TV host Paolo Ballesteros has gained international fame recently as Hollywood celebrities extolled his make-up skills for transforming himself into Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Angelina Jolie, among others. His works are not only all over social-media sites, but they were also featured in major publications worldwide.
Ballesteros’ prominence shows how makeup artists are being lionized these days as never before. In the Philippines, models and beauty queens are turning into makeup artistry as a full-time career. Definitely, makeup artists have become this generation’s new rock stars.
“From Melbourne to New York, makeup artists are highly regarded for their craft, because to become a professional makeup artist abroad you need to finish a certification course as proof that you are qualified to handle the job,” said Kenneth Asuncion, managing director of the Australian College of Hair Design and Beauty (ACHDB) Manila.
According to him, makeup artistry is a craft that requires knowledge in science, visual art, and even dermatological problems. “A makeup artist needs to detect skin conditions the moment she sees a person’s face to avoid adverse reactions to products,” he explained, adding that, “This is one of the reasons why makeup artists need to go through formal education as in any professional.”
ACHDB Manila is an Australian-based school considered to be an industry leader in beauty-related education. It has six campuses across Australia, the biggest of which is in Melbourne. Branches in the Asia-Pacific region were initially established in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Asuncion further related that ACHBD provides Filipino beauty professionals the opportunity to earn world-class degrees on makeup and hair artistry without having to enroll in schools abroad since it’s based on global standards set by the Australian Qualifications Framework, the national policy for regulated qualifications in the Australian education and training system, as well as the Philippines’s K to 12 Basic Education Program.
The ACHDB courses, he said, features 75-percent hands-on practical training and 25-percent theory-based learning. “This deeply immerses students in the science and art of hair dressing and make-up, providing them with all the knowledge they need to become full-fledged hair or make-up artists, work in leading salons anywhere in the world; or take up technical positions in both local and multinational beauty companies worldwide; or set up their own beauty business,” the ACHDB official stated.
Joscelyn Langdon is respected academician in Australia established ACHDB. In 1980s she envisioned the beauty industry becoming a professional career, wherein students transition from merely glamorizing their friends faces to full-time science-based education beauty professionals.
“It has been my life-long mission to continuously uplift the beauty industry by emphasizing that hair design and make-up both rest on the disciplines of art and science. I believe that many Filipinos are artistically inclined and have a passion for beauty. We opened in the Philippines to help aspirants become highly educated and well trained professionals, able to contribute to the elevation of the standard future of hairdressing, beauty and make-up artistry,” Langdon said.
Classes at ACHDB Manila are held at a facility in Greenhills, where student get to practice hands-on in a classroom that simulated a salon. Class sizes are purposely small; strictly adhering to 16 students to one teacher ratio to facilitate effective learning.
ACHDB Manila has also made its programs comprehensive but flexible to suit students’ various interests, needs and lifestyles. They can choose from Diploma or Accredited Hair Dressing Courses and Make-up Courses—a full nine-month program of intensive learning, training and real salon work experience. ACHDB Manila also offers the “Build Your Own Program,” which allows time-challenged individuals to take a Diploma or an accredited course, enroll with minimum course units depending on their available schedule and finish their program at their own pace.
Students who would like to establish an international career as a makeup artist can take the “Manila to Melbourne Program,” which begins a training in Manila, culminates studies in Melbourne and potentially find work opportunities there, too. On the other hand, those who are already experienced hair and make-up practitioners, but wishes to gain a diploma or accreditation can take advantage of ACHDB’s Recognition to Prior Learning (RPL), in which skills and competencies are evaluated by the school and in accordance with its qualification standards. Likewise, there are short courses for those who would like to specialize in specific areas of hair dressing and make-up—Avante Garde Creative Cutting; Color and Fashion Foiling; Basic to Bridal Elite Make-up; as well as Film, Theatre, TV and Specialized Make-up; to name a few.
To know more about ACHDB Manila, visit achdbmanila.com.
Ro-Charmaine Pidal-Pahate