Makeup artists in Maryland find a wide variety of clients clamoring for their services, regardless of the part of the state in which they work. Some Marylanders may regularly visit their local salon or spa for an everyday makeup application, while others save this type of service for a special occasion such as a wedding. Specific industries in Maryland commonly use the services of makeup artists, particularly the television, film, and theater/production industries.
Currently, most jobs for makeup artists can be found in the Baltimore/Towson areas, home to television studios WBAL, WJZ and WMAR; followed by the Bethesda/Rockville/Frederick area, where the Crystal Lume Medical Spa is located. Quality spas and salons that employ makeup artists can, however, be found in all areas of Maryland, from Garrett County in the western part of the state to the far eastern county of Worcester.
A number of professional makeup artists who are famous within the industry work in Maryland. Susan Heydt, more commonly known as “Suze,” is a celebrity makeup artist based in Ellicott City who often travels to Washington, D.C. to work with politicians such as Hillary Clinton and performers including Kevin Spacey and Tilda Swinton. Maryland’s proximity to our nation’s capital has also paid off for another professional makeup artist in Maryland, Erwin Gomez. He regularly traveled from his studio in Laytonsville to the White House for clients Barbara and Jenna Bush during the two Bush administrations.
Becoming a makeup artist in Maryland can be quite lucrative as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a makeup artist in Maryland earns an average annual salary of $34,930 (May 2013 data), and at the 90th percentile, can earn wages of $52,570 annually. Employment opportunities for makeup artists are expected to grow by 40 percent nationwide from 2012 to 2022.
The Maryland Board of Cosmetology requires that you obtain an Esthetician License in order to work as a makeup artist in the state. This may be achieved through education or experience and by passing necessary examinations.
Qualifying to Become a Makeup Artist in Maryland
According to the Maryland Code 9.22.01.04, you must have an Esthetician License in order to become a Makeup Artist in Maryland. This license authorizes you to present yourself as a Makeup Artist in Maryland and legally apply lotions, creams, cleansing solutions and cosmetics to a person’s face.
Before applying for licensure, you must complete the requisite education or experience and pass an examination mandated by the Maryland Board of Cosmetology.
Makeup Artist Education
The Maryland Board of Cosmetology requires that you complete 600 hours of training in a cosmetology school, or work as a registered apprentice for one year in a licensed beauty salon, prior to becoming a makeup artist in Maryland. Some of the courses and topics that you can expect to cover in a Maryland makeup artist course of study include:
- Manual facials
- Machine facials
- Waxing
- Makeup application
- Anatomy of the skin
- Galvanic current facials
- Professional salon ethics
- High frequency facials
- Special occasion makeup
- Skin diagnosis
- State laws and regulations
Practical skills that you will learn and practice during your makeup artist and esthetician classes include:
- Protecting clients
- Steaming the face
- Cleansing the skin and face
- Facial massage
- Facial mask application and removal
- Eyebrow arch-tweezers and mock wax
- Facial makeup application
Becoming Licensed as a Makeup Artist in Maryland
After completing the education or working as an apprentice in a salon for one year, you will be ready to take the theory and practical esthetician licensing exams. The Maryland Board of Cosmetology requires that you take these exams at Prometric test centers. In Maryland, these centers are located within:
- Baltimore
- Columbia
- Landover
- Bethesda
- Towson
- Salisbury
Once you pass the Esthetician exams, you may apply for an Esthetician License with the Maryland Board of Cosmetology. When you receive your license, it is valid for two years. You must complete 16 hours of continuing education during those two years in order to maintain and renew your license. This continuing education must include at least one hour each in Maryland state law; disinfection, sanitation and sterilization; Maryland occupational safety and health regulations; communicable diseases; and the safe handling of chemicals.
Licensed estheticians in Maryland may work as a makeup artist within a beauty salon or in other settings. If you decide to open your own makeup salon or studio, you must apply for an Owner Limited Practice license with the Maryland Board of Cosmetology, using the Sole Proprietor/Partnership Salon Owner Original License application. Additionally, you must submit an approved use and occupancy permit from your local zoning agency with your licensing application.
Starting Your Career as a Makeup Artist in Maryland
With your Maryland esthetician license in hand, you may find jobs available in various industries across the state. Some of the top industries in Maryland in which makeup artists work, according to the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, include:
- Resorts
- Spas and salons
- Film production and television studios
- Medical facilities
- Theater and performance companies
Resorts
- Turf Valley Resort and Spa- Ellicott City
- Rocky Gap Casino Resort- Cumberland
- Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa- Chesapeake Beach
- Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond- St. Michaels
Spas and Salons
- Callione Day Spa – College Park
- Nails & Faces of Joy Spa- Waldorf
- Jouvence Aveda – Rockville
- ULTA Salon, Cosmetics and Fragrance, Inc. – Laurel, Annapolis, Elkridge, Baltimore and Silver Spring
- Michelangelos Salon- Huntingtown
Media Production Companies and Television Studios
- Renegade Productions- Baltimore
- Duo Media Productions – Brookeville
- WBAL, WJZ and WMAR TV Studios– Baltimore
- Maryland Public Television – Owings Mills
- WMDT, WCPB and WBOC TV Studios- Salisbury
Medical Facilities
- The Medi-Spa at Mercy Hospital- Baltimore
- Genesis Health Care Spa Creek Center- Annapolis
- Blue in Green Center Medical Spa- North Bethesda
- Crystal Lume Medical Spa- Frederick
- PuraVida Medspa and Cosmetic Center – Fulton
Theater and Performance Companies
- Olney Theatre Center- Olney
- Chesapeake Shakespeare Company – Ellicott City
- Cecil Dancenter – Elkton
- Force Dance Company – Severna Park
- Strand Theater Company – Baltimore