Makeup Artist Schools in South Carolina

If you find that you want to start a career in makeup, where can you go to develop the professional skills you'll need to excel on the job?

Or if you just love makeup and want to get better at it, where can you find some guidance?

Below, we've got a list of your education options, a quick chat about whether or not makeup artists needs licenses, and a compilation of all the beauty schools and makeup artist schools in South Carolina. ​

Your Educational Options​

Basically, there are five ways that you can learn about makeup:

1. Enroll in a Makeup Artistry Program. These are makeup schools that focus *only* on makeup, and provide very specific instruction on how to work as a makeup artist. As a student, you'll learn a number of different skills, including how to:

That can be the tip of the iceberg, really--high-end makeup schools provide a really in-depth training period for makeup-artists-to-be!

These are a great option if you want to become a freelance makeup artist, and focus on working with models, actors/actresses, brides, etc.

2. Find A Cosmetology School. Whereas there are only a few makeup schools, there are plenty of cosmetology colleges and beauty schools, and that's part of their draw. They provide a tried-and-true way to enter the beauty business, and give you all the basics to start a career in the beauty business. Whereas makeup schools "go deep" with makeup artistry, cosmetology schools provide an introduction to a LOT of different subjects. As a student, you'll be taught how to:

Cosmetology isn't as "glamorous" as makeup school--or, some of the high-end makeup schools, anyway--but MANY makeup artists get their start in a cosmetology program, and go on to fantastic and exciting careers.

3. Private Sessions with a Professional. This can be a super-fun way to learn about makeup. Instead of signing up for a school, schedule private coaching sessions with a makeup artist in your area of South Carolina. You'll get some face-time with a pro, learn about the things you *want* to learn about, and actually get to talk to someone who makes money as a makeup artist.

4. Live Intensives. Also referred to as workshops, intensives are another great way to learn about makeup. Most workshops deal with a particular topic like "how to do bridal makeup as a side business" or "how to use airbrush techniques," and they're usually pretty affordable. You can check on websites like Yelp and EventBrite and Meetup for intensives in cities like Columbia, Charleston and North Charleston, Greenville, and Hilton Head.

5. Last But Not Least--Look Online! You're all over this one, obviously, because you found your way to our website! That said, there are thousands of really helpful tutorials online. There's a lot pretty lousy videos, but try to sift through everything to find the hidden gems.

Which Option Is Right For You?

Each of the options above has its pros and cons. Here's how it shakes loose:​

​Makeup School--Cons: Pricey! Very, very pricey. It's not uncommon for classes to cost $10,000 or more for a full-time, six-to-ten month program. Also, when you graduate, you will not be able to get any kind of state license (and that can be important; we'll talk about that below).

Makeup School--Pros: You get a one-of-a-kind education, and it's a great start to a great career as a makeup artist.

Cosmetology School--Cons: You'll get introduced to the beauty business and the techniques you'll need, but you won't learn too much about makeup. It's mostly information about hairstyling, with some other lessons thrown in.

Cosmetology School--Pros: You WILL be able to get a license after you graduate, and having a degree in cosmetology can help "set you apart" from other makeup artists, and when you're competing for jobs, that can be a very good thing!

Private Sessions--Cons: It can be costly to pay for all the sessions you'd need to learn all about being a professional makeup artist. It's a good way to supplement your beauty education, but it's not a great way to learn absolutely everything you'll need to know on the job.

Private Sessions--Pros: It's a short-term, low-cost way to learn about makeup and get some face-to-face time with someone who's living the dream. We actually think everyone should do this at some point, in addition to formal training.​

Live Intensives--Cons: These don't happen every day! You might have to wait a while for a workshop to roll through town.

Live Intensives--Pros: They're fun! And affordable! And they can really introduce you to areas of makeup you didn't know much about.

Learning about makeup online--nothing but pros!

What Kind Of License Will I Need?​

In order to work at a beauty salon--in any capacity--you'll need a license. So if you want to do makeup in a salon, you'll need to get a cosmetologist license (or an estheticians license--they're also allowed to apply makeup a salon or spa setting). It can be worth getting a cosmetology license, because if your makeup career ever slows down, you can find temporary work in a salon.

As for licenses that are specific to makeup artists--we've read everything we could find and consulted the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology site, but we can't find anything that talks about the licensing of makeup artists. And, while we know many makeup artists who practice as unlicensed *freelance* makeup artists (that is, they work with brides/actors/models and other folks, and *not* in salons), that may eventually change--it's likely that South Carolina will, eventually, become a lot more strict about licensing of makeup artists.

Should you have questions, you can consult the South Carolina Board at (803) 896-4588 or [email protected]. They have the last say when it comes to beauty careers in South Carolina, so if you've got questions, they're the ones who have answers!

Makeup Instruction in South Carolina​

According to our last search, we could find no makeup schools in South Carolina. That's the bad news.

The good news is that you don't really need an education from a makeup school to begin a career as a makeup artist. In fact, many high-earning makeup artists got their professional start at a cosmetology program. If you'd like to go that route, here's a list of cosmetology schools you can contact. And--don't be bashful! Let them know that you'd like to learn as much as you can about makeup.

We hope this helps! Come back and drop by when you've become a world-famous MUA! :)​