Empire Academy of Makeup

First of all this is one of the most expensive and time consuming makeup schools around. Second, its run in a very unprofessional way — changing rules on whim, failing students for not turning photos cropped closely enough. I am not particularly impressed with the quality of the makeup being produced either.

A must for anyone who is serious about a career in makeup!
I took the Intro, Expert and PRB (print, runway and bridal) classes as well as the Hairstyling for the set, Airbrush and Post surgical/​camouflage workshops and I was impressed with how much I learned in each and every one of them.
First I would like to talk about Donna (owner, instructor, mentor, she does so much you wonder if her day somehow has more than 24 hrs in it). She really has a passion not only for the beauty industry but a passion for passing on the information she has in a way that really helps people. She is the kind of makeup artist you want to emulate and what better way to learn her methods than from her own mouth. She does not believe in having a school to turn out a huge quantity of makeup artists but to improve the quality of makeup artists who really want to do this. She will be your mentor for life and stays in contact with all of her graduates cheering them on when they have success makes herself available to give feedback and guidance whenever you ask for it.
The intro class does not feel very introductory as you learn more about skincare in the first week than most makeup schools teach at all. This course really prepares you to be successful in a career in retail cosmetics or for anyone who plans on working on friends and family it could also be a great course for anyone who works as a makeup artist but needs a refresher on sanitation etc. For those who dream of doing more with their makeup career this course is the foundation for everything else you will need to know.
The expert class focuses on diving deeper into learning how to make women look the best they can. You learn what is the epitome of beauty and how to achieve that through corrective techniques. This course is not for those who do not really want to learn– it was harder than any college course I’ve taken and requires a great amount of dedication. The best part about Empire is that you don’t waste half your time modeling for other students as you work on models instead of each other. This is the course that really trains your eye to see the potential in each face you encounter and you will learn not only HOW to apply makeup to achieve your desired results but WHY you should shadow this and highlight that to achieve your desired result.
The PRB class is where you really get to let your creative juices flow. This is also the class that teaches you about the business side to being a makeup artist. You learn how to take and schedule a bridal booking, what your rates should be and how to put together a portfolio. Donna is great example of a makeup artist who knows how to run a business.
Before attending Empire I did my homework on a bunch of makeup schools out there. This one is different from all the rest. As soon as I finished my courses I knew I had made the right choice and now years later I am even more convinced.

Wow. You have no idea what you’re getting into until you’ve taken the classes.
I’ve taken Intro, Expert, and PRB (Print, Runway, Bridal) and was blown away at the amount of information, tips & tricks, and science you learn in three REALLY short months, which flies by, because you’re trying to keep up with how much Donna (the owner, instructor, teacher, mentor, etc.) tells you.
In the Intro class you learn so much about skincare, and the rest of the «basics» which really aren’t even all that basic at all. She gives you the tools in order to make your own best judgements & decisions for your skincare as well as your clients. She teaches about ingredients, what they do, how they work, the science of skin, etc. It’s amazing what you’ll learn. You also learn about the history of cosmetics which blew me the hell away as well.
In the Expert class, Donna teaches you about the epitome of beauty and not only WHERE to apply eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrows, lips, etc., but the reason WHY they go there, and it all makes sense.
PRB is an amazing class as well. It teaches you about your portfolio, the way the makeup industry REALLY works, and how you can become successful in it.
This school & instructor doesn’t just teach you about MAC makeup and how awesome it is to rock a smokey eye & sickly nude lip every day, but about the business, your ethics, hygiene, interviewing skills, skincare, science, color theory, and SO MUCH MORE. This isn’t a school for people who want to hear that their makeup «artistry» is «SO PRETTY!» for 8 hours and graduate with a cosmetology license and end up being a notary for the rest of their life. If you’re serious about being a makeup artist, then invest your time & money here.
The fellow makeup artists you become friends with throughout the courses as well as the instructors really inspire you to push you toward your success. Every little (even the smallest!) accomplishments you make, Donna celebrates them as if you had Pat Mcgrath as your assistant for a paid gig for Bazaar or something.
I’m just so grateful that I was able to invest in my future with this school.
P. S. For some stupid reason, all the other reviews that are actually accurate are being filtered, so go read those too.

I absolutely ADORE Empire! their classes are amazing!
i would have Never imagined how much i would learn in such a short amount of time! Everything i learned has seriously changed my life for the better!

I absolutely love the airbrush class, it was one of my favorite classes.
The class is two days (never advertised as 3 days long).
It was amazing I cant believe how much I learn in only 2 Days!!! I feel very confortable using an airbrush now. the instructor was amazing and he even taught us how to take the airbrush a part to clean and what to do if it’s not working properly.
if you want to take an airbrush class this is your best option!!! you get more than what you paid for!!!

I love this workshop and the school. The person who wrote the last comment did not read the information about the class correctly. I’ve learned so much that I will deffinately use my airbrush forever now. My speed and the application techniques have improve drastically because of this wonderfull informative workshop. Thank Joe for being cool and outgoing. Great teacher and very knowledgable about airbrush. Highly recommend everyone who is and wanting to learn about the future of makeup, and making lots of money.

Their course outline is miss leading. I took the airbrush workshop and it said 3 day work shop and that the students would learn fantasy makeup, airbrush eyeshadow and more. Well I was only there for 2 days and the last 5 minutes in class the instructor showed us how to do a monster makeup. Really, that’s it. I was so pissed off, and of course it was to late to say a thing since I signed a contract before class even started. It was a waste of money and I don’t recommend the school at all to anyone. All I learned from the class was how to take apart and put together the airbrush gun, and how to do foundation. That’s it. I have learned more from reading books and practicing. Sucks all that for $ 650