Makeup by Mario
Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand founded in 2020 by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, selling foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, mascara, lip, and brush products through its DTC e-commerce site and Sephora retail to consumer beauty enthusiasts and professional makeup artists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Makeup by Mario does
Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand founded in October 2020 by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic and headquartered in New York. The brand sells a comprehensive portfolio of approximately 60 SKUs across four core categories — Face (SurrealSkin and SoftSculpt foundations, concealers, bronzers, and setting products), Cheeks (Soft Pop powder and cream blushes), Eyes (Ethereal Eyes and Master Mattes eyeshadow palettes, Master Mascara, eyeliners), and Lips (Ultra Suede lip pencils, SuperSatin lipsticks, SuperShine lip gloss, MoistureGlow plumping serum, and Jelly Jar Lip & Cheek Balm) — alongside a professional brush collection. Products are priced from $15 (mini/setting spray) to $85 (brush kits/palettes) and are formulated with universal shade ranges (up to 39 foundation shades) designed to work across skin tones, drawing on techniques popularized by the founder's Master Class platform, which has educated over 30,000 students across multiple continents.
The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model anchored by direct-to-consumer e-commerce at makeupbymario.com (shipping to 100+ countries with free shipping thresholds in the US and Canada) supplemented by retail distribution through Sephora and an application-based Pro program for professional makeup artists offering 30% (professionals) and 20% (apprentices) discounts, with exclusive education content launching in early 2026. The technology stack is modest: the brand integrates augmented reality virtual try-on through a partnership with FFFACE.ME (reported to drive up to 94% conversion lift and 25% return reduction), virtual shade-matching tools, an interactive beauty quiz, and a tiered loyalty program (Rewards by Mario — Bronze, Silver, Gold). Revenue mechanics are unit-priced retail sales plus loyalty-driven repeat purchase, with no subscription product line beyond the points program. The brand has accumulated multiple industry awards (Allure Best of Beauty, Cosmopolitan Holy Grail, NewBeauty, Harper's Bazaar, The Zoe Report) and earned Leaping Bunny, dermatologist-tested, ophthalmologist-tested, non-comedogenic, and vegan certifications across the product line.
The company is privately held, raised a $40 million minority growth round in January 2023 led by Provenance and Silas Capital (with Northwood Ventures participating), operates with 11–50 employees, hired JP Morgan as investment bankers in 2024, and appointed Melissa Sperau (formerly president at Shiseido US and a 19-year MAC Cosmetics veteran) as Global President effective March 6, 2026, while founder Mario Dedivanovic continues as CEO. Customer segments are split between consumer beauty enthusiasts (primary) and professional makeup artists (secondary, served through the Pro program), with no enterprise or B2B revenue disclosed.
Makeup by Mario firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Makeup by Mario
- Legal name
- Makeup by Mario
- Website
- https://makeupbymario.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand founded in 2020 by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, selling foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeshadow, mascara, lip, and brush products through its DTC e-commerce site and Sephora retail to consumer beauty enthusiasts and professional makeup artists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Makeup by Mario industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Color Cosmetics
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter) (CRABACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Makeup Palettes & Sets (Curated Palettes, Gift Sets, Multi-use Kits) (CRABACAF), Makeup Primers & Setting (Face/Eye Primer, Setting Spray, Setting Powder, Fixers) (CRABACAE)
Keywords
Where Makeup by Mario is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Makeup by Mario business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Primary revenue stream through the brand's owned e-commerce storefront (makeupbymario.com), selling color cosmetics and makeup tools directly to consumers at retail prices ranging from $15 to $85 per product.
- Retail Distribution: Products distributed through Sephora, which serves as a key retail channel. Makeup by Mario hired JP Morgan in 2024, signaling potential strategic review or growth ambitions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette: The Original - $51 (25% off from $69) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Jelly Jar Lip & Cheek Balm - $21 (25% off from $28) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SurrealSkin Natural Finish Foundation - $36 (25% off from $48) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SoftSculpt Blurring Bronzer - $28 (25% off from $38) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mario's Essential Brush Kit - $59 (25% off from $79) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SurrealSkin Foundation - $36 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Master Mascara - $28 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Rewards Program (Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Makeup by Mario product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand that develops, formulates, and sells makeup products and tools across face (foundations, concealers, bronzers, setting products), cheeks (blushes), eyes (eyeshadow palettes, mascara, eyeliners), and lips (lipsticks, glosses, pencils, serums). Products are sold under signature franchises including SurrealSkin®, SoftSculpt®, Soft Pop™, Ethereal Eyes™, Master Mattes®, Master Mascara®, and Ultra Suede®, with prices ranging from $15 to $85. The brand sells directly through its e-commerce storefront and Sephora, supported by AR virtual try-on technology and a professional artist loyalty program.
Product overview
Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand founded in October 2020 by makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic. The brand offers a comprehensive portfolio of makeup products and professional-grade tools organized into four core categories: Face (foundations, concealers, bronzers, contouring, and setting products under the SurrealSkin® and SoftSculpt® sub-brands), Cheeks (blushes, highlighters under the Soft Pop® line), Eyes (eyeshadow palettes including the award-winning Ethereal Eyes™ and Master Mattes® lines, mascaras, eyeliners, and pencils), and Lips (lipsticks, lip glosses, lip pencils, and lip treatments including the MoistureGlow™ and Ultra Suede® lines). The brand also offers a complete brush collection and limited-edition kits. The product portfolio includes over 60 products across face, cheek, eye, lip, and brush categories. Makeup by Mario operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform with international shipping, distributes through Sephora retail locations, and maintains a professional artist program (Makeup By Mario Pro) offering exclusive discounts and education. The brand integrates augmented reality virtual try-on technology through FFFACE.ME partnership for online shopping experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SurrealSkin® Foundation Award-winning luminous medium-coverage foundation with a breathable serum-like texture, available in 39 flexible shades and best suited to dry to normal skin types. Priced at $36 with reference price $48.
- SurrealSkin® Natural Finish Foundation Natural-finish foundation with weightless medium coverage that smooths and blurs for a second-skin effect, providing all-day shine control and 16-hour hydration. Available in 32 shades for normal-to-oily skin at $36 (reference $48).
- SurrealSkin® Awakening Concealer Buildable concealer designed to pair with SurrealSkin Foundation for under-eye and face concealment, part of the SurrealSkin complexion collection.
- SurrealSkin® Soft Blur Setting Powder Setting powder from the SurrealSkin collection designed to perfect and extend foundation wear with a soft blur effect.
- SurrealSkin® Soft Setting Spray Setting spray from the SurrealSkin collection designed to lock in makeup and provide a smooth finish.
- SoftSculpt® Blurring Bronzer Versatile powder bronzer with a modern blurring formula that blends effortlessly for a soft matte finish, sweat- and humidity-proof with buildable light-medium coverage. Available in 6 shades at $28 (reference $38).
- SoftSculpt® Shaping Stick Cream stick bronzer and contour product for soft matte application and facial sculpting, available in 7 shades.
- SoftSculpt® Bronzing & Shaping Serum Liquid bronzer serum with a sheer second-skin natural finish for bronzing and facial shaping, providing buildable coverage in a lightweight serum texture.
- Ethereal Eyes™ Eyeshadow Palette: The Original Iconic eyeshadow palette featuring 12 signature shades in three finishes: glossy shimmer (pearl-infused for wet-like shine), sueded matte (enhanced grip and rich color), and natural metallics (micronized pigments for soft metallic shine). Priced at $51 (reference $69).
- Master Mattes® Eyeshadow Palette: The Neutrals One of the brand's best-selling neutral eyeshadow palettes with 12 creamy, buildable shades in a sueded matte finish.
- Master Mattes® Long-Wear Cream Eyeshadow Long-wear cream eyeshadow formula designed for all-day color with creaseless application.
- Master Mascara® Advanced mascara with an innovative tubing formula that defines and lifts natural lashes for effortless enhancement and high-performance wear. Priced at $28.
- Master Pigment Pro® Pencil Multi-use eye pencil for eye lining and definition, available in 8 shades.
- Ultra Suede® Sculpting Lip Pencil Lip pencil designed for sculpting and defining the lip line, available in 22 shades including shades named after makeup artists and friends.
- SuperSatin® Lipstick Satin-finish lipstick offering rich color and comfortable wear across 18 shades.
- SuperShine™ Lip Gloss Lip gloss product providing shine and color, available in 11 shades.
- MoistureGlow™ Plumping Lip Serum Plumping lip serum designed to hydrate and plump lips with a glossy finish; one of the brand's best-selling products.
- Jelly Jar™ Lip & Cheek Balm Limited-edition bouncy jelly-like balm for lip and cheek application that feels lightweight and nourishing with a wash of juicy color. Available in 6 shades at $21 (reference $28).
- Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil Weightless cream blush balm made with hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump skin with a sheer veil of color and luminous finish, available in 10 shades. Priced at $25 (reference $34).
- Soft Pop Powder Blush Award-winning luxurious silky powder blush that brightens and lifts the complexion with a healthy-looking flush of color, infused with micronized clay to restore natural radiance. Available in 5 shades; won Allure Best of Beauty 2021.
- Soft Pop Blush Stick Stick-format blush featuring the Soft Pop collection in new packaging, designed for creamy on-the-go cheek application.
- F1 Dual-Ended Contour and Blush Brush Dual-ended professional brush for contouring and blush application, used to smoothly apply cream and liquid products or to sculpt targeted areas.
- F4 Dual-Ended Foundation and Face Brush Dual-ended foundation brush for building and blending foundation, concealer, blush, and bronzer application.
- Mario's Essential Brush Kit Limited-edition 5-piece travel brush set with a custom case, including travel-size versions of the F4, F1, F3, and EF1 brushes with the same performance as full-size but with shorter handles for on-the-go or everyday use. Priced at $59 (reference $79).
Quantifiable outcome
- AR experiences can increase conversion rates by up to 94% and reduce return rates by up to 25%
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Makeup by Mario
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Makeup by Mario technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Makeup by Mario partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered strategic.
- FFFACE.MEstrategicFFFACE.ME provides augmented reality virtual try-on technology for Makeup by Mario's online shopping experience. The partnership enables real-time makeup visualization combining computer vision, AR, and AI to help reduce customer uncertainty and product returns. AR experiences can increase conversion rates by up to 94%.
- FFFACE.MEstrategicFFFACE.ME developed AR mirror technology for Makeup by Mario alongside other luxury brands including Maybelline, Sephora, Prada, and Burberry. The global AR mirror market is valued at $1.2 billion in 2023 and projected to reach $4.8 billion by 2032.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Makeup by Mario competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rare Beauty: Celebrity-founded (Selena Gomez) prestige color cosmetics brand sold at Sephora. Direct competitor for celebrity-driven prestige share of voice and Sephora shelf space against Makeup by Mario.
- Patrick Ta Beauty: Celebrity makeup-artist-founded color cosmetics brand at Sephora with a similar MUA-to-brand narrative, professional positioning, and prestige price points.
- Pat McGrath Labs: Legendary MUA-founded prestige color cosmetics brand; comparable on artistic authority, prestige pricing, and runway/editorial credibility positioning.
- Fenty Beauty: Rihanna-founded prestige color cosmetics brand launched into Sephora with a broad, inclusive shade-range strategy. Closest large-scale comparable on distribution model and celebrity-founder-driven GTM.
- R.e.m. beauty: Ariana Grande-founded color cosmetics brand at Ulta with comparable celebrity-driven social acquisition model — a direct peer for influencer-rooted brand momentum.
- Charlotte Tilbury: Iconic makeup-artist-founded prestige color cosmetics brand with global Sephora and DTC distribution. Benchmark for MUA-founded prestige beauty scale and category breadth.
- KVD Beauty: Tattoo-artist-founded (Kat Von D) color cosmetics brand with a Sephora pedigree and vegan/cruelty-free positioning that overlaps with Makeup by Mario's certifications.
- Huda Beauty: Influencer-founded (Huda Kattan) global color cosmetics brand with strong Sephora and DTC presence and a similarly content-led GTM motion.
Emerging players
- Kosas: Clean-beauty prestige color cosmetics brand with DTC-first model and Sephora expansion, overlapping with Makeup by Mario on dermatologist-tested, non-comedogenic, and inclusive shade positioning.
Broad incumbents
- NARS Cosmetics: Iconic MUA-founded (François Nars) prestige color cosmetics brand, now part of Shiseido — the same heritage that new Makeup by Mario president Melissa Sperau most recently oversaw.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Makeup by Mario social profiles
Digital presenceMakeup by Mario compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Makeup by Mario financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Makeup by Mario leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Makeup by Mario funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Makeup by Mario M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Makeup by Mario
What does Makeup by Mario do?
Makeup by Mario is a prestige color cosmetics brand that develops, formulates, and sells makeup products and tools across face (foundations, concealers, bronzers, setting products), cheeks (blushes), eyes (eyeshadow palettes, mascara, eyeliners), and lips (lipsticks, glosses, pencils, serums). Products are sold under signature franchises including SurrealSkin®, SoftSculpt®, Soft Pop™, Ethereal Eyes™, Master Mattes®, Master Mascara®, and Ultra Suede®, with prices ranging from $15 to $85. The brand sells directly through its e-commerce storefront and Sephora, supported by AR virtual try-on technology and a professional artist loyalty program.
Is Makeup by Mario a public or private company?
Makeup by Mario is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Makeup by Mario founded?
Makeup by Mario was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Makeup by Mario based?
Makeup by Mario is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Makeup by Mario make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution.
Who are Makeup by Mario's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rare Beauty, Patrick Ta Beauty, Pat McGrath Labs, Fenty Beauty, R.e.m. beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, KVD Beauty and Huda Beauty. Kosas is listed as an emerging player. NARS Cosmetics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Makeup by Mario have an API?
No public API is recorded for Makeup by Mario.
What industry is Makeup by Mario in?
Makeup by Mario's product category is Color Cosmetics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABACAA, Face Makeup (Foundation, Concealer, Powder, Blush, Bronzer, Highlighter), with a secondary code of CRABACAF, Makeup Palettes & Sets (Curated Palettes, Gift Sets, Multi-use Kits). Its NAICS code is 456120 and its SIC code is 2844.