A hair- and make-up artist is a professional make-up artist with a focus on creative, conceptual and media-related work. Unlike a make-up artist who works primarily in direct customer contact, a makeup artist often works in the fashion, advertising and media industry – for example, in photo shoots, fashion shows, film productions or campaigns. This is not just about “beautiful makeup”, but about the targeted implementation of image concepts, trends and creative looks for camera, light and staging.

The training is – similar to that of a make-up artist – not uniformly regulated by the state, but is significantly more extensive and professionally structured. Depending on the school and intensity, it usually lasts between 3 months and 1 year. Many high-quality programs last around 6 months and include daily training and portfolio building. The costs usually range between 5,000 and 15,000 euros, depending on duration, practice share and reputation.

Examples of established training providers are THE FACE ACADEMY in Hamburg, which offers a six-month training course including a diploma and portfolio, as well as the FAMOUS FACE ACADEMY in Frankfurt am Main, whose training program lasts around twelve months and focuses strongly on practical work.

It should also be noted that hair-styling is not standard in all make-up artist training programs. For a well-founded and versatile education, it is therefore advisable to select programs that cover both areas in order to offer a broader range of services and to be able to flexibly meet the demands of everyday professional life.

The clear distinction is important: A well-founded make-up artist training is significantly more extensive than that of a make-up artist. Many short “make-up artist crash courses” teach the basics, which typically correspond to a make-up artist qualification.

The make-up artist differs from the prosthetic artist: while prosthetic artists work in the field of film, theater, and special effects and create complex transformations with prosthetics and masks, the focus of the make-up artist is on aesthetic, creative, and visual make-up for media and fashion – without delving into technical effect work.