Interested in a career as a professional cosmetician? If you love makeup and making people look beautiful, cosmetology might be the right path for you. If you want to learn what it takes, read through this guide on how to become a makeup artist.

Makeup artists have glamorous jobs, but they also work very hard. They may find themselves on movie sets, fashion shoots, or in upscale spas and salons. However, they work very long hours sometimes, often on their feet. They also need to deal with rude clientele, and vain people who are nearly impossible to please. If the positives outweigh the negatives for you, then you may be a good candidate for this line of work.

If you want to be able to do makeup professionally, you will need to attend beauty school to learn all of the tricks of the trade. You will learn about applying makeup, and also be trained in hair styling, skin care, and other areas of beauty.

• Most cities in the United States have beauty schools. You can also inquire with your local community college, as some have cosmetology programs, and may cost less than a private school. Additional training is also sometimes provided by cosmetic companies, such as the MAC master class.

The school you attend will most likely require you to purchase a basic makeup kit. Even if it doesn't, you will need your own products if you want to go pro. Most jobs you book will not provide makeup, and you will need to bring your own.

• Build up a collection of quality products, with a variety of colors to match anyone's skin tone. You will need to keep hygiene in mind as well. Each client will need their own mascara wand and foundation sponge, and you should also have a sanitizing solution to regularly clean your brushes.

Before anyone will pay you to do makeup, you will need to be able to prove that you are skilled. Practice your makeover techniques on your friends and family as often as possible. Remember, doing makeup on other people is different than doing makeup on yourself.

• Once your skills are solid, you will need a portfolio of pictures to show potential employers and clients. Pair up with a model and a good photographer and shoot several different looks, ranging from natural to glamorous to exotic. The more great pictures you have, the better your job outlook will be. If you are short on funds, try posting an ad on Craigslist for models and photographers who may be interested in TFP (trade for prints) or TFCD (trade for CD) work, so that you may all work together for mutual career benefit instead of money.