Our Story

At The Makeup Academy, we’ve always held firm to the philosophy that dreams come true with hard work. We wouldn’t have been able to become the international school of makeup in New York City, NY, without the determination and passion of our founder, Nina Mua, who moved from Moscow to NYC to pursue makeup artistry fully. Now, we want to help other artists discover this same drive and fearlessness so that they can become the next inspirational hair and makeup specialist.

What began as a small makeup school by Nina Mua in New York City is now an internationally known makeup academy in the heart of NYC. Women and men from all over the world travel to NYC to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional makeup artist, grow in their skills and knowledge, and work for major makeup brands, behind the scenes for fashion or editorial shoots or join bridal teams all over the world…just to name a few of the opportunities for makeup artists. Discover all that The Makeup Academy has to offer today!

GET INVOLVED

Submit Your Model Portfolio Today

GET SCOUTED TODAY

Jumpstart Your Hair & Makeup Artist Career

learn from the best

Our Instructors

Our Makeup Academy team is truly unlike any other. It is no wonder that we have students from all over the world come to the Big Apple just to attend our programs. We are proud to offer hand-picked and industry recognized instructors that are experts in all fields of makeup artistry. All licensed by The New York State Education Department, we are true professionals. We are here to not only teach you- we are here to sculpt you into the best of your abilities well beyond the craft. Here are The Makeup Academy our connection extends well beyond graduation.

elite instructors & personalized courses

The Most Comprehensive Classes
For Makeup Artists in NYC

Do What You Love.
Love What You Do.

Reach out to talk about events, our courses, or modeling for us.

portfolio

Student Showcase

As part of both our professional programs we have included amazing photoshoot experiences which will give you the opportunity to gain confidence in working a high energy and fast paced shoot. You will have 1 photoshoot in your Extensive Program and students of our Master Makeup Program have 3 photoshoots to build their portfolio. Our students use these photoshoots as an opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned throughout the course of our program.

All photos from the shoot are sent to a professional retoucher who selects the best photos that represent the artist’s work. Some of our students take the bold steps of using bright and luscious colors, some go extra nude but still manage to showcase their excellent understanding of the basics and some students even do flawless enough makeup to challenge our instructors. Must we go on? As you can already tell we love bragging about our students’ talents. In fact, any pictures you see on our website or instagram page are all our students work from their in-studio photoshoots!

Raving aside, it is always inspiring even for our team to see our students evolve and grow through makeup. Makeup has the ability to transform people, and even give them the much-needed confidence boost in an over critical society. It is always an honor for us to have the ability to give our students the tools they need to be inspired to pursue this field. 

explore

Behind The Scenes

Lights, Camera, Action! We snap pictures, we try on different styles of makeup, and we do it again. Here at The Makeup Academy, we want our students to not only learn how to perfect their skills in makeup but to also understand the field they are pursuing. We strive to show our students what it really looks and feels like to work on set with high end models or any client in need of a quick glamour session. Yes, it is impossible to recreate the chaos we makeup artists encounter during Fashion Week or a Vogue Magazine photoshoot, but we try our best to build an atmosphere chaotic but friendly enough to understand what happens behind the scenes at these major photoshoots and events.

Our team here thrives on having the ability to personalize the attention we give our students. There is a reason why we choose to only have eight students maximum in each of our classes. We love people, the more the merrier! But we also know the importance of making sure our students get the one on one attention to ensure their success in this field we all love so much. We want nothing but our students success, so being a part of The Makeup Academy does not end once you complete your program with us, we always remain in touch with you, through our newsletters, social media accounts as well as keep you informed regarding any freelance gigs and major events our school is requested to participate in. 

student benefits

Pro Cards & Discounts

Upon graduation we provide guidance with PRO Card Applications as well as enable students to obtain memberships at our partners, Frends Beauty and Nigels Beauty Emporium. Just these two online companies will provide up to 40% off in brands such as Make Up For Ever, L’Oreal, Stila, Naked Cosmetics, Becca, Beauty Blender, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Morphe, Zuca, NYX, Smashbox, Too Faced, Temptu and much more. 

We understand that as you grow as a makeup artist, building and adding on to your collection is a vital part of your success.

DID YOU KNOW?
The average woman spends around $225,360 on enhancing their appearance over their lifetime with $56,340 spent on their face alone. This amount can be hard to swallow, but with your PRO Cards, you can help yourself and others by receiving up to 40% off the leading brands. Overall, you could save more than $20,000. It definitely pays to be a PRO!

About

Our Story

At The Makeup Academy, we’ve always held firm to the philosophy that dreams come true with hard work. We wouldn’t have been able to become the international school of makeup in New York City, NY, without the determination and passion of our founder, Nina Mua, who moved from Moscow to NYC to pursue makeup artistry fully. Now, we want to help other artists discover this same drive and fearlessness so that they can become the next inspirational hair and makeup specialist.

What began as a small makeup school by Nina Mua in New York City is now an internationally known makeup academy in the heart of NYC. Women and men from all over the world travel to NYC to pursue their dreams of becoming a professional makeup artist, grow in their skills and knowledge, and work for major makeup brands, behind the scenes for fashion or editorial shoots or join bridal teams all over the world…just to name a few of the opportunities for makeup artists. Discover all that The Makeup Academy has to offer today!

LEARN FROM THE BEST

Our Instructors

Our Makeup Academy team is truly unlike any other. It is no wonder that we have students from all over the world come to the Big Apple just to attend our programs. We are proud to offer hand-picked and industry recognized instructors that are experts in all fields of makeup artistry. All licensed by The New York State Education Department, we are true professionals.

learn from the best

Our Instructors

Our Makeup Academy team is truly unlike any other. It is no wonder that we have students from all over the world come to the Big Apple just to attend our programs. We are proud to offer hand-picked and industry recognized instructors that are experts in all fields of makeup artistry. All licensed by The New York State Education Department, we are true professionals. We are here to not only teach you- we are here to sculpt you into the best of your abilities well beyond the craft. Here are The Makeup Academy our connection extends well beyond graduation.

Adrian Ruilova

MAKEUP INSTRUCTOR

Caleigh Roselle

Senior Instructor

Haley Haemmerle

Makeup Instructor

Linda Thao

Makeup Instructor

Maya Perkins

MAKEUP & HAIR INSTRUCTOR

Roxie Benz

Senior Instructor

Sara Macri

MAKEUP INSTRUCTOR & SKINCARE SPECIALIST

Richard Yerkes

Photographer
Photography

Aly deCouto

INSTRUCTOR

Meeza Gee

Instructor

PORTFOLIO

Student Showcase

As part of both our professional programs we have included amazing photoshoot experiences which will give you the opportunity to gain confidence in working a high energy and fast paced shoot. You will have 1 photoshoot in your Extensive Program and students of our Master Makeup Program have 3 photoshoots to build their portfolio. Our students use these photoshoots as an opportunity to showcase what they’ve learned throughout the course of our program.

EXPLORE

Behind The Scenes

Lights, Camera, Action! We snap pictures, we try on different styles of makeup, and we do it again. Here at The Makeup Academy, we want our students to not only learn how to perfect their skills in makeup but to also understand the field they are pursuing. We strive to show our students what it really looks and feels like to work on set with high end models or any client in need of a quick glamour session. Yes, it is impossible to recreate the chaos we makeup artists encounter during Fashion Week or a Vogue Magazine photoshoot, but we try our best to build an atmosphere chaotic but friendly enough to understand what happens behind the scenes at these major photoshoots and events.

Student benefits

Pro Cards & Discounts

Upon graduation we provide guidance with PRO Card Applications as well as enable students to obtain memberships at our partners, Frends Beauty and Nigels Beauty Emporium. Just these two online companies will provide up to 40% off in brands such as Make Up For Ever, L’Oreal, Stila, Naked Cosmetics, Becca, Beauty Blender, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Morphe, Zuca, NYX, Smashbox, Too Faced, Temptu and much more.

Did you know?

The average woman spends around $225,360 on enhancing their appearance over their lifetime with $56,340 spent on their face alone. This amount can be hard to swallow, but with your PRO Cards, you can help yourself and others by receiving up to 40% off the leading brands. Overall, you could save more than $20,000. It pays to be a PRO!

work with companies like

Download our
FREE Course Catalog

Model for our school

Professional Model
Class Demo Model

Are you a Professional Model looking to add new photos to your portfolio? Please complete this form.

As part of our student’s curriculum, they participate in portfolio photoshoots working with professional models to showcase their makeup! If you are selected to join us, you will get 2-3 looks and 4-6 retouched photos and lunch is provided! These opportunities are unpaid, however, you will network with photographers, artist and other models and have a great experience on campus with us! Looks are at the discretion of our artists based on what they are looking to add to their portfolios. You will be on campus from 8:30 – 3 for a typical shoot and we have both weekday and weekend shoot dates.

Name(Required)
Drop files here or
Accepted file types: png, gif, jpg, jpeg, pdf, Max. file size: 10 MB, Max. files: 10.

    2022
    portfolio

    From the basics to advanced techniques, insider secrets, importance of the consultation, expert techniques, insider tips, and how to market your services to brides and others.

    Please note: Photos sitewide reflect student work from their in-class photoshoot(s).

    Behind
    The Scenes

    Portfolio

    Adrian Ruilova

    Adrian M. Ruilova is a makeup artist, hair stylist and costume designer from Guayaquil, Ecuador. With over 8 years of experience with drag and SFX makeup, Adrian attended our school in 2021 to focus on beauty, bridal, and editorial makeup techniques. His work can be enjoyed in many areas including commercials and fashion shows and has been featured in Vogue, Glamour, etc. Adrian is currently also working with the Miss Universe organization. Adrian and his passion for all areas of makeup elevate our students in class everyday!

    Portfolio

    HALEY HAEMMERLE

    Haley started like many of our students as a self taught artist until she decided to follow her passion for makeup and transform it into a professional business. Haley’s over 10 years of makeup experience include stints with MAC and NARS where she represented the brands at makeup shows in LA, Houston and NY. Haley specializes in bridal and event glam but is also confident in fashion and editorial work having worked many NYFW runway shows. Haley is a true professional who loves to challenge her students in the classroom, pushing them past their comfort zones allowing them to excel.

    Portfolio

    Linda Thao

    Linda has worked in the beauty industry for over 12 years, specializing in hair and makeup for TV, film, and weddings. She has worked with over 200 brides to bring their dream hair and makeup to life. Linda has also worked with multiple makeup brands such as MAC and MAKE UP FOR EVER as well as Bloomberg TV and NYFW. Linda’s love for makeup started in high school during her time as an exchange student in Japan. That led her to the Aveda Institute where she learned about hair, skin, and nails. Shortly after graduating beauty school, she moved to NY from OR where she started her journey as a Makeup Artist. Her professionalism and expertise are unparalleled and push our students to excel in the classroom!

    Portfolio

    Maya Perkins

    Maya Perkins brings such a positive vibe to our classrooms teaching in both our hairstyling and makeup programs. After graduating from cosmetology school, Maya decided to focus additional education on makeup and graduated from The Makeup Academy Master Makeup Artistry Program in 2021. Maya is a published artist focusing in editorial and commercial work along with her bridal clients and her work can be seen in publications such as Glamour, Vogue, etc. Maya will remind you to never let anything stand in the way of your dreams and she is truly living that mantra!

    Portfolio

    ROXIE BENZ

    Roxie Benz has been doing makeup for 8+ years. She has traveled all over the US to train, strengthen and grow her technique. Her work has been showcased in La Fashionista magazine as well as New York local businesses.

    She is also a licensed cosmetologist. She excels at being very versatile in this ever growing industry. Her passion will always drive from the feelings and emotions she gets in return from all her clients while they are in her chair. She loves that everyone has the ability to shine in this industry, so always follow your dreams.

    Portfolio

    SARA MACRI

    Sara Macri is a New Jersey and New York City based makeup artist and a New Jersey Licensed Skin Care Specialist. She has trained at the Make Up For Ever Academy in New York City where she graduated from the Master Program. Her training continued as a MAC Artist where she realized her passion for beauty makeup. She has become an experienced practitioner of a wide variety of artistry and excels at beauty and bridal work. Her work and endearing personality transform our students into confident artists in the classroom.

    Portfolio

    Aly deCouto

    Our Makeup Academy is excited to introduce the newest addition to our family @alydecoutoartistry! Aly has always loved makeup! In college she found her love for SFX while studying stage makeup for performance, but her journey in the makeup industry officially began 10 years ago working with a plethora of brands like Urban Decay, Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Yves Saint Laurent to name a few. This opened up doors for Aly to step into bridal and New York Fashion Week.

    Aly also thrived in boutique sales management and artistry training and began working for MAKE UP FOR EVER in 2016 and throughout her five-year career there was able to elevate her artistry not only by professional training but by teaching one on one lessons and private classes!

    Aly is currently a full time freelance artist and studying to become a licensed esthetician.  Being in school herself Aly understands the need for instructors who not only have experience but are hands on.
    “I have found a passion for teaching and am grateful to be a part of each student’s journey and witness their growth as artists!”

    Professional Hairstyling Kit

    • Black Tote Bag
    • Notebook
    • Black Elastic Bands – 250 Pack
    • 3.5″ Brown Small Hair Donut
    • 1.75″ Black Hair Pin – 100/Card
    • Black Heat Safe Gloves
    • 2″ Black Bob Pin – 60/Card
    • Double Prong Slide/Curl Clip – 80 Pack
    • Duckbill Clips – 12 Pack
    • Black Ponytails – 12 Pack
    • 4.5″ Gator Clips – 6 Pack
    • 3 Row teasing Brush w/Tail
    • 100% Boar Med Firm 5 Row
    • Styling Brush
    • Aqua Cushion Brush
    • 9.25″ Carbon Rat Tail Comb
    • Clipper-mate Hard Rubber
    • 816cm Comb
    • Bone/Black Shampoo Comb
    • 1.75″ Elite Ceramic Round Brush
    • Wig Block Holder
    • Fromm Flat Iron
    • 1″ Ceramic Curling Wand
    • 3/4″ Hot Tools Spring
    • Curling Iron
    • Blowdryer
    • Eva Brown Human Hair
    • Mannequin

    Professional Makeup Kit

    • Makeup Forever HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation – 4 Shades
    • Makeup Forever Full Cover Extreme Cream Concealer – 3 Shades
    • Makeup Forever Brow Gel
    • Makeup Forever Step 1 Hydrating Primer
    • Makeup Forever Lash Arresting Volume Mascara
    • Inglot Translucent Loose Powder
    • Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel 77
    • Inglot Duraline
    • Lorac Pro Palette – 25 Shade Lip Palette
    • Imagic Camouflage Cream Palette
    • BH Classic Blush – 10 Color Palette
    • LA Girl Contour Palette – 2 palettes
    • 24-Piece Set: Professional Makeup Brush Kit
    • Metal Plate with Spatula
    • Inglot Makeup Brush 31T
    • Zuca Artist Backpack
    • Ardel Demi Whispies Strip Lash
    • Individual Lashes – Small, Medium and Large
    • Duo Lash Glue
    • Waterproof Makeup Remover
    • Micellar Water
    • Carmex Lip Balm

    Sanitation Class and Certificate

    EXCLUSIVE TO THE MAKEUP ACADEMY STUDENTS

    Sanitation Standards online training teaches sanitation at a health-grade level. A health grade level means we mirror protocols that hospitals use to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses, and blood-borne pathogens. This training supersedes any state mandates or cosmetology licensing. Unlike most sanitation programs or protocols, the training was created in partnership with a microbiologist. Microbiologists study microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and some types of parasites. They try to understand how these organisms live, grow, and interact with their environments. The training was designed for all learning styles, with interactions and videos as content delivery compositions.

    INCLUDES:

    • ONLINE TRAINING
    • BEAUTY, SPECIAL FX & THEATER MAKEUP PROTOCOLS
    • CERTIFICATION*
    • PRESTIGE PIN*
    • ADDED TO THE SANITATION SPECIALIST DATABASE
    • DIGITAL BADGE*

     

    *Digital Certification Badge—After successfully completing the training and the course feedback, your customized digital badge will be available once you exit the training.

    *Certificate of Completion and Prestige Pin – Upon successful completion of the training, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and Prestige Pin.

    Schedule Tour

    There is no better way to feel the excitement of a graduation photoshoot, see our teachers as they complete a makeup demo in class, or get a real feel for the environment of our programs! Schedule a campus visit today! Learn more about our programs, see our makeup kit, meet the instructors and students, and tell us all about your makeup goals! We look forward to meeting you!

    2022
    portfolio

    From the basics to advanced techniques, insider secrets, importance of the consultation, expert techniques, insider tips, and how to market your services to brides and others.

    Please note: Photos sitewide reflect student work from their in-class photoshoot(s).

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