I just attended a Last Looks Make Up Class in Austin, Texas. My instructor was Mitch Ely, a practicing make up artist who is current in the field of TV, film, stage, bridal, print, commercials, etc.. I had a very positive experience and came away with a lot of knowledge that I'm still processing. Practice, practice. The learning environment at Last Looks fosters success for each individual's needs and learning levels. A bonus was that my classmates--all of them--were engaging, friendly and encouraging toward each other. We had fun! We've all exchanged emails and plan to network with each other.
We were fortunate to have ethnic diversity as well as age diversity so that we could all stretch our skills working on various face textures and colors. Mitch is grounded, approachable, ethical and, of course, an extremely talented make-up artist. He not only shared a wealth of technical experience, he shared his business sense with us. He did all of this with his ego in tact.
Gregory, one of the owners was present and is also a man of integrity.
We had live models and each other to practice on. And the hands-on we received is amazing--lots of constructive feedback and individual attention.
My only regret is that I couldn't take the time to attend two more of the classes while Last Looks was in my city. The good news is that at Last Looks Academy, you can repeat the class(es) you took anywhere they offer it in the contiguous USA for two years!
For anyone who is struggling as I did a couple of years ago on where to get more education, I hope this review helps you.
I flew to Los Angeles and attended an immersion class that cost me a fortune. Most of what was promised on the website was not fulfilled or was embellished. And, the hidden costs kept sneaking up as the class approached and more so once I arrived in LA. This was in addition to flight, hotel, taxis and food. Unfortunately, the owner/instructor created and tolerated an environment of back biting and competition (not nearly enough models for a class that was supposed to be limited to X amount of students). Go to Last Looks first. You'll be glad you did.
Sincerely,
Margo