My name is Alyssa Parker. I am 32, I live in Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, and I am a mom to a six‑year‑old daughter named Mia. It used to be a CPA at a big accounting firm in Downtown Brooklyn. I did the busy season grind, chasing deadlines and staring at spreadsheets until my eyes buzzed. Then I got pregnant during COVID, took time off, and when Mia started first grade this fall, I looked at my life and felt this quiet panic. It could go back to being a CPA and be fine on paper, or I could finally do the thing I have loved since high school, which is makeup. I wanted a career that fit the school day, let me be present for my kid, and did not require me to spend two years and a fortune sitting in a cosmetology classroom.
I learned pretty fast that in New York there is no separate makeup artist license. If you want to work in a salon you need an esthetics or cosmetology license through New York State’s Appearance Enhancement rules. If you work freelance for brides, events, photoshoots, film, television, or retail, there is no separate license in most cases. That was a huge relief and it matched what both schools talk about in their licensing pages. The state regulates salons and licensed operators. Freelance artists outside a salon usually do not fall under those licenses, but always check your situation because rules change and some jobs still prefer licensed candidates. I confirmed this with the New York Department of State resources and a New York beauty school guide that explains the distinction between salon work and freelance work in entertainment and bridal.
I narrowed it to 2 online schools that kept coming up in my searches and on YouTube. Online Makeup Academy in New York City, and QC Makeup Academy which is based in Ottawa in Canada. Both had big promises, flexible pacing, and real student reviews all over the internet. Online Makeup Academy is headquartered at 541 West 29th Street in Manhattan, which made me feel like it was local and reachable. QC lists its address as 38 McArthur Avenue in Ottawa.
I wanted to talk to a human before spending rent money. Online Makeup Academy has a “Schedule a Call” link and a full page for live Zoom makeup classes that are free and open weekly on Wednesdays at 7 pm Eastern. I booked a call and got Yzabella, who answered all my questions, I also hopped into a Wednesday Zoom. They did live demos, answered questions, and showed the platform. That let me see the vibe and the teaching style before I paid. Recordings of those sessions are saved for active students, which is nice when you are doing homework after bedtime.
With QC, I reached support quickly, and the rep was friendly, but I could not get a tutor on the phone. They do have webinars and live online classes on their YouTube channel and a Facebook Virtual Classroom community, so there are live learning moments there too, just not the weekly public Zoom format I saw at OMA.
Online Makeup Academy shows that payment plans start at around $57 per month through Affirm and other buy now pay later options, with a 21-day money-back policy on their programs page. The Elite Career Path page lists the Elite Makeup program at $1,599 and shows $100 per month as a reference payment plan. I also saw a Master Makeup page advertising $899 with a kit included, so your choice depends on how deep you want to go and which program structure and kit you want. The hair program is separate and costs $949 with its own kit. Access to the course is immediate after checkout.
QC Makeup Academy’s Master Makeup Artistry course had a clean breakdown with two paths. Pay in full is $1,249. The installment plan asks for a $49 deposit and then 18 monthly payments of $83.33 for a total of $1,549. QC also promotes 50 percent off additional courses if you enroll in more than one, up to $300 off for paying in full, and group discounts when friends enroll together. They also give a 21-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom line on cost. If you want the lowest monthly outlay, QC’s $49 start and long runway looks friendly to a tight budget. OMA uses BNPL that can go as low as the fifty dollar range monthly, but it depends which provider you use and the plan you pick. The totals differ based on program depth and kit.
This matters more than people think. Most of us start booking paid work before our kits are perfect. If your kit can walk into a wedding job without looking like a toy set, you make money sooner. Online Makeup Academy’s Elite kit is built around pro brands I already knew from Sephora runs and set bags. The Elite page lists Make Up For Ever Ultra HD foundations, concealers, and setting powder, Inglot blushes, Kryolan contour cream, NYX brow kit, Ben Nye banana powder, plus a full brush set, sponges, and disposables. They lean into recognizable pro brands and it comes across as a kit you could actually use on a bridal party without replacing everything.
QC’s Master Makeup Artistry course includes the Luminous Collection makeup kit. It is a starter set with a lot of range. You get a big 88 shade neutral eyeshadow palette, a 32 shade lip palette, a 28 shade blush palette, a 9 shade contour palette, a 20 shade correct and conceal palette, a 16 piece brush set, a pro palette and spatula, a lash set, an eyebrow palette, and a makeup travel bag. If you want variety to learn on different skin tones for practice assignments, it is generous. If you want brand-name complexion products that you can throw in a ZÜCA and go right to a high-end gig, you will have to buy different products.
This was the biggest fork in the road for me. Online Makeup Academy emphasizes one‑on‑one video feedback. You submit assignments and a New York based instructor records personalized video critiques. The site repeats this across their pages and the hair program page spells it out clearly. They pair that with the weekly Zoom sessions and ongoing mentorship, which made me feel less alone at 11 pm when I was sending in work.
QC Makeup Academy says you get personalized audio feedback, and they also run live online classes and webinars that are public on YouTube. So you still get teaching that goes beyond text and static video, just in a different format. I am a visual learner, and seeing a tutor circle my work on screen was a big deal to me, so the video feedback point weighed heavily for my situation. If you prefer quick audio notes, QC’s flow may fit you.
OMA’s site lists a New York address and a phone number. Their pages talk about pro card eligibility with retailers like Frends Beauty and Nigel Beauty and brand discounts like Make Up For Ever and Anastasia Beverly Hills after graduation. They also keep the Zoom schedule public, which to me signals they are comfortable letting prospects watch teaching live.
QC’s site lists its Ottawa address, phone, and contact options, and they highlight eligibility for the MAC Pro Student program. They also have a long list of tutors and a blog that profiles graduates. They have been around since the early days of online learning and are part of QC Career School.
I watched a lot of YouTube before I gave anyone my card. There are student videos about Online Makeup Academy that talk through the platform, the kit, and the assignments. I watched “Is the Online Makeup Academy Worth It” and “Online Makeup Academy honest review,” both from creators who were not on the school’s channel, and they were helpful. I also peeked at Trustpilot for OMA and saw recent 5 star reviews that mentioned video feedback and the structure being easy to follow.
QC has a lot of reviews on its own YouTube channel from student ambassadors and grads. There are also community threads on Reddit about QC that include mixed opinions. Some people liked the flexibility. Some felt the videos could be better or worried about artists practicing only on themselves. The truth is most online schools get a mix of reviews based on learner expectations. I treated all of it like Yelp. Look for patterns, not one loud opinion.
Online Makeup Academy. Pros for my situation. One-on-one video feedback from New York-based instructors felt close to being in a studio. The kit for the Elite level had pro brands I would actually use on clients. The weekly free Zoom classes let me see real teaching before paying, and then gave me a habit every Wednesday to stay motivated. The hair program paired nicely with makeup and shipped a full hairstyling kit with hot tools and a mannequin, which meant I could practice both skills for bridal work and content in one weekend. The program felt like it was built for someone who wants to freelance fast and values creative feedback you can see and replay. Cost wise, the Elite option is not the cheapest, but the payment plans made it manageable without interest surprises.
Cons I noticed. The Master page and Elite page show different prices and kit language, which can be confusing for a first time visitor trying to map options. You need to read carefully and choose the path that matches your goals. If all you care about is the absolute lowest monthly payment, QC’s extended 18 month plan can be lower month to month.
QC Makeup Academy. Pros I saw. The monthly plan with a 49 dollar deposit and 18 payments is friendly when money is tight. The total $1,549 is fair for the volume of material. The Luminous kit is generous in shade range for practice and assignments. QC’s MAC Pro Student eligibility is a nice perk. They have a long history online and they publish a lot of webinars and live classes on YouTube that you can watch any time.
Cons for me. The feedback is audio instead of video. I wanted to see a person show me where my blending broke or how my liner symmetry fell off. The kit is broad but not brand focused, so I would still upgrade complexion products before higher end jobs. I also wanted a recurring live class cadence open to prospects so my cousin could watch with me before I enrolled, and while QC has live content, it is not the same weekly free Zoom format I used at OMA.
I enrolled in the Elite Makeup program at Online Makeup Academy, then added the Pro Hairstyling program at checkout because Yzabella talked me through the logic for bridal packages in New York. Brides pay more for one artist who can do both, and I wanted that edge. My login arrived the same day. The hair kit shipped from New York and landed at my door within a week. My makeup kit arrived the week after that. That first weekend I watched the skin prep and base modules, then practiced on my mom.
The next week I sent in my first assignment and got a detailed video back. Seeing someone pause my work on screen and talk through my choices clicked something in my head. It was not just passing or failing. It felt like studio critique, which is what I missed from not being in a classroom. The hair program made portfolio building easier, because I could submit a makeup look, add a soft wave set or a classic low bun, and the finished look looked ready for a website.
OMA’s Wednesday Zoom kept me honest. I blocked off 7 pm as my weekly reset. I asked questions about pricing, travel fees, and kit hygiene. They post that the live Zoom class is free for all, and recordings are available for Master Program students. I liked that structure.
By week four, a friend of a friend paid me $50 for makeup and hair before a birthday dinner. It was small, but it was money. By week six, I finished my Elite Makeup modules and submitted my final work. Two weeks later I finished the hair program as well. My first wedding came at eight weeks. I quoted $300 for bride makeup and hair, then added the mom and a best friend for $150 each. I made $600 in one morning and took a deep breath that felt like my life was turning. Those jobs turned into more because I posted the work to Instagram and tagged the venue, the florist, and the photographer. That business and branding rhythm is something both schools cover. The difference for me was how much I used OMA’s live sessions and video feedback to keep going when I felt shaky.
Googling makeup artist certification online, online makeup course, online makeup classes, or best online makeup courses because you want an accredited online makeup course with a certificate you can show clients will bring up both schools. Typing QC Makeup Academy reviews or QC Makeup Academy cost shows QC’s payment plan and kit. Caring about a bridal makeup course online, an online hairstyling course, or even a special effects makeup course online and airbrush makeup course online reveals that both schools have those paths or workshops. I made my decision on video feedback, live Zoom access, and the kit’s fit for real jobs, not just practice. Those were my tie breakers.
Both schools are real.It certify you. Both have real students getting work. If you need the lowest monthly payment and you like audio critiques and a big practice kit, QC Makeup Academy is a solid option. The deposit is tiny, the plan is long, and the total is clear. You also get perks like MAC Pro Student eligibility and very active social channels with lives and webinars.
If you want one-on-one video feedback, weekly live Zoom classes you can join before and after you enroll, and a pro‑leaning kit that feels like it belongs on set, Online Makeup Academy felt stronger to me. The Elite option costs more than QC’s pay‑in‑full price, but the structure, the teaching style, and the New York energy kept me moving. Adding the hair program quickly turned into real bridal revenue. That mattered more than anything.
None of that is marketing fluff. That is what the pages and schedules show right now, and every link in this story was checked while I wrote it.
Yes. I chose Online Makeup Academy because I wanted to move fast into weddings and local shoots, I wanted video feedback I could replay, I wanted to sit in on a live class before buying, and I wanted a kit that would not scream student when I unpacked it on a bride’s kitchen island. The proof for me is that by week eight I booked a real wedding and made back what I paid. Your life may be different. Your cash flow may demand the longest possible monthly plan. If that is you, QC makes the budget math easier. For me, the way OMA teaches felt like stepping into a New York studio without leaving my apartment.
If you are sitting where I sat last summer, staring at your savings and wondering if this is a fantasy, I will tell you the honest thing I wish someone told me. The school gives you a door. You still have to walk through it. I picked the door that felt like a studio with a coach who looked me in the eye on video and told me exactly what to fix. That is what got me booked. That is why I chose Online Makeup Academy.
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