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Whether you are a makeup maven, known for your contour and cat eye or a barely there kind of woman, keeping it simple with some liner and mascara, makeup is something that many women interact with almost every day. According to a report by WWD, African American women spend 80 percent more money on cosmetics and twice as much on skincare than the average female. For something that is so integral to so many of our lives, it’s surprising that there isn’t an easier way to access the information regarding the history and culture of makeup.

Now makeup lovers will be able to learn about the history of makeup and so much more with the first ever Makeup Museum. The flagship will be located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan and launching with the the immersive exhibit Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America. It will explore everything from the entrepreneurs to the icons of the decade. Since so much of makeup is hands on, you can expect interaction from the experience. Attendees will have an immersive experience (think of a different word) “that presents vintage artifacts and robust educational information alongside aesthetic spaces and unique events” the brand revealed via press release. Erno Laszlo, skincare giant, and Alcone are both founding sponsors and will present “never before seen in public elements of makeup history.” For example, Erno Laszlo has a collection of facial products used by Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo. Doreen Bloch, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Makeup Museum shared the inspiration for the museum, “Being part of the beauty industry for nearly a decade, I’ve heard and read about so many fascinating stories, but it occurred to me that they were shared as one-offs. These incredible stories have never been presented in a comprehensive and immersive way. Once I had the idea to bring all of this together, the passion to make the Makeup Museum a reality was immediate.”

In the past few years and many thanks to Fenty Beauty, makeup has seen a push toward the diversity front. Bloch shared about how Black women would be incorporated into the exhibit.

“It was clear from our research how under-served Women of Color in America were in the 1950s in terms of both the products available to them, as well as the underrepresentation of Women of Color in beauty imagery. Rather than ignore that ugly history, we are actively talking about the disparities. It’s important to showcase Dorothy Dandridge alongside Marilyn Monroe, for example. We look forward to highlighting African-American icons, like Dorothy Dandridge, as well as Black entrepreneurs, such as Anthony Overton and Annie Turnbo Malone, at the Pink Jungle exhibition.”

The founders of the Makeup Museum aren’t new to the industry. It includes Doreen Bloch (CEO of beauty research company Poshly Inc.), Caitlin Collins (former editor of Makeup.com), Rachel Goodwin (celebrity makeup artist), and advisors including Gabriela Hernandez (CEO of Besame Cosmetics), Kate Hawkins & Carr Chadwick (And Or Forever), Christine Schott Ledes (President of the American Influencer Association), and Annie Lundste (Museum Specialist).

As you can imagine, creating a museum is a daunting (and expensive) task. If you are a makeup lover and want to support, they have launched a GoFundMe campaign for the museum. Caitlin Collins, stated “We want to encourage the makeup community to come together in a big, meaningful way with both physical and digital touch points. Makeup is the past, present, and future. Now is the time to make the Makeup Museum a reality.” While the museum is just launching with one in

Tickets go on sale in March 2020 and a waitlist to sign up for early access is live, here.

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