Hello Megan Emily,
I've done Foundation Art and Design, many years ago and did not progress to the degree in Art, still the Foundation year course was really valuable to me. It forces you to think outside the box, understanding Colour Theory, seeing light and dark, tones, being knowledgeable and developing a discerning palette in Arts, visiting galleries, learning about and respecting other great artists, using a wide variety of mediums you may not have considered you had talent in.
By doing the Foundation in Art you pick up new skills, and really get to know and see yourself in a new light - especially doing self portraits!
Warning - if you like having long beautiful manicured nails this can be challenging when working with pastels, pottery, ceramics as they get in the way!
There are no right or wrong answers with art, unlike studying maths or other academic courses. Sometimes this can be frustrating as you wonder sometimes 'am i doing this right'!
Doing an NVQ 2 in Beauty Therapy would be similar to the Foundation in Art - in that you cover a wide range of treatments using different techniques - some of which you will like, and some you may not. It is surprising the treatments we think are our favourites can change, and sometimes discover the least favourite is most enjoyable. When you have completed NVQ2 you have some options which type of NVQ3 to go for - holistic, facials etc...check which routes your local college offer first, and have a look at the facilities - do they train all the treatments you are interested in ?
Many years later after doing my Foundation in Art, i chose to do short courses in beauty therapy not the NVQ as I didn't like the thought of having 8 weeks of students filing my nails and ruining them and being experimented on! I have expanded in the areas I excelled at. Looking back the foundation in Art has helped me with Beauty Therapy; colour matching with brow / lash tints, spray tan contouring, choosing best nail colours, shape brows (wax and thread) better to suit face shapes, photograph my work.
A wise idea may be to purchase the latest NVQ2 and 3 syllabus 'Beauty Therapy The Foundations' by Lorraine Nordmann. They are pricey but will help guide you through your courses, beautifully illustrated books with the latest techniques. Examine the contents and when you go to your local Beauty College be sure to ask questions relating to the syllabus to make sure they cover everything you'd like to study. If you would like to work abroad one day then the ITEC or CIDESCO qualification may be a better idea. However if you just want to specialist in nails and nails only, or spray tan look for a brand who will support you with training and one you would like to work with.
Visiting Trade Shows is also a good way of learning, there are free seminars on all topics, check out Pro Beauty Manchester 20/1 September and Olympia Beauty in London this October.
There are some great beauty therapists who are Artists in their own right, for example check out Sophy Robson the Nail Artist, is this where you see yourself? It is possible to mix the two areas, and the final parts of the Foundation Art course would allow you to use any medium you liked - so that could mean body painting, henna, nail art etc...really making you think outside the box as to whats possible, which in an oversaturated beauty market can only be a good thing.
Keep us posted with your decision, theres lots of helpful people on here