How to Learn Makeup (If You Know Nothing About Makeup!)

We firmly believe that makeup is more art than science. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to closely study makeup in order to master it. The world’s greatest makeup artists—Charlotte Tillbury, Pat McGrath, Bobby Brown, etc.—became experts at basic makeup techniques before anything else. After all, without a strong foundation, how can your makeup skills stand up to the scrutiny of your paying clients?

Don’t be discouraged—makeup can be learned by anyone who’s willing to put in the work. Find out how you can learn makeup as an absolute beginner!

Browse makeup blogs

For those who study, practice and love makeup, sharing their work online allows them to showcase their artistry! For someone new to makeup, reading makeup blogs with photos and step-by-step guidelines is a fabulous way to get a sense of classic looks. Makeup tutorials will show you how each look is created along with what the final outcome should look like. Keep in mind that reading blogs is no substitute for proper makeup training. The guru guiding you probably isn’t cycling through all the different variations in eye shapes to show you how to do makeup on a professional level. But it is an excellent way to give yourself an overview of different looks and products!

Get to know your own preferences

After studying the works of established makeup artists, you’ll have a sense of which makeup looks and techniques you favor over others. Knowing your own style as a makeup artist will help you better relate to clients. Not to mention, you’ll be able to find your niche quickly. Finding a sweet spot for your skills in your local makeup industry will allow you to target and secure makeup clients you actually want!

But this is all quite far into the future. For now, after deciding the direction you want to take, you’ll have to have the perfect makeup kit to practice your skills. Airbrush makeup artists will need an airbrush gun, compressor, and airbrush makeup. Meanwhile, a traditional makeup artist will need a roll of soft makeup brushes and cream and powder makeup. The products you purchase should correspond with the area of makeup artistry you want to enter. If you’re not sure, we recommend starting with a traditional makeup course and building on those skills before going into specialty makeup services!

If you don’t have any experience with makeup, you likely won’t have any products to use. We recommend building a small makeup kit with reasonably-priced items. Starting with a bare face, practice creating makeup looks on yourself. As a guideline, follow the steps outlined in the blogs you discovered, and experiment with different products, colors, and techniques.

Your confidence will benefit from practicing, and you’ll have a much better sense of how each product in your makeup kit works.

Enroll in a makeup course

The absolute best way to learn makeup is to get proper hands-on training and, eventually, earn your makeup artist certification. If you love makeup and want to pursue a career as a makeup artist, education, plus a tremendous amount of practice, is the key to starting out.

But life can be extremely busy—whether you work full-time, have children or have other responsibilities. It can be difficult to find time to commit to a makeup artist course.

Online learning is a flexible option for people who want to become makeup artists but can’t drop all their other responsibilities. Sound familiar? With online makeup training, you’ll learn how to do makeup from the comfort of your home. Online makeup classes consist of practical assignments paired with instructional videos. You’ll watch your instructor demonstrate the techniques and follow along to practice your own looks.

Most importantly, you’ll receive feedback from your personal tutor. The professional feedback you’ll receive is what helps you build on the skills you acquire in each unit. You can check out a variety of different courses like the Master Makeup Artistry course, the Special FX Makeup course, and the Hair Styling Essentials course. All of these courses are designed with busy individuals in mind. Online makeup artist courses are a convenient way to learn professional makeup techniques and theory while you keep up with other commitments.

Makeup is a lifetime passion

Often, you choose to become a makeup artist because of a flicker of curiosity. Although you might not have much experience creating your own makeup looks, or have little knowledge of the industry, becoming familiar with techniques through blogs and social media is a great place to start. Understanding your own product preferences will increase your confidence, so don’t be afraid to experiment! Plus, if you’re nursing dreams of becoming a professional makeup artist, a real makeup school will teach you business skills to succeed!

A love of makeup is one that will be with you for your entire life. It’s well worth taking the time to understand the industry and products, as well as finding proper training to make the most of your new makeup artistry career! You’ll be a go-to makeup guru in no time.

Want to hear from a real online makeup student? Watch QC Student Ambassador Devyn Gregorio’s video on why she chose QC!