Study Beauty Therapy and Makeup Artistry at SIT

Celeste Morris recently graduated from SIT Christchurch Campus, where she studied the New Zealand Certificate in Makeup Artistry (Level 4).  As a qualified hairdresser for over twelve years, Celeste says she wanted to upskill and has always had an interest in make-up. “Studying at SIT suited my budget and my schedule as a Mum,” she added.

Finding the course through an online search, Celeste enrolled in the one year, full-time programme in 2022. The course content was broader than what Celeste had wanted in the beginning; this turned out to her benefit. She studied Skin analysis, Period make-up, Special effects, Working on Film, Nail designs, and Wigs.

“[The course] gave me a different opportunity, I initially wanted to be a skilled Make-up Artist, the course actually covered more than just make-up. I was able to work on a feature film.”

Studying her programme at SIT has allowed Celeste to see there are endless possibilities in the Make-up Artistry industry. “If you work hard the opportunities are there,” she says. By far the best experience on the course was gaining industry knowledge and applying what she had learned when Celeste worked on a New Zealand feature film last year. The filmmakers approached SIT looking for a make-up student who also had hairdressing experience. Celeste says she interviewed for the role, and because she was experienced in hairdressing she was selected for the job.

Working on location was a stand-out memory of the course, as well as this Celeste enjoyed meeting new people at SIT's Christchurch Campus.

Celeste’s other highlights were the affordable fees – she studied under the Zero Fees Scheme - and “lovely tutors... Cali is an amazing tutor; she was compassionate and pushes you to be your best”.

The biggest challenge of the year was fitting in the travel time to complete the course, Celeste says. “I travelled 45 minutes every day to get to the course. I wanted to be skilled and qualified, so that was my motivation.”

After her year out of the workforce to study and upskill, Celeste is now back in the hairdressing sector, managing a hair salon in Christchurch. She believes she’s benefited from the complementary relationship between hair and make-up, saying “I think having another qualification that is related to the other gave me an advantage.”

“I originally got involved in hairdressing to make people look good and feel confident and beautiful.” Celeste is in a position to utilise both sets of skills to benefit clients.

The newly achieved make-up artistry qualification has given Celeste fresh goals for her future. “I think I want to teach and share my knowledge and experience with future hairdressers and make-up artists.  I actually enjoy teaching people.”