The Makeup Academy

What The Makeup Academy does

The Makeup Academy NYC is a privately held, NYSED-licensed beauty education school founded in 2014 by Nina Mua. The company delivers hands-on, instructor-led training in professional makeup artistry, hairstyling, special effects, and modeling through a portfolio of programs priced from $400 (Personal Makeup) to $8,000 (Master Makeup Artistry, 100+ hours). Core programs include the Master Makeup Artistry, Beauty and Bridal, Master Modeling, Special FX, ICON International Pro, and Hairstyling tracks, supplemented by short workshops, portfolio-building photoshoots, and private classes. Class sizes are deliberately capped at 8 students, and instruction is delivered by working professionals with credits at MAC, NARS, MAKE UP FOR EVER, and IATSE Local 798, an Emmy-winning SFX instructor, and others with published editorial work.

The company's technology stack is intentionally light and physical-asset-led: a 6,000+ sqft Midtown Manhattan education space, a connected 1,000 sqft professional photoshoot studio (The Makeup Studio NYC) with rooftop access, included professional makeup and hairstyling kits, and an airbrush-capable workshop. A health-grade sanitation certification, co-developed with a microbiologist and delivered as a digital badge, is the closest thing to a software product. The business sells differentiated access — to fashion weeks (NYFW, Paris, NY Swim Week, NY Bridal Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week), to pro-discount cards yielding 20-40% off supplies (cited as $20,000+ lifetime savings), and to a "Forever Family" alumni network — rather than differentiated technology.

Revenue mechanics combine one-time tuition (the dominant stream), ancillary studio and chair rentals (Peerspace), included kit sales, and affiliate-style referral economics through pro-discount partnerships with Frends Beauty and Nigels Beauty Emporium. Distribution is sales-led and event-driven, with Industry Insight Days, phone admissions, and word-of-mouth through the alumni community serving as the primary acquisition channels. The company operates two physical campuses — NYC (headquarters) and Philadelphia (opened March 2024) — and serves a global student base through international recruitment to its NYC programs.

Name

The Makeup Academy

Legal name

The Makeup Academy

Website

https://themuanyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Makeup Academy NYC is a private, NYSED-licensed beauty education school that trains aspiring makeup artists, hairstylists, SFX artists, and models through hands-on, instructor-led programs at campuses in New York City and Philadelphia. It sells differentiated access to fashion-week opportunities, pro-discount brand partnerships, and a lifetime alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Beauty Education

NAICS

Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Makeup Artistry Training Programs (HSALANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Makeup Artistry (EDAOALAF), Beauty & Personal Care Skills (Makeup, Skincare, Hair Styling) (EDAAAGAM), Esthetics / Skincare (EDAOALAE)

Keywords

• Professional makeup education
• Makeup artist training
• Bridal makeup program
• Special effects makeup
• Modeling instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Primary revenue stream from professional makeup programs including Master Makeup Artistry ($8,000), Beauty & Bridal ($5,100), Special FX ($2,400), and other programs. Payment plans and financing options available for students.
2. Studio and Space Rental: Revenue from renting the Makeup Studio NYC space (1,000 sqft) via Peerspace for photoshoots, videos, and events. Also chair rental ($50/hour) and classroom rental ($200/hour).
3. Professional Makeup Kit Sales: Professional makeup kits and hairstyling kits included in tuition but also available for separate purchase. Custom kits for personal program ($150 additional).
4. Pro Card and Discount Partnerships: Through alumni partnerships with Frends Beauty and Nigels Beauty Emporium, graduates can access pro discounts (20-40% off) which drives continued engagement and referrals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Makeup Academy is a licensed vocational training school that delivers hands-on, in-person professional makeup artistry, hairstyling, and modeling programs at its NYC and Philadelphia campuses. Offerings range from flagship multi-week certification programs (Master Makeup Artistry, Beauty & Bridal, Master Modeling, Special FX) to short workshops, private classes, portfolio photoshoots, and pro kit sales. Revenue is generated primarily from tuition across these programs, supported by ancillary studio rentals and alumni pro-discount partnerships.

Product overview

The Makeup Academy offers a portfolio of makeup artistry and modeling education programs centered around its flagship Master Makeup Artistry Program and Beauty and Bridal Program. The offerings include professional certification programs (Master Makeup Artistry, Beauty & Bridal, Special FX, Hairstyling, Master Modeling), standalone workshops (Personal Makeup, Skincare Workshop), add-on modules (Portfolio Building, Private Classes), studio rental services (The Makeup Studio NYC), and inclusive materials and certifications (Professional Makeup Kit, Hairstyling Kit, Sanitation Certificate). Programs range from intensive multi-week bootcamps to single-day workshops, with integrated photoshoots and portfolio development included. The academy also provides exclusive brand partnerships including M.A.C Pro Classroom and alumni discount programs with major beauty brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master Makeup Artistry Program Flagship 5-week, 100-hour hands-on makeup plus 18-hour hairstyling certification program for aspiring career makeup artists. Includes professional makeup and hairstyling kits, three portfolio photoshoots, business courses, sanitation certification, and career guidance. Tuition $8,000 with payment plans available.
• Beauty and Bridal Program 72-hour comprehensive program focused on beauty and bridal makeup artistry and hairstyling for working with private clients and bridal teams. Tuition $5,100 includes makeup and hairstyling foundations and a 3-look graduation photoshoot.
• Master Modeling Program The first and only licensed modeling program in New York, providing 60 hours of runway, posing, photo movement, makeup, and business training co-developed with EMG Models. Tuition $3,500 includes 8 digital images, 6 retouched photos, and a video package (intro, runway walk, fashion reel).
• ICON International Pro Makeup Program Elite 1-week, 30-hour intensive bootcamp for advanced editorial and fashion makeup techniques with backstage opportunities at fashion weeks. Tuition $2,000 includes 1 photoshoot and 6 retouched photos and access to the exclusive PRO Makeup Team.
• Special FX Makeup Program 40-hour hands-on program for makeup artists wanting to expand into special effects, covering wound simulation, character aging, prosthetics, airbrush FX, and body art. Tuition $2,400 includes the SFX All-Pro Kit and 8 retouched portfolio photos; prerequisites required.
• Hairstyling for Makeup Artists Program 18-hour, 3-week program teaching hairstyling techniques for makeup artists to earn the HMUA designation. Covers blowouts, braiding, updos, and period styles. Tuition $1,400 includes a full hairstyling kit; no cutting or coloring.
• Personal Makeup Program 5-hour beginner workshop for personal makeup application covering foundation, contouring, eye makeup, and transitioning to evening looks. Tuition $400; optional custom kit $150 additional.
• Skincare Workshop 1-day, 6-hour hands-on workshop covering skin analysis, treatment techniques, and skincare regimens for makeup application and everyday use. Tuition $500 includes a $100-value professional skincare kit.
• Portfolio Building for Makeup Artists 1-day standalone photoshoot program providing 10 retouched professional images for portfolio development, working with 3 diverse models across 3 looks and behind-the-scenes content. Tuition $1,000.
• Private Makeup or Hairstyling Classes Fully customizable 3-hour private sessions providing one-on-one instruction tailored to specific makeup or hairstyling goals for beginners or professional artists. $500 per session; products and tools provided free; model practice available for $50.
• The Makeup Studio NYC (Studio and Space Rental) 1,000 sqft brand-new professional photoshoot and video studio in Midtown Manhattan with natural light, wardrobe closet, and office space; available via Peerspace for $50/hour chair rental or $200/hour classroom rental, with 24/7 booking and concierge.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-40% savings on beauty products through pro card discounts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• M.A.C CosmeticsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2025M.A.C Cosmetics selected The Makeup Academy NYC for its first-ever M.A.C Pro Classroom partnership. This groundbreaking collaboration redefines professional artistry training and celebrates the academy through exclusive masterclasses and brand events.
• MehronminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025The Makeup Academy NYC partnered with Mehron to celebrate student work published through the brand's platform, showcasing student artistry to the SFX community.
• New York Swim WeekflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 July 2024The Makeup Academy NYC's ICON Pro Team served as the exclusive makeup, hair, and styling partner for New York Swim Week 2024, presenting 'Swimtopia'.
• Frends BeautycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFrends Beauty is a partner providing pro discount memberships to alumni. Graduates can access up to 40% off brands including Make Up For Ever, L'Oreal, Stila, Beauty Blender, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Morphe, NYX, and many more.
• Nigels Beauty EmporiumcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing pro discount memberships to alumni. Along with Frends Beauty, these two online companies provide up to 40% off in professional beauty brands.
• EMG ModelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMG Models, one of the leading modeling agencies in NYC, co-designed the Master Modeling Program curriculum. Instructors work as modeling scouts, talent bookers, and have extensive fashion and commercial modeling backgrounds.
• Alcone CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlcone Company is an industry leader that provides the exclusive SFX All-Pro Makeup Kit for the Special FX Program. Students receive professional-grade products and access to student and grad discounts.
• PeerspaceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPeerspace is the booking platform for The Makeup Studio NYC. The 1,000 sqft professional studio is listed for photoshoots, videos, and events. Studio available 24/7 with concierge and security.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Delamar Academy: UK-based makeup and hair academy with bridal, fashion, and SFX programs. Comparable as a similar mid-sized professional beauty school with a fashion-industry location, but geographically distinct from the subject company.
• Blush School of Makeup and Hair: Toronto-based makeup and hairstyling school offering professional certification tracks. Comparable in catalog and target student, but primarily serves the Canadian market rather than the NYC metro footprint.
• London College of Makeup: UK-based professional makeup school with comparable full-time and short courses in fashion, bridal, and SFX. Comparable as a peer because of similar curriculum architecture, but does not directly compete geographically with the subject company's US-based operations.

Direct peers

• Make Up For Ever Academy NYC: Brand-affiliated professional makeup school in NYC offering certifications and workshops. Directly comparable because several of the subject company's instructors trained there, and it targets the same entry-to-professional makeup artist student.
• Joe Blasco Makeup Artist Training Center: Long-established NYC and LA professional makeup school with SFX and beauty tracks. Directly comparable because it offers a similar multi-week professional program structure and targets aspiring film, TV, and bridal makeup artists.
• Cinema Makeup School: Los Angeles-based professional makeup artistry school with a similar multi-program catalog (Master, SFX, hairstyling). Directly comparable because it competes for the same aspiring-professional segment, with an instructor on the subject company's team being a Cinema Makeup School graduate.
• QC Makeup Academy: Online and hybrid makeup certification school offering self-paced professional programs. Directly comparable because it competes for the same aspiring makeup artist learner, but at a meaningfully lower price point and without a physical fashion-industry campus.

Broad incumbents

• Aveda Institute: Network of brand-affiliated cosmetology and esthetician schools across the US. Comparable in offering licensed beauty education with a brand-partnered curriculum model, but is much larger and broader than the subject company's makeup-artistry focus.
• Empire Beauty School: Large US cosmetology school chain with state-licensed programs across many states. Comparable as a competitor for state-licensed beauty training, but operates a much broader, multi-discipline cosmetology curriculum rather than specializing in makeup artistry.

Others

• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Major beauty brand with a long-running artist education and pro-artist training ecosystem. Comparable as an adjacent beauty-education player that shares the same pro-card and brand-partnership DNA referenced in the subject company's pro-discount alumni program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@makeupschoolnyc
• Instagraminstagram.com/makeupschoolnyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-makeup-academy-nyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Makeup Academy