According to the New Hampshire Employment Security Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, from 2012 through 2022, the number of jobs for skincare specialists working as makeup artists in New Hampshire is expected to grow by an astounding 38.8 percent!
- The most growth is expected in the personal care industry – the industry that includes New Hampshire’s salons and spas).
- The second-highest growth rate should be among self-employed workers (such as booth renters and shop owners).
- Finally, the next highest growth rate for makeup artists in New Hampshire is in health care and personal care stores.
The average annual wage for makeup artists in New Hampshire as of 2013 was $42,307, making New Hampshire the highest-paying state in the US for makeup artists. All of this is exciting news if you want to become a makeup artist in New Hampshire.
How to Become a Makeup Artist in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics requires anyone who wants to work as a makeup artist in New Hampshire to obtain an esthetician license. You must complete the required education and pass certain examinations before the state will issue you such a license.
New Hampshire State Statute specifies that estheticians must meet education and examination requirements before they can become licensed to work in the state.
Makeup Artist Schools in New Hampshire
Would-be estheticians (makeup artists) in New Hampshire must complete 600 hours of education and training at a New Hampshire Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics-approved school. (A Board-approved apprenticeship may also substitute for this training; check with the Board for guidelines if this is your intention).
Such schools with approved esthetics programs are located in the following New Hampshire cities and towns:
- Keene
- Stratham
- Bedford
- Manchester
Classes that you will take in your New Hampshire esthetics program include:
- Skin history
- Cleansing
- Bacteriology and sanitation
- Exfoliation
- Skin analysis
- Facial massage
- Mask application
- Waxing
- Skin disorders
- Skin histology
- Makeup
- Body treatments
- Extractions
- Chemistry
- Electricity
- Anatomy
- Use of machines
- Management of salons and spas
- State laws
Makeup Artist Licensure in New Hampshire
Once you have completed your esthetics program in New Hampshire, your school will provide you with an application form to send to the Board to register for the required licensing examinations. The Board will mail your verification to test to you, and you must then schedule three exams: the National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology Inc (NIC) Written and Practical Exams, and the New Hampshire State Law Exam. All exams may be scheduled online through DL Roope Testing Services.
Tests are administered at Iso-Quality Testing Centers, which may be found in these cities in New Hampshire:
- Lebanon
- Manchester
The written (theory) NIC Exam will test your knowledge of:
- Sanitation and Infection Control
- Disorders of the Sebaceous and Sudoriferous Glands
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Skin Histology
- Chemistry
- Skin Care Products
- Skin Diseases, Disorders and Conditions
- Factors Affecting the Skin
- Skin Analysis
- Specialized Services
- Hair Removal Procedures
- Electricity Use
- Mask use
- Massage procedures
- Exfoliation procedures
- Cleansing procedures
- Product application and removal procedures
You will likely take the NH State Law exam at the same time of the Theory Exam. Study this guide for help in preparing for the law exam.
You must also pass the NIC Practical Exam. Bring your own mannequin head to this exam, which will test your knowledge of the following skills and procedures:
- Setup and client protection
- Cleansing and steaming the face
- Manual extraction of the forehead
- Face massage
- Hair removal- eyebrows
- Facial mask
- Facial makeup
- Final cleanup
Once you have passed all three tests, the Board will mail your esthetician license to you. This license is valid for two years. You do not have to complete continuing education in order to maintain this license.
Now that you have a makeup artist license in New Hampshire, you might want to consider getting a booth or shop license. Complete this Booth Rental Application, with required fees and documentation, to rent a booth in New Hampshire, where you can practice your makeup artistry. To open your own shop, you must complete this Shop Application, with required fees and documentation.
Jobs for Makeup Artists in New Hampshire
Congratulations! You are now a licensed esthetician, and can work as a makeup artist in New Hampshire! You might not realize that there are many more opportunities available for jobs for you than just salons and spas (also known as the personal care industry) in New Hampshire. Other industries in the state in which makeup artists routinely work include the health care industry, traveling/accommodations, and retail sales.
Examples of New Hampshire employers of makeup artists within each of these industries include:
Personal Care
- Skin Perfect by Dianna Day Spa – Pelham
- Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa- Bedford
- Elizabeth Grady Skin Care Salon – Salem
- Euro Skin and Body Spa- Manchester
- Massage Envy- Seabrook
Health Care
- Eliot Hospital – Manchester
- Aesthetic Medicine of New Hampshire – Concord
- Surface Medical Esthetics, PLLC – East Hampstead
- About Face Medical Aesthetics – Greenland
- Pelle Medical Spa- Manchester
Travel/Accommodations
- Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa – Whitefield
- Omni Mount Washington Hotel Resort – Bretton Woods
- Wentworth by the Sea – New Castle
- White Mountain Hotel and Resort- North Conway
Retail Sales
- Hudson’s Bay Company – Salem
- L’Oreal USA, Inc. – Statewide
- ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. – Manchester and Epping
- Bare Escentuals- Nashua and Salem
- C. Penney- Salem