Tennessee offers some of the best prospects for makeup artists of all states in the nation. Nashville, the cultural, artistic, and state capital, along with the surrounding areas of Davidson County, Murfreesboro, and Franklin comprise some of the top areas for makeup artists in the country.
The greater Nashville area provides the fifth-highest total makeup artist jobs of all metropolitan areas in the nation. At the same time the Nashville area is also home to the fourth-highest concentration of makeup artist jobs of all metropolitan areas in the United States.
If you want to work in the film or performing arts, then you’ll be at home in Tennessee, as cities like Nashville and Memphis are regional leaders in both these fields. Maybe you feel called to work in the beauty and salon industry. Again, Tennessee leads the region in this field as well.
One of Memphis’ own, Heather Ryniec, has gone as far as to open up her own salon where she also features an entire assortment of her own beauty products while also teaching makeup artistry on the side. As a makeup artist in Tennessee your career is literally what you make of it. In time, you could be the next success story being talked about around Tennessee.
How to Become a Makeup Artist in Tennessee
To work as a makeup artist in Tennessee you will need to become licensed through the Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners, part of the state’s Department of Commerce and Insurance.
Tennessee law defines two classes of professionals that are allowed to offer makeup artists services:
- Aestheticians – an aesthetician license may be granted once you have completed an approved aesthetician curriculum that is at least 750 hours in length and passed a written and practical exam
- Cosmetologists – a cosmetologist license may be granted once you have completed an approved cosmetology curriculum that is at least 1,500 hours in length and passed a written and practical exam
As an aesthetician you can offer your clients services such as:
- Makeup application
- Facials
- Massage, clean, exfoliate, and beautify a client’s skin
- Apply cosmetic preparations, tonics, creams, masks, and lotions to a client’s skin
- Remove superfluous hair by waxing, tweezing, or with other depilatories
As a cosmetologist you can offer your clients services associated with any of the following professional classes:
- Aesthetician, including makeup services
- Hair stylist, including hair cutting and hair dressing
- Manicurist, including manicures and pedicures
Makeup Artist Education in Tennessee
Whether you pursue an aesthetician license or cosmetologist license, you will need to obtain your education from one of the dozens of approved aesthetician and cosmetology schools in Tennessee. Because the field of aesthetics overlaps both these professions, the subject of these classes will be similar:
- Application of makeup
- Corrective makeup
- Makeup and corrective makeup arching
- Lash and brow tinting
- Chemical aspects of being an aesthetician
- Performing facial treatments
- Applying masks and packs
- Skin analysis and consultation
- Massage techniques
- Sterilization, sanitation, and bacteriology
- Professional ethics
- Tennessee cosmetology law
Jobs and Career Opportunities for Professional Makeup Artists in Tennessee
Salon Industry – Beauty salons and day spas are one of the largest employers of makeup artists in Tennessee. If this is the field you want to go into, you can learn from the best by studying some of the top makeup artists in the state:
- Makeup by Zii in Memphis
- Faces by E’Jae in Memphis
- Lisa Maners in Memphis
- Face the Makeup Artist in Nashville
- Amy Lynn Larwig in Nashville
- Sherita Leslie Makeup and Hair Artist in Nashville
- Lisa Johnson Makeup and Hair in Nashville
- Katie Russo Makeup Artist in Nashville
- Mo Johnson Makeup in Nashville
- Claire Balest in Knoxville
- Christian McNally in Knoxville
- Angela R in Chattanooga
Film Industry – Tennessee has a vibrant film industry that relies on makeup artists to make cinema personalities look their part. As an integral element of the state’s film industry, you could add your name to the next blockbuster to be shot in the state. Some of the most famous movies filmed in Tennessee include:
- A Family Thing
- The Fugitive
- The Green Mile
- In the Heat of the Night
- Into the Darkness
- Water for Elephants
As a makeup artist who wants to pursue a career in the film industry, you can consider researching the following film production companies based in the state:
- American Blackguard
- Atomic Films
- Cobblestone Entertainment
- Digitallinks Incorporated
- Film House
- Lunar Productions
- Mainstreet Productions
- Piranha Pictures
- Point 3 Media
- Revolution Pictures
- Ridgerock Entertainment Group
- Running 4 Cover
- Ryan Pickett Productions
- Scratch 24 Productions
- Second Light Productions
- SVAD Productions
- Tantrum Pictures
- Thirty’s Film Productions
- Thom 2 Productions
Performing Arts – As a cultural capital of the United States, Tennessee is home to numerous performing artists, musicians, dance troupes, and theatre performers. All of these professionals depend on the talent of skillful makeup artists. If you are working in this field of artistry then you may consider finding out more about organizations like:
- Our Own Voice Theatre Troupe in Memphis
- Ballet Memphis
- Opera Memphis
- Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis
- Playhouse on the Square in Memphis
- Circle Playhouse in Memphis
- Theatre Memphis
- TheatreWorks in Memphis
- Nashville Opera
- Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Nashville
- Nashville Ballet
- Nashville Children’s Theatre
- Tennessee Women’s Theatre Project in Nashville
- Knoxville Opera Company
- Chattanooga Symphony and Opera
- Chattanooga Theatre Centre
- Murfreesboro Little Theatre