Makeup isn’t always pretty. Sometimes shocking, often inspiring, and always telling a story, many makeup styles twist the idea of beauty into something completely unexpected. That’s what theatre and film-focused makeup artists do on the daily!
When it comes to stage and screen work, trained makeup artists (MUAs) collaborate with directors, actors, and costume designers to bring innovative and creative characters to life.
“Every designer takes you on a different journey,” explains noted creative makeup artist Pat McGrath. “It’s great when they let you into their fantasy.”
Ready to launch this kind of beauty career? In makeup artist training at beauty schools like International Beauty Institute (IBI), students learn the ins and outs of top creative application techniques used in modern theatrical work.
Check out three creative stage makeup styles you can master in beauty school.
1. Theatrical Old Age Makeup Transforms Students in Makeup Artist Training
Transforming clients into older versions of themselves is a classic and common request among stage makeup professionals. It’s all about creating strategic shadows and highlights that reshape and age the face. Sound tricky? With the help of our expert instructors, you’ll master this look faster than you can say Benjamin Button.
At makeup artist school, students learn to use makeup to achieve many different looks.
Students pursuing a makeup artist certificate and diploma at IBI get hands-on practice with the best products in the business. If you enroll in one of these
makeup artist training programs, you’ll be able to learn the theory behind aging makeup techniques and map out appropriate aged looks on our Make Up For Ever face charts. You’ll even be get to perfect your application process on classmates here on campus.
Film, TV, and theatre groups look for these skills when hiring MUAs to work behind the scenes.
2. Historical Makeup Design: A Favourite of Many Makeup Artist Training Students
In
makeup artist school you’ll also get to learn about era-specific historical makeup design.
From the roaring 1920s to the neon 1980s and beyond, students in our makeup classes take a trip back in time and explore a range of bygone beauty trends. As you’ll discover, many of these historical styles still offer fun and flattering elements.
For example, vintage makeup from the 1950s involves ultra-sharp cat eyes, long lashes, and bold red lips. Who doesn’t want to channel Marilyn Monroe from time to time?
An MUA student applies creative era-specific makeup (and killer contour) to an IBI classmate
If you master these kinds of makeup styles, you’ll be ready to make any stage or screen production both historically accurate and aesthetically appealing. Also, revisiting ’90s makeup looks with tips from our instructors will totally get your Instagram on-trend.
3. Out-of-Kit Special Effects Makeup: Helping MUA Students Make Magic
If you like Halloween, horror films, and general freakiness, you’ll love special effects makeup classes in schools like IBI. Here, you can learn to apply professional-grade prosthetics and create the realistic-looking special effects makeup that film, TV, and stage professionals are looking for.
Applying everything from bruises to bullet holes to bites to third-degree burns can be a frequent part of a theatrical MUA’s job. And it’s not all gruesome—these pros also get to go wild making all kinds of science fiction and fantasy-inspired masterpieces.
Hungry like the wolf: A fantastic special effects look by an IBI makeup artist training student
