Makeup artistry in Missouri can be a lucrative and rewarding career. While salon makeup artists are in high demand statewide, makeup artists can find work in many other industries, including the film and special effects industry. Missouri’s own Nathan Shelton, who began his career in Springfield, is now an award-winning special effects makeup artist who has worked on films worldwide, including “Winter’s Bone.”
There are no limits on what you can do if you embark upon a career as a makeup artist in Missouri.
The National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences revealed in a 2014 survey that there is currently a high demand for estheticians and cosmetologists in Missouri. This is great news if you wish to become a makeup artist.
The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center projects a very bright future if you are interested in becoming a makeup artist in the Show-Me State. From 2012 through 2022, job opportunities for skincare specialists in Missouri are projected to increase by 30.46 percent.
How to Become a Makeup Artist in Missouri
The Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners licenses makeup artists as estheticians. This means you will need to satisfy Missouri’s education and examination requirements in order to become a makeup artist.
Makeup Artist Schools in Missouri
The Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners requires that all prospective estheticians complete 750 hours of approved esthetics training.
The Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners requires the following amount of hours in each esthetics subject area, which you must complete during your Missouri esthetics training:
- 120 hours of Facials, Cleansings, Toning and Massaging
- 25 hours of Introduction and Operation of Skin Care Machinery
- 100 hours of Makeup Application
- 30 hours of Hair Removal
- 120 hours of Body Treatments, Wraps, Aromatherapy
- 35 hours of Reflexology
- 85 hours of Cosmetic Sciences, Disorders, Conditions and Structure
- 75 hours of Cosmetic Chemistry, Ingredients and Products
- 55 hours of Salon Management and Salesmanship
- 45 hours of Sanitation, Safety and Sterilization
- 10 hours of Missouri State Law and Statutes
- 50 hours of Miscellaneous Tests, Lectures and Reviews
These classes must take place at a Board-approved makeup artist school, which are found in many Missouri cities, including (but not limited to):
- Willard
- Nevada
- Louis
- Poplar Bluff
- Sedalia
- Hannibal
- Lebanon
- Aurora
- Overland
- Chillicothe
Prior to enrolling in esthetics classes, you must file the Student Enrollment Form with the Missouri Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners.
Alternatively, you may complete an apprenticeship under a licensed Missouri esthetician of no less than 1500 hours. You and your Apprentice Supervisor must complete the Weekly Log detailing your esthetics training for each week. All subjects that are listed in the esthetics education section above must be included in your apprenticeship.
Makeup Artist Licensing in Missouri
After you have completed your Missouri esthetics training through makeup artist classes or an apprenticeship, you are ready to take the mandatory examinations. First, you must file the Application for Examination/Temporary Permit. This application not only registers you to take the written and practical examinations for esthetician licensure in Missouri, but also makes you eligible for a temporary permit, under which you may work after the examination (prior to full licensure).
The written examination is administered through Iso Quality Testing, Inc. The practical exam is administered by Professional Credential Services, Inc. You must contact each testing service directly to schedule your examinations.
The written theory examination administered by Missouri is given at Iso-Quality testing centers in:
- Peters
- Springfield
- Sedalia
- Rolla
- Park Hills
- Kirksville
- Columbia
- Cape Girardeau
Questions and subjects that you can expect to encounter on the theory portion of the esthetics exam include:
- Facial makeup application
- Facial procedures
- Temporary hair removal procedures
- Draping for facial services
- Skin care services consultation
- Skin histology
- Anatomy and physiology of the skin
- Infection control
- Electricity
- Chemistry
The practical esthetician examination administered by Missouri is the NIC (National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology) Esthetics Exam. It is given in PCS Test Centers in:
- Springfield
- Jefferson City
- Kansas City
- Saint Louis
You must bring a model who is at least 15 years old to the practical exam. During the Missouri practical exam for estheticians, you will be tested on your practical knowledge in the following areas:
- Facial makeup
- Facial mask
- Hair removal (eyebrows)
- Manual extraction (forehead)
- Massaging the face
- Cleansing and steaming the face
- Set up and client protection
If you pass both parts of the esthetics exam, you may begin working right away under the Temporary Permit that was filed when you applied to take the exams. Your esthetician license in Missouri expires on odd years, and you need not complete continuing education in order to maintain it.
After working as a licensed esthetician in Missouri for a few years, you might have the desire to open your own salon or spa. If this is true, you must file the Application for Establishment Registration with the Board. Along with this application, you must send a copy of your bill of sale or lease agreement, a copy of your shop’s floor plan, obtain and send a copy of your business license, and obtain and send a copy of your business’ Fictitious Name Statement.
Jobs for Makeup Artists in Missouri
Within Missouri, makeup artist jobs are projected to increase by more than 30 percent over the next decade. The NACCAS Job Demand Survey of 2014 found that 66 percent of those in the cosmetology professions in Missouri who work in salons work on a full-time basis. They earn average annual salaries between $30,000 and $50,000.
While you might think of working in a professional salon or spa (or possibly even managing or owning your own someday), other industries in Missouri in which makeup artists work include the medical industry, within athletic and fitness clubs, and as manufacturer’s representatives. Examples of major employers in Missouri within each of these industries include:
Spas and Salons
- Lourdes- St. Louis
- Wind Jammer Spa and Salon – Osage Beach
- Bella Tu Salon and Spa – Farmington
- ULTA Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. – Lee’s Summit, Brentwood, Columbia, Branson and Kansas City
- Spa at Big Cedar Lodge – Ridgedale
Medical Esthetics
- Esthetics Center – Independence
- Greater St. Louis Dental Society – Esthetics and Restoration – St. Louis
- Nayak Plastic Surgery – St. Louis
- Vargas Face and Skin Center- Kansas City
- Central Missouri Dermatology – Columbia
Athletic and Fitness Clubs
- Heartland Health – Saint Joseph
- Life Time Fitness- St. Louis
- Pro Athlete, Inc. – Kansas City
- Wellbridge Athletic Club and Spa- Clayton
- Missouri Athletic Club West- St. Louis
Manufacturers’ Representatives
- The Estee Lauder Companies – St. Louis and Chesterfield
- Luzier Cosmetics- Kansas City
- The Lano Company – Raymore
- Cosmetics Company Outlet – Branson
- Bare Escentuals- St. Louis