Why Us?
Theres no need for us to shout...
Its not really our style to display an abundance of videos on our every show we attend, celebrity we speak to or fashion week show we may or may not collaborate with, its not HMA. None of the above is guaranteed to include you so we dont advertise it. If you do join us on our various projects, shows, and shoots its amongst the quiet exclusivity of our HMA social graduate network. We dont want to shout, we are happy being the best kept secret, thats always so much cooler, much more our style...We focus all our attention on bringing the industry actually into your class. We put all our energy into securing the best artists to talk to you, one to one. HMA core tutors took upon themselves to train with CIty and Guilds to learn how to best deliver their knowledge to you. So along with thier client list that includes Vogue, SKY, LFW, Pinewood Studios, The Mercury Music Awards, ELLE, they are also trained at academic level to teach.
All guest tutors are industry leaders, fashion, film, TV, to give a fully rounded course, full time students also recieve visits from agents, magazine editors, photographers and art directors, the only full time course to offer this. We also work closely with MAC and have secured private sessions at thier headquarters for our full time course AND exclusive evening courses.
Our acclaimed beginners evening course....
We designed this course to be one of the best value courses in London but with the best quality tutors and experiences also. We took the time to take six key looks which we feel will be the most useful to you as a freelance artist. We then took the time to confer with MAC cosmetics and the result was a bonus 7th session at their headquarters for a private demo and shop. MAC actually close their doors for you, our students. This private demo is located at the flagship store Covent Garden, just with your class colleagues and some of the best MAC experts. You will be given the opportunity should you wish to shop with a 35 percent discount. Before the finale you will be taught by our handpicked tutors who have an impressive client list and just as importantly an attentative and friendly teaching style. We kept the class to ten students to ensure we could keep this personal to you. This course is recommended by TIME OUT magazine along with being officially accredited.
FULL TIME COURSES
For our full time students we pack our course with visits from artists who work with the biggest celebrities and shows. We also include magazine editors and stylists. From our experience we as a collective have been taught at more formal colleges so with our own vast experience as professional make-up artists we pick out from the most informative, useful, enjoyable aspects of all experience and put it into one course, along with interactive projects to get you ready for the real world. This course is a reality check it is taught by active artists who prepare you for what working the environment is really like not a checklist of modules most of which you will never use. This course is the culmination of nothing but the select, a celebration of the best parts of our careers, industry need and future projects.
Honest Advice
At HMA we dont believe in hype and will always give a 'lets not beat around the bush' answer. If you call our director or any HMA staff they will give you an honest answer to an honest question. We even recommend other academies if you cant make the date of our courses. We dont need to snipe we believe in our product, so on that note here are a few more answers to possible questions....
Why do you not supply a make-up kit
For us its means we can keep the fee lower. If you looked to all inclusive courses they start running to the 5,000 pounds mark and above. Working in the freelance make-up industry is tough even for those at the top, its takes years to earn a decent salary and even this is often erratic. We dont encourge debt, we recommend spending less learning the essentials then getting out there, assisting, working for a brand gaining experience in your trade. You can build your kit as you go.... you can start with just a few basics and go from there. You dont necessarily need the big kit straight away so dont spend the money, if you do it will date before you have even used it all. Also if you are intending on working for a brand part time you can gain as much as 70% discount and this is when you can pick and choose wisely key products for your kit.
How good is the HMA brush kit?
Its standard its not amazing its not going to be at any college. It will be your beginner brush set and will have everything you need to get you going and is selected by us to give you the best head start with all the right tools that we know as artists you will definitely use. Artists collect brushes over years, ask an artist and they will often rather lose thier entire make-up kit than thier brushes,...Why? Well experienced artists have years worth of brushes from all over the world that are irreplaceable, and can own up to 400 carried in one brush roll...
We could have millions of designer names just to impress you but we wont necessarily, knowledge is key. We will have the key items that we have researched for you will be best in your kit, we will have products direct from the PR companies which have insider knowledge to the next best thing. For each look you will have a mini bag of your own tools some of which will have some of these products the rest will be a non label eyeshadow pallete, why? Because they give you hundreds of shades to choose from so when you are recreating you look you can pick and choose your own shades not just robotically copy us. You will use the designer names from the class kit when you are designing your own looks in catwalk and fashion make-up, which mirrors the industry. Often on assignments you will be asked to do natural, sculpting and make-up for older skins. This uses classic products or just the right shade which are not necessarily the latest product on the market and for a reason, these products are tried and tested. These products are in your mini kit. Then comes the HMA mass kit, the designer playground which you will use at the end of the beginners stage (or at the end of the evening course) when you will be given a editorial and catwalk look to recreate which will be taught by out HMA artist who actually designed that look for the chosen show we will be recreating OR the magazine shoot you will be shown and taught. At the end of the evening course you are given a shopping list we recommend and you can use your own choice as to whether you go for the designer brands or the industry brands, we will have used both and therefore shown you both ways of using product in your kit. No make-up artist just uses designer brands, an experienced artist will combine designer with industry label and non label to find thier own favourites at HMA we teach you this, the real process and cut out years of wasting of funds on products that you buy just for the name!
When you are taught on the full time course you will graudate from mini kit to mass designer playground kit (beginners stage and evening course) onto we we affectionately call the 'play kit' which goes beyond the standard academy designer make-up kit into, adornment, feathers, gemstones, gold leaf, body make-up, greasepaint, aquacolour and the list goes on, a make-up artist playground....
Whats the teaching like?
Passionate and Informed
Who do you ask to teach?
We will only ever teach with HMA hand selected artists, these artists must be a specialist in thier field, we have those who work in high fashion who work with Vogue, Marie Clare, those who work in Advertising, who work with Sony, The Brits, Vodafone, those who work in film who work on such films as St Trinians and those who work on TV who work for SKY and MTV, only the most inspiring...
