Freedom, expression, liberty; these are some of the words that you may come across at least once every day. And every time they are used, they are not necessarily used in a political sense, at least not entirely. People express themselves in different ways. Some use words, some sing, others dress in a certain manner; many prefer to make up. In essence, the urge to express oneself has become quite the vibe in the 21st century.
If we are to select one thing out of this list of ways to express oneself, then amongst the top would be makeup. Everyone knows about it, whether they hate it or love it. They know of it. And if they don’t, then I think they need to come out from under the rock they’re living. The 2020s have been many things, but the most consistent it has been in is; makeup.
Today makeup is a currency. If you know how to do it, it can become pretty lucrative. Look around yourself; you’ll find many makeup artists or MUAs, as they are called, to be piling liquid cash, working with models and celebrities all over the country and the world!
It is for these very reasons that art has gained much popularity in these past few years. If not a hobby, then an easy way out to some cash is why many are learning it, without any regard to any gender. Therefore, this article will let you in on some of the best make-up artistry schools in New York; the city where people aren’t afraid of glam. America’s best fashion hub; where art meets culture!
New York has for these years been without a doubt a very chic state, with NYC standing out, hence, it should come as no surprise that so many makeup schools are turning up to train hundreds in the art. Thereto, ahead mentioned are some of the best makeup schools of NYC.
These schools will prepare you to carry a license that will turn your life around. In general, they will teach you the essentials of the beauty industry and expose you to the trends of all sorts of makeup. In the end, you’re most likely to pick out your specialty and shine through with it.
Makeup Classes NYC by Nina Mua
Makeup classes NYC by Nina Mua was launched in 2013 to guide seeking professionals and amateurs in the fields towards their career goals. They are set up on a consultancy style model, where they first guide their students towards choosing their specialty and then train them accordingly. They stand out in their expertise training because of this approach because not only do their students learn to pick their specialties out in the beginning but they have also exposed the techniques required to find their way in the market thereafter the finishing of their training.
They offer six programs, on both a 5-weekday program and a weekend program model:
- Master Makeup Artistry Program
- Extensive Makeup Program; targeting beauty and fashion
- Skincare workshops
- Hairstyling Programs for Makeup artists
- Private makeup classes
- And, portfolio building programs for makeup artists
The teams at Nina Mua are super engaged in all the processes and have record performers with a very vast network in the industry. They have now also begun a Makeup Classes NYC by Nina Mua blog to keep aspirants up to date with the industry.
They only pick 6 students a batch for maximum attentive teaching. The best plus; you get all the attention!
CMAD Center for Makeup Artistry
Makeup artistry schools in New York maybe be sprouting up now and then but CMAD Center for Makeup Artistry has sure set its grounds since 2017. They give workshops to both beginners and expert makeup artists in emerging makeup and hair trends all year round. What they stand out the most in is branding. They help you set your brand and then network it, they are great at client partnerships and have big names associated with them, names like M.A.C, NARS, and Kevyn Aucoin.
Chic Studios Makeup Schools
These schools are amongst the earliest makeup schools of New York amongst the list. Founded in 2009, Chic studios offer all kinds of training and at all levels. Their famous makeup programs include bridal makeups and fashion runaway makeups. If students starting at the beginner level continue till they reach the advanced level, they are provided with networking tools to find work immediately after they graduate.
They offer both online courses and in-class courses. At their New York branch, the in-class courses include:
- Full Career course
- Level 1 course for beginners
- Level 2 course for intermediate makeup artists
- Level 3 and 4 courses for intermediate artists advancing to advance levels
- And, extra pieces of training in portfolio photoshoots
The online courses are similar in all of their studios across the country and include sessions on hairstyling, bridal makeup, studio makeup, and TV and movies industry makeup.
Their graduates are known to work with big names like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Stila, and Bio derma.
The New York Makeup Academy
Makeup artistry schools in New York are slowly leading the industry scene around the world, if they reach the top, then one of the institutes responsible for this would be ‘The New York Makeup Academy’. They are a progressive makeup school in NYC to teach its students professional and innovative skills so that they have a commercial understanding of the art. Throughout the program, the students met up with professional artists working in the industry; hence, they get to hear the real-life experiences of the professionals and can then work on the additional skills they would need to further themselves in the industry.
They have a course list and the best part; you can apply to the academy as an international student because they offer accommodation. Some of the courses they offer include;
- 4 Week Fast Track Professional Make-up Course
- Weekend Master’s Program (12 Week Saturday)
- 1 Week Professional Make-up Course
- 8 Week Master Program
- 12 Week Fast Track Professional Make-up Course
- 6 Week Evening Professional Make-up Course
- 2 Week Theatrical /Film/ TV Make-up Course
- High Fashion/Runway Make-up Course
The programs are run all year round, although, limited admissions are done to maximize the number of successful outcomes.
GLAM LAB Makeup Studios
Another one of the top makeup schools in New York is GLAM LAB Makeup Studios. Their model is unique, to be honest. For all their admissions, they run a mandatory 3-hour online introduction section, then, they offer a hand-in-hand 1-to-1 training where the instructor comes to you and offer their services. You are taught on a live model after which you can either launch your own office or work with them, at the GLAM LAB.
They have the impeccable reputation of working with over 150 cosmetic lines in multitudes of events, some of which include the infamous Victoria Secrets Fashion Show, New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, the Grammys, Oscars; safe to say that their portfolio is pretty impressive; therefore, the chances to be disappointed are extremely slim.
Christine Valmy International School of Esthetics and Cosmetology
The makeup industry has a multiverse of tasks. There’s skincare, hairdressing, makeup for different occasions, to name a few. Every makeup school tries to train its admissions in one of the above; Christine Valmy International School, however, differs in one specific thing: instructor training. If you know how to do makeup, hair, or skincare and you wish to become an instructor, then this is the place to go!
Their courses are short but targeted. The areas covered are;
- Esthetics
- Waxing
- Nail specialty
- Makeup
- And, International certification.
The best part about the makeup schools enlisted in this article is that they all provide online teaching facilities, so if the pandemic is not letting you travel, do not worry, you can still go ahead with your career plans!
Media Makeup Academy
Media Makeup is the work-child of celebrity makeup artist of New York; Amanda Shackleton. Since you do not necessarily need a license to be a makeup artist in NYC, hence, what you need is to kick-start your career. Media Makeup Academy is a budget-friendly program spanning over a 5-day span which is an intensive training program giving you the basic understanding of the skills required to make you a professional MUA. It is a certified course, so even if you do not get a license you still get a certificate.
It is also the shortest program on the list mentioned in the article and doesn’t require you to invest months of learning.
International School of Permanent Makeup
Makeup schools in New York Mentioned so far on the list specialize in the realm of makeup or skincare; the International School of Permanent Makeup (ISPM) is unique in this section. They have expertise in permanent makeup and micro-blading. The founder, Mihyon D. Cha, is a trained makeup artist with a license in permanent makeup, a license only a few people can bag.
The courses are divided into categories; under each is a list of choices. The categories are;
- Micro-blading and permanent makeup
- Advanced courses
- Paramedical tattoo courses
- And, 1-day courses.
All the taught courses are scheduled in fixed months, so if you wish to apply, you’ll have to get familiar with the months the school function.
Aveda Arts and Sciences Institute- New York
‘A makeup college sounded an absurd idea because how come to learn makeup one has to go to a college, especially when you do not even need a certificate to be an artist. You just need a skill.’
This is a common reaction whenever someone learns of a makeup college. Teaching makeup and cosmetology at a proper institute level is new to many. However, you’d be happy to learn that Aveda Arts and Science Institute has been one of the best makeup colleges in NYC. They offer courses in cosmetology, esthiology, and massage therapy. If you are a Phoebe Buffay fan then you’d be happy to go here, while being a trained artist, you can also be a masseuse!
American Beauty School
Last but not the least; American Beauty School is one of the oldest schools on the list. It was established 50 years ago in the Bronx and has since then been producing graduates who have reached heights in the industry. They specialize in cosmetology and nails techniques.
Having worked for such a long time in the industry, American Beauty School has developed an acute understanding of the trends that are expected in the beauty industry, which they maintain by a strong alumni network, formed with the graduation of the very first graduating batch. Paired with their trained instructors this alumni network forms the basis for the exposures the budding artists need after stepping into the market.
The first step to realizing your dream into reality is finding how you can best polish what you already know. In this article, we have tried to do exactly that by enlisting the best makeup schools in New York for you to kick start your artistic journey. Now all you need to do is pick your area of interest and click on the school that best fits that area.
You never know your dream makeup school may be only be a subway stop away!
Good luck applying!