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If You Like Talent Competitions, You’ll Love Beauty School

Published: January 31, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

“American Idol” has nothing on hairstyling competitions. They’re fun to enter, they’re fun to watch and many times they include a cat Hairstyling Competitions while attending Beauty School

Hairstyling Competitions while attending Beauty School

egory for cosmetology school students. You might be surprised at the great hair and make-up that comes out of these competitions from soon-to-be hairdressers and make-up artists who are still in beauty school.

Some cosmetology schools run their own in-house hairstyling competitions to give students practice in timed performance. Outside competitions can be sponsored by beauty trade shows, associations or product companies and distributors. Normally competitors need to bring a model, but a hair competition may require only a mannequin head. A participating school typically sends a team, and the members divide themselves up among the various contest categories. These may include women’s daytime, women’s evening, men’s looks and the big favorite, “fantasy hair.” In addition to competing individually, the team as a whole may be judged for overall creativity, technical expertise and ability to work together. Empire Beauty Schools Hairstyling Competitions

Empire Beauty Schools Hairstyling Competitions

It takes some extra time and effort, but entering a competition while you’re still in cosmetology school offers you a great experience. You’ll get close to your team members and learn a lot from each other, plus your instructors will tend to get in on the excitement and teach you techniques you may not get in the classroom. If you love the rush of the race, the sound of applause and the sparkle of a blue ribbon, check out hair competitions when you become a beauty school student.

Bottom photo is courtesy of Empire Beauty Schools.

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“Permanent” Is New Word in Makeup Artist School Vocabulary

Published: January 27, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

So back to my conversation with makeup artist professional Christine Kolenda, who told me that a significant portion of her business is doing permanent makeup, which some makeup artist schools include in their curricula. The idea of Permanent Makeup classes at Makeup Artist School

Permanent Makeup classes at Makeup Artist School

waking up every morning with eyeliner and lip color already perfectly applied appeals to some clients, but that is far from the only benefit of permanent makeup.

All sorts of medical conditions and treatments can result in odd-looking skin. People stare at you if your eyebrows never grew back after chemotherapy, you have scar tissue where hair should be, the condition of vitiligo has left your skin patchy and uneven in color or any number of other problems make you stand out—and not in a good way. “Maybe you’ve waxed too much or you have hormonal changes or thyroid issues,” Christine says. “I can make the skin in question look more normal. It really changes people’s lives.”

According to Christine, the process is much like tattooing. So why don’t tattoo artists do it? “Although it’s done with a needle, it’s still makeup application,” Christine explains. “If you’re putting on eyeliner, you have to have a makeup artist’s eye of what will work on that face. And you need a lot of patience. Tattooing pictures on someone’s arm is a completely different skill from an artist’s point of view.” So if you want to do permanent makeup, look for a makeup artist school that offers such a program.

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Landscape Is Changing for Graduates of Makeup Artist Schools

Published: January 23, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

I had no idea that today’s quickly changing technology is impacting the world waiting for makeup artist school graduates. I was talking to professional makeup artist Christine Kolenda, who brought me up to date.
New Challenges for Makeup Artist School Graduates

New Challenges for Makeup Artist School Graduates

Everyone’s ending up on camera or video, both of which are now going all digital and high-definition. Whether you’re doing the makeup for an actress whose face will be on high-def TV, a bride who wants great wedding photos or just a regular client who could end up on youtube, myspace or facebook, as a makeup artist you have to hide the skin’s flaws more than ever. Christine says these cameras pick up every little thing. If you haven’t applied the foundation evenly and properly blended it, for example, any splotchiness will be magnified in photos, whereas years back it wouldn’t even have been noticeable. For these challenging times, Christine handles the problem by using a lot of mineral makeup and by figuring out techniques that work with the latest technology.

Also different today is the increasing popularity of permanent makeup like permanent eyeliner and eyebrows, but I think I’ll tell you about that next time. This is really a fascinating time to go to makeup artist school.

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A Cosmetology Career Is a Career Adventure

Published: January 20, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

I was on myspace the other day checking out what’s been going on with some of my beauty school and professional cosmetology career “friends” on there, and I came upon an announcement that one of them, Pia, had just received her temporary cosmetology license, which is the first step of getting fully licensed to be a cosmetologist in her state. Start your Cosmetology Career by getting your Cosmetology License

Start your Cosmetology Career by getting your Cosmetology License

I gave her kudos and commented that her new cosmetology license was her ticket to a “career adventure.”

I’m really excited for Pia. It’s as if I can look into a crystal ball and see all of the possibilities she has ahead of her. I can watch the parade of shabby hair sitting down in her chair at the beauty salon and, a blink later, getting up out of her chair with the gorgeous, shiny hair styles she created for them. I see their smiles, even their hugs. Aw, I’m getting misty!

Or maybe she won’t even work in a beauty salon all that much. She may be doing demonstrations for a beauty product line, teaching, doing photo shoots or working on the set of a movie or TV show. Right now she’s just relieved she managed to get officially started. But she’ll see. As her cosmetology career progresses, it will just keep getting better. I told her the truth: it’s not a job. She’s truly embarking upon a career adventure. Good luck to you, Pia!

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Combining Cosmetology School with Work: A Life Independent

Published: January 15, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

Independent Living at Cosmetology School

“I was used to doing things on my own,” Samantha recalls as her initial reason for exploring her options for living independently while attending cosmetology school recently. Although she’s not sorry she rented her own place, that decision led her to compromise on other issues, including the quality of the hairdresser school she selected.

“Since being on my own meant I had to pay for a lot of things, I just went to the closest cosmetology school,” Samantha explains. In retrospect, she feels that other hairdresser schools would have offered her a better cosmetology education. It also was demanding to attend class 30 to 35 hours weekly while working 25 hours a week. In some classes, she says, “I’d be really tired and couldn’t focus.”

But there was an upside, mostly social. With no chance of cocooning in the comfort of her old teenage bedroom, Samantha hung out at the hairdresser school, which became a gathering place. “A lot of my friends came into the school to get things done,” she notes. All tolled, Samantha is content with her choice.

“I knew that this was going to be what I’d make of it,” she concludes. On balance, she says being on her own was “a great experience” and made cosmetology school a period of major growth in her life.

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Beauty School Dilemma: Live at Home or On Your Own?

Published: January 11, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

A lot of beauty school students live with their parents, even if they’ve graduated high school. It’s a reasonable decision, given that at this point in your life you’re probably spending more than you’re earning so it’s hard to afford living on your o Living Away From Home During Beauty School

Living Away From Home During Beauty School

wn. Plus, today’s parents tend to treat their over-18ers like adults and not set curfews for them or hassle them too much about anything. Still, this isn’t high school. Cosmetology college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s your gateway into professional life.

Other than the obvious financial savings, what are the advantages to living at home? Time, convenience and companionship. Mom probably won’t do your laundry anymore, but she might buy and put away your groceries. You may even get the occasional home-cooked meal. If you don’t have your own car, living at home could give you access to one. Then there’s the company. It can get lonely out there in your own apartment!

A couple of roommates, especially one with wheels, can cut expenses and solve some of the other challenges as well. You’d have more freedom and privacy without parents snooping around your business. It’s not for everyone, but some young adults would work ten jobs to get out of their parents’ house. For my next blog installment, I’ll tell you what a recent beauty school graduate has to say about her experience living on her own and working while attending school.

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Do Beauty Schools and Other Colleges Get Enough High School Respect?

Published: January 07, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

I always thought high school teachers and counselors lived to inspire kids to attend universities, trade schools, cosmetology colleges and other institutions of higher learning. But recently I had occasion to speak to some high school girls, who told me about a teacher who actually discouraged them from attending post-high-school programs like beauty school—because of the money! I’m horrified and would like to know whether any of you have had that same experience. Attending Beauty School after High School

Attending Beauty School after High School

This teacher led the students through a “do the math” exercise to see how long it will take to make up money spent on college. Beauty school, of course, costs much less than four-year universities. But in all cases, I think doing the math proves education’s value! With no degree or certification past high school, when you’re 50 you could easily find yourself making pretty much what you were making at age 20 except for cost-of-living raises and “loyalty” perks if you stay at one company. Only professional stature such as a cosmetology license is likely to give you the potential to make real, grown-up money.

Besides, that’s not even the point. People should pursue the work they love. Beauty school, or any college, is an investment in yourself, and it makes me mad that a high school teacher would shut down her students’ urge to learn! Does this go on much? Was it because these were girls from a city high school? I’d love to know.

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Late-Bloomers Blossom in Cosmetology School

Published: January 03, 2008
by Rosanne Ullman

When we picture beauty school students, we mostly envision kids in their late teens. But the fastest growing student population, especially in esthetician schools, is people well past high school graduation. These late-comers in their 20s, 30s and beyond tell me that they finally went to beauty school because they’ve always known they wanted to do salon work even as they were pursuing other avenues. Is that you? It is never too late to go to Cosmetology School

It is never too late to go to Cosmetology School

When you were young, you may have had financial limitations. Maybe you didn’t want to take out loans, couldn’t swing it with childcare expenses or had responsibilities for supporting other people. Five or ten years later, circumstances change. You’ve saved money from working full-time, your spouse can pay the tuition, childcare costs have decreased or a loan seems easier to handle.

Or, perhaps right out of high school you went to college only to eventually realize that you won’t be happy and satisfied until you’re a professional cosmetologist. Beauty school after college? People do it all the time.

Don’t give up your dream just because the timing wasn’t right when you were 18. This can be the magic moment to finally get the beauty school or esthetician school education you’ve wanted all along. Seize the day!

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