Makeup Artistry Schools in Kansas

Browse our directory of makeup artistry schools in Kansas, or skip ahead to learn about the state's makeup artistry licensing requirements and job outlook.

How to Become a Makeup Artist in Kansas

Becoming a makeup artist means having the opportunity to take your career in many different directions. You may choose to apply makeup for individuals seeking to freshen their look or get a complete makeover, or specialize in media and apply makeup for individuals appearing on television, stage, or film. You may specialize in applying makeup for special events, such as weddings, photo shoots, or fashion shoots.

You may wish to help people whose appearance has been compromised by illness, injury, or surgery. If you enjoy working with people and helping them to look and feel their best, and are seeking a satisfying career within the beauty industry, a career as a makeup artist in Kansas just could be a great option for you!

State License Requirements

To practice as a makeup artist in Kansas, you do not need to possess a license. However, getting a certificate from an accredited program and joining professional and trade organizations for makeup artists is a way of gaining credibility with the public and with your clients.

Education Details

The most common place to study makeup artistry is in schools of cosmetology, which exist throughout the state of Kansas. Some of the big cosmetics houses and beauty salons offer training programs. There may be some free-standing schools that teach makeup artistry. Some community colleges offer certificate and associate's degree in cosmetology, and may have a specialty in makeup artistry. Programs range in length from a weekend seminar to a year or more of courses, for instance, if you are studying for a degree in cosmetology from a community college. The basic curriculum in a makeup artist program includes courses on the anatomy and physiology of skin, hair, and nails, cosmetic pigments, selecting the right products for a client's facial shape and hair, skin, and eye coloring, as well as makeup application for film, stage, and television. You will also learn the special cosmetic techniques used for special-events makeup looks, such as weddings, and fashion and photo shoots. You may also take courses in how to market your skills and how to run the business end of a makeup artistry business. You will learn about sterilization and sanitation techniques and regulations you will need to follow.

License Renewal

In Kansas, there is not a formal licensing process for makeup artists. If you want to work as a professional in this state, you have two options. You can earn your cosmetology or esthetician's license to qualify for a career applying makeup. We would urge you to look into esthetician training as your first option. Cosmetologists need to complete 1,500 hours of training, while esthetician's have a 1,000 hour requirement. The renewal process for both of these licenses is a $45 fee due every two years.

Kansas Makeup Artistry Careers

According to statistics reported by ZipRecruiter, the average salary earned by makeup artists in 2020 was $47,502 in the state of Kansas. If you choose to specialize in application of makeup for stage, film, and television, the average salary earned in 2013 was $47,200 across the United States. Virtually every town and small city in Kansas has a local television station, and the talent need to have their makeup professionally applied so that they will look their best on set. The field of hairdressing and cosmetology is expected to grow 9% between 2018 and 2028, making the employment outlook for new graduates and experienced makeup artists looking to move up in the industry a good one.

Where you practice your makeup artistry skills and your goals for a particular client will largely determine what your day looks like. Some makeup artists apply makeup for particular cosmetics lines at department and specialty stores where they are expected to sell a certain brand or brands of cosmetics along with giving clients makeovers and updating their looks. Others apply makeup at beauty salons and spas, often as the last "beauty treatment" of the day after a series of beauty treatments. Sometimes makeup artists teach clients how to apply makeup correctly in spas and beauty salons. If you have an area of specialty, such as makeup for television, or for fashion photography, you will need to be on site, and will be expected to travel to the location where you are needed. This is true for those who specialize in wedding makeup, as well. There are also makeup artists who practice restorative makeup artistry, helping people who have been disfigured by illness, injury, or surgery, to look and feel their best. You may help cancer patients, for example, who have lost eyebrows and other facial hair to chemotherapy. Because your work will be one-to-one with individual clients, you will have some flexibility in your scheduling, although you will need to accommodate the scheduling requirements of your clients which will probably mean working some weekends and evenings. It is possible to work either full or part time as a makeup artist, meaning you can fit in a career in makeup artistry with other commitments you have in your life, such as raising a family or taking care of an elderly parent. In between seeing individual clients, you will need to clean and freshen your work station and your tools in preparation for the next client.

Contact the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology