STYLE BY MELI

I’ve been wanting to address a topic that had been brought to my attention from a blog reader, whom writes:

“On Thursday I went to visit the Make-Up Designory [MUD] in the city because that is where I plan on going to school, and I left feeling so overwhelmed. Where did you go to school? Do you have any advice for me on how to figure all of this out?”

I actually went to MUD immediately upon graduating from college because for one, I knew that my Psychology degree would not get me far in the beauty/fashion industry and although makeup artistry is definitely something one can be self-taught, I wanted the professional training.  I also wanted to pursue the field with full force and really learn as much as I could from makeup artists that were already immersed in the makeup world.

This is what the MUD campus in Soho looks like (at least when I attended). You wouldn't even realize it was a makeup school.

Although makeup schools can be very expensive, I believe it is worth every penny.  I cannot imagine not going to makeup school!  There is just so much to learn and it’s necessary to have the hands-on-experience.

What People Don’t Realize About Makeup Artistry:

People do NOT realize the extent of precision, attention to detail, color knowledge, and artistry that goes into doing makeup.  It is a field that requires a lot of patience and a lot of practice, just like learning how to play an instrument.

I always explain that going to school and completing a program will NOT make you an instant makeup artist overnight.  Some artists could say that it did, but that is not possible in my opinion.  One cannot be a true makeup artist without the extensive practice and thorough education.

Funny story…My First Visit to MUD…(Clearly it wasn’t my last)!

A day before my move-in day for my senior year of college AND last semester may I add (I graduated college in 3.5 years instead of 4!), I decided to go to the city by myself and had made arrangements to take a personal tour of the school.  Upon discovering their website, I was already pretty sold on the idea of pursuing makeup artistry as my career (and totally give up pursuing counseling if I were to stay in the Psych field), but I just needed to see it for myself.

I’m far from being impulsive, it’s really not a strong personality trait of mine, but the moment I got into the school, I just knew it felt right.  I cannot explain it, but I just felt like I belonged there.  Even when I was just waiting in the lobby area observing my surroundings, it hit me that this is where my life was going and it was an amazing feeling.

After the tour, they said in order to hold a spot, I just had to put down a small deposit.  I already had my checkbook on hand in case I decided I would do it right then and there.  Sure enough I did, even before consulting my parents!!!  (Then again, I’m naturally pretty independent, so it came natural to just go for it)!

I remember calling my mother, whom was working in NYC at the time, right as I was leaving the school and saying, “Hey mom, guess what, I’m just leaving the Makeup Designory now, I’m going to be a makeup artist!  I signed up already!”  She was in total shock on how impulsive my decision was and how there was definitely no turning back at that point because my final decision had already been made.  She also questioned how I was able to enroll.  I explained that I put down a deposit and was all set to start in January!  Although still in shock, she was also very excited!  My excitement was contagious over the phone!    

Styling Confession:  Prior to attending MUD, I truly thought I knew a lot about makeup already.  I mean, I naturally had an artist background and always wore makeup, wasn’t that enough?  Nope, NOT at all.  I can tell you honestly that going to school really opened up my eyes and made me realize there was a lot to learn.  I had thought it would be smooth sailing and it would come very natural to me, but it really took time for me to develop the skill level.  That is one of the things that makes makeup artistry such a fulfilling career, it is a field that allows for you to constantly grow and express your creativity.

Here is a photo of myself with my beauty makeup teacher on my last day of school.

I hope sharing how I broke into the field was interesting and inspiring!  I plan on writing in the near future a post regarding my thoughts on essential qualities needed in becoming a makeup artist.  Stay tuned!

[Does anyone have any makeup school experiences they'd like to share or recommend other schools besides MUD?]

This entry was posted on June 6, 2011 at 11:54 PM and is filed under MAKE-UP, MAKE-UP QUESTIONS, MORE ABOUT MELI with tags makeup artist, makeup designory. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.