#PowerofMakeup: How Makeup Artist Training Can Help You Empower Women

 

Makeup is magic. If you’re passionate about cosmetics and beauty, you probably know firsthand the amazing, transformative effect it can have on a person and their confidence! But you may also know about makeup’s most popular misconceptions.Critics of the beauty industry have called makeup ‘antifeminist’—designed to promote vanity and insecurity, and used only to attract men. These harmful misconceptions recently inspired Dutch beauty guru Nikkie De Jager to launch a worldwide, grassroots beauty movement called #PowerofMakeup.In a Youtube video call-to-action, she asked women everywhere to show the “makeup shamers” the true power and meaning behind the makeup we wear, by posting pictures of themselves with half-finished faces.  Her callout has generated more than 18,000 tags on Instagram, over 100,000 Tweets on Twitter, and a whole lot of media attention.Why did Nikkie’s idea resonate with so many people? What are they saying about the power of makeup? And how can today’s makeup professionals harness this power? Read on to find out.

Using Makeup Artist Training to Help Women Feel More like Themselves

If you pursue makeup artist school, you’ll get hands-on experience with the beauty industry’s latest state-of-the-art tools and techniques. You’ll learn how to effectively shape an eyebrow, highlight a cheekbone, and much more, all in a range of fun and flattering ways.For example, with the right under eye concealer, you can help clients look well-rested and refreshed. And with bronzer, you can harness what Nikkie calls “the sun without the damage.” It takes time to master the application techniques, but with practice and professional guidance you can use them to help women feel like the best and truest versions of themselves.“Black lines on my eyelids, filling my brows, and covering my redness makes me feel my best,” wrote #PowerofMakeup hashtag user Melissa Tighee. “I don’t do it for anyone but me!”

Makeup Artists Can Help Women Feel Extraordinary

Sometimes, clients come to professionals with makeup artist training not just to look good and feel comfortable, but to feel extraordinary.“It’s not about the fact that I can hide my acne scars or pale face […] I see makeup as a form of art,” explains an anonymous uploader to the #PowerofMakeup Instagram feed.In training programs like the ones offered at International Beauty Institute (IBI), students learn how to design and apply creative makeup looks for fashion, film and television, theatre, and even out-of-kit special effects. They can take faces back in time with historical makeup, or into the future with strategic aging techniques. They can bring their creative visions to life, showing the world makeup looks it’s never seen before.A woman can become a queen, a comic book character, and more, all with the #PowerofMakeup in the hands of a trained professional.“Makeup is a transformation,” explains Nikkie. “That’s the fun!”

Makeup Artist Training Can Helping Survivors Reclaim their Confidence

Perhaps the most powerful submissions to the #PowerofMakeup movement are by survivors of cancer, assault, and other traumatic experiences. Many say that makeup helps them reclaim their bodies and feel beautiful, by letting them exercise control over their bodies and appearances.Burn survivor and beauty video blogger Shalom Nchom used #PowerofMakeup to show the world how makeup helps her airbrush her scars away, making her feel happy, strong and beautiful.Others have linked the #PowerofMakeup tag to the videos of former CoverGirl Ambassador Talia Joy Castellano, who passed away in 2013, after a long fight with neuroblastoma and leukemia. Her words about the power of makeup after losing her hair to chemotherapy are some of the most impactful:“When I put on my make-up, I feel like I can embrace those features that I really like about myself,” she explained. “Makeup is my wig.”

If you’re inspired to help people from all walks of life enjoy the magic of makeup, consider taking steps toward a beauty career.

Visit IBI to get started with our makeup courses in Mississauga.