Beauty School: Where to Take Makeup Classes in Chicago

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School's back in session, so sharpen your eyeliner pencils and start studying the latest beauty trends. Here, we've rounded up five local spots to brush up on your makeup skills, whether you want to perfect the art of the eyebrow, learn more about skincare, or transform yourself into a ghoul with a few scary strokes.

Photo: Courtesy of Sonia Roselli
In Rogers Park, our beauty-savvy (and deliciously foul-mouthed) pal Sonia Roselli opens her studio for private makeup lessons. 90-minute classes ($125 per head; $200 for a pair) cover Beauty Basics, and topics include creating a flawless face in five minutes. For more advanced beauty buffs, 60-minute classes focus on mastering the smoky eye ($75) or getting brides camera-ready ($250). To sign up, hop online and request the class and date you're interested in.

Photo: Scary Doll makeup look by artist Lane Swasko, via Kroylan City Chicago/ Facebook
Here are two impressive facts about Kryolan. One: it is the only place in town to score absurdly good Illamasqua products, and two: its staffers can turn you into a zombie. For the next several weeks, the Lincoln Park store will offer classes suited to eager trick-or-treaters. On September 29 and October 22, a Halloween Make-Up Workshop ($125) will cover the gory basics of using makeup to achieve a ghoul, vampire, zombie, or witch look. Later in the year, the store will return to normal, cobweb-free programming with classes such as such as Make-Up 101. Check out the schedule here, then e-mail the store to reserve your spot.

Photo: LOOKS Chicago
Tucked into an Oak Street studio above Jimmy Choo, LOOKS Cosmetics offers makeup classes for adults and teens. Available for private groups of two to six, the classes are taught by former model and company owner Loretta Wilger. Covering topics such as eyebrow maintenance and skincare, the sessions run for 90 minutes to two hours and cost $150 a head; the teen makeup classes are 90 minutes and cost $100. There's also a LOOKS Cosmetics location in Naperville. E-mail the studio for more details, or call 630-470-9531.

Photo: Sephora via Facebook
On the weekends, Sephora stores host free tutorials in topics such as contouring and pairing lip and cheek colors. At the State Street store, classes typically start at 9 a.m. (don't worry-- you can grab a cafe au lait from Magnolia Bakery first.) An upcoming session on October 5 will tackle Modern Eye Makeup, and beauty pros will offer tricks for brightening and defining the eyes. Reserve a spot here.

Photo: Jill Glaser, courtesy of Make Up First
Downtown beauty school Make Up First offers classes for budding beauty pros. There are state-certified makeup courses, advanced classes for artistry skills, and shorter workshops that hone in on one specific technique. Owner and instructor Jill Glaser keeps class sizes small, and ensures that her students get plenty of hands-on studio time. The fall sessions have just about wrapped, but upcoming classes include "Basic Makeup II" ($1,000) from January 19 to 30. There are options for daytime and nighttime sessions, and topics include corrective techniques using highlighting and contour. Register here.
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