Have you observed that the student population is increasing every year in your school with students trying to look moderate in their make-ups and dressing? While schools celebrate their management for increase in student enrolment, fashion conscious and business minded students should see the increase as an opportunity to make some money, by meeting the fashion and beauty needs of everyone on campus.

And looking around, make-up business seems to be one of the lucrative ventures to go into. Apart from cutting across sexes and religions, this business could be carried out in a small makeshift outlets, hostel room or at best an operator could be itinerant, moving from one hostel to the other.

Though, some see it as promoting flamboyance, the truth is that make-up artists help project one’s good looks, applying cosmetics to areas that need to be highlighted, while downplaying gray areas.

Apart from making up faces, artists also take care of the finger and toe nails, as well as style hair for anyone going for photo shots or may just want to look good around the campus. So, the business is for students, who are creative, enjoy fashion, hairdressing and cosmetics.

Imagine, the money that would come from retouching hairs of fellow students, fixing or replacing false finger or toe nails or even highlighting the eye line and lips with colours to enhance the face.

Good a thing, this vocation is not limited to the female folks alone, as male too have been found to be just as good in handling beauty matters like their female counterparts.

Perhaps, you are thinking of how to key into the opportunity and start a business that one can even continue after graduation, then be ready to water your passion with the right training. Make-up does not require one to task his/her brain, thinking of what to produce or exert physical energy, but it entails knowing your colours, skin types and the chemicals that soothe one’s skin.

So, going for a short-term training programme, may be for two weeks to a month would be just ideal. This could be during the long vacation, when one is off school or maybe in the evenings if academic works allow that.

Another way of acquiring the skill is by learning from the Internet; here one would get all that is required, including the latest information about the job. However, you cannot bet to have known it all, because make-up involves practical work, since the Internet has no room for this, it is always good to work with someone and learn more on the field. It is in the light of this that you have to attach yourself with those already doing it. Learning how to mix colours and powder does not last forever, neither does mastering the technique that would make one grow in the trade, but it is important to work with people already in the business to hone your skill.

As a student there is room for you to grow on the job. First think of the large campus market, then imagine the opportunity that lies in film, television, theatre, concerts, photographic sessions or fashion shows that regularly hold on the campus.

Imagine making up 50 students’ faces at student price of N3, 000 to N5, 000 per student; that would be about N250, 000 in a semester. Mind you, this does not include N500 or more that could be charged for trimming eyelashes, filing the nails and others.

Since the make-up artists’ major concern is to give his/her client the look that he/she client needs, it would be proper for him/her to know the latest in the business.

The business is easy to start, especially as most of the tools could be found locally; so do not wait to finish and begin something. Start that business, while still in the campus and grow it after graduation.