bring them along and make it an outing.

Why Private Coaching Can Be A Great Fit: The biggest advantage of 1-on-1 lessons is that you can totally tailor the lesson to your liking. Want to learn about bridal makeup? Just ask. Want to learn how flash photography affects makeup? Let the artist know that's what you're interested in.

Why It May Not Be A Great Fit: Just like workshops, lessons are a great to build your abilities, but to gather all the skills you'll need to be a professional, a traditional education is often the best way to go.

How People Make A Paycheck Doing Makeup​

We talk about this in-depth on our homepage, but how DO people make a living doing makeup? Here are the most common ways:​

There's one other opportunity, and that's the business side of makeup. Some people start their careers at a beauty counter at a makeup shop, and then get promoted up to marketing and sales. It's a great way to make makeup the focus of your career, and it's a lot more stable than a career as a makeup artist. Something to keep in mind!

Licensing Of Makeup Artists​

In the "Education" section above, we brought up licensing a couple of times. Here's what you need to know about licensing:​

If you have questions, contact the Ohio State Board of Cosmetology at (614) 466-3834. They are in charge of licensing and beauty careers in Ohio, so if you've got questions, they've got answers.

Ohio Special Effects Makeup Schools

So far, we've discussed beauty makeup. What if you're interested in a career is special effects makeup, aka SFX makeup?

In the last couple of years, there's been a huge spike in the popularity of SFX makeup careers. And that's wonderful--special effects makeup is an incredibly creative, incredibly invigorating career.

As of right now, there are no schools in Ohio that are dedicated to teaching SFX makeup. However, there are plenty of online tutorials you can look at, and if you're really serious about getting an SFX education, you can relocate to another state. Check out our "List of SFX Makeup Schools" page for more information.

Ohio Makeup Training Programs

For a highly-populated state, there are surprisingly few makeup artist schools in Ohio! If you are an entrepreneurial type, you may want to think about opening one!

There are two main options: