Evaluation of 1st year

Evaluation of my first year on the HND Specialist Makeup Course at West Thames College

This was my first year of the HND Specialist Makeup Course at West Thames College. At the start of the course I was a bit nervous as I knew the workload was a lot heavier than the previous courses I had done. I feel that I have coped with this well and I have gotten used to having plenty of things to do. I think this has challenged me and pushed me further which I have come to be grateful for. After a few months on the course I felt like I had completely changed, not only am I more confident but I am more motivated in what I do. I have felt my creativity flourish and have learnt to deal with many projects at once which will definitely help me in the future.

I have been taught to work in different ways using new products and techniques which have given me more experience. I loved all my classes and found I took more of a liking to fashion and theatre where the makeup was more extreme and I could play around more with the looks. In studying makeup I have seen an improvement in my artwork and ideas. I am also more likely to take up projects others have asked me to do other than shy away from them. This course has made me think about the overall image, not just makeup but costume, hair and accessories. I also enjoyed working with photographers to achieve what I want from my idea and thinking about elements such as lighting which can have a big effect on the final image.

I have gotten a chance to work on different face shapes and skin types 3 times a week and have learn to adapt products for each person. The kit I bought for this course has also helped me with understanding how different products should be applied and used and I am now able to go and do work outside of college with paying clients. We regularly get sent emails with work experience which I thought was really helpful. We get to attend master classes and demo days where we can go to places like Inglot and MAC and get discounts on products. I had the privilege to go to New York which was such an inspiring experience. I got loads of new products to try out and I got to see sights which I probably would've never gotten to without this opportunity. The makeup demos were amazing and gave me an insight in how to use and apply products from different brands. Me and the girls in my class have become really close and support each other a lot which has also led to us helping each other out on jobs we get outside of uni.

 We got taught so much history not only about makeup but about icons, art and fashion which is refreshing as other courses didn't go this in depth. I liked learning about fashion catwalks and theatre shows as well as icons of the previous eras. I know all these things will benefit me in the future as I have more of an idea of different parts of the industry. I have learnt what my strengths and weaknesses are and what things I prefer doing which helps me figure out which part of the industry I want to enter. I had to travel quite a distance everyday too but I know that travelling is a necessary aspect of a makeup artists life so I wanted to get used to it. Even when the journey is long and early I couldn't help but feel proud that I managed to study what I love in London.

Sometimes especially in the past, I worry if I am on the right path. But I didn't feel that this year, I felt so busy with what I was doing and constantly had ideas not only for uni projects but for the ones I have at home that I actually felt like I belonged in this industry. Despite loving this course, I have had moments where I felt stressed and challenged. Running so many projects at once was very hectic and models and photographers cancelling can be a big inconvenience especially when we have deadlines soon. I think that just prepares us for everyday life though, sometimes people cancel and you have to arrange something quickly and think on your feet.

I particularly struggled with the hair parts of this course because styling hair has never been my forte. I have always naturally been better at makeup but I think this is because where I like practicing this more I tend to focus on this more than hair styling. I know I need to practice hair more at home to ensure my skills get better and I get more confident with it. Period hair was enlightening as the hair styles are all very different and at first I was apprehensive but towards the end I didn't feel as nervous. I had outcomes which reflected the era and I was happy that I managed to achieve this.

 I honestly can't believe how quick this year has gone and how much I have improved in all areas. I have gotten the confidence to start posting my work and getting the praise I deserve other than being too embarrassed. I feel like I could've accepted more work experience from my lecturers but as I still don't feel amazingly confident with hair I tended to shy away from it. Practicing on what I have learnt over the summer should help me improve so that I am able to take up more opportunities.

I will miss my fashion and theatre lessons very much as these tended to be my favourite but I am still so excited to see what next year will bring. Nothing worth it comes easy and this course has definitely proved that. I look forward to expanding my creativity more in the second year and for the new units we study.