Before you register for a makeup course, compare them against 5 criteria: who it's for, study format, Personal Color methodology, tuition vs. duration, and outcome guarantee. This guide helps working professionals pick the right course — not the most expensive or the cheapest.
Updated: May 2026 • Curated by the Gạo Nâu Personal Makeup team
This is the single most important criterion — two course groups built for completely different audiences in goal, duration, and tuition. Pick the wrong group and you waste both time and money.
| Criterion | Personal Makeup Course | Professional Makeup Course (MUA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Doing your own makeup every day | Becoming a professional makeup artist |
| Right audience | Working professionals, office staff | Aspiring makeup artists |
| Entry level | No experience required | May require natural aptitude |
| Duration | 5-8 sessions (3-6 weeks) | 6-12 months (full-time or part-time) |
| Expected outcome | Do your own makeup in 10-15 minutes a day | Practice professional makeup on clients |
Working professionals who want to do their own makeup go with the personal course. People pursuing makeup as a career go with MUA. GNPM is a personal-course school.
Class size determines how closely your instructor coaches you. Large classes (>10) aren't recommended because the instructor can't realistically follow every student — and students often leave struggling to apply what they learned.
| Criterion | 1:1 Course | Small group 2-6 | Large class >10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students per class | 1 student | 2-6 students | >10 students |
| Tuition (5-8 sessions) | 15-30 million VND | 4-10 million VND | 2-5 million VND |
| Coaching depth | 100% — instructor with you the entire session | High — instructor rotates one-on-one | Low — hard to keep up with everyone |
| Schedule | Flexible to the student | Fixed by group | Fixed by the larger class |
| Pace of progress | Fast — adjusted to you | Steady — learning with peers, not too fast or slow | Slow — moving at the class average |
Budget of 4-10 million VND + enjoys learning with peers: pick a small group of 2-6. Busy and want fast results: pick 1:1.
This is the key differentiator for course quality . Courses that teach techniques without analyzing Personal Color → students look great in class but pick the wrong lipstick and blush colors at home, wasting their money.
| Criterion | 16 Seasons (detailed) | 4 Seasons (basic) | No Personal Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Includes Personal Color? | Yes (16 Seasons) | Yes (4 Seasons) | No |
| Color variants analyzed | 16 detailed categories | 4 broad categories | — |
| Analysis axes | Undertone + Value + Chroma (3 axes) | Undertone (1 axis) | — |
| Color-picking accuracy | High — matches real skin | Medium — high error rate | Low — picked by feel |
| Personalized Beauty Profile? | Yes — personalized document | School-dependent | No |
Prioritize a course that includes Personal Color. Within that, the 16 Seasons system is more accurate than 4 Seasons. See the full 4 Seasons vs 16 Seasons breakdown
Expensive doesn't mean good — and cheap doesn't mean bad.Compare prices by number of sessions and hours per session to evaluate the real value per learning hour.
| Criterion | Price range | Sessions | Hours per session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small group (2-6 students) | 4-10 million VND | 5-8 sessions | 2.5h/session |
| Premium 1:1 course | 15-30 million VND | 5-8 sessions | 2.5h/session |
| Professional course (MUA) | 30-100 million VND | 6-12 months | Full-time or part-time |
| Large class >10 students | 2-5 million VND | 3-5 sessions | 2h/session |
GNPM: Group class 6:2 (5 sessions × 2.5h): 5,350,000 VND ≈ 428K/hour. Masterclass 1:1 (5 sessions × 2.5h): 18,000,000 VND ≈ 1,584K/hour (includes Personal Color 16 Seasons + Beauty Profile).
Personal courses and professional courses are fundamentally different on outcome. Don't expect a professional certification from a personal course — and don't expect a personalized Beauty Profile from a professional course.
| Criterion | Personal Course — Real skills | Professional Course — Career-ready |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | No (it's not a career) | Yes — professional certification |
| Skills gained | Daily self-makeup + product selection | Professional makeup for clients |
| Takeaway materials | Your personal Beauty Profile | Professional curriculum |
| Outcome guarantee | Real-world skills (measured by post-course test) | Career-ready after graduation |
| Post-course support | Style refresher consults later on | Industry networking, job referrals |
Ask the school: "What can I actually do after this course?". Vague answers like "you'll be prettier and more confident" → red flag. Specific answers like "do your own makeup in 10 minutes, pick lipstick by undertone" → trustworthy.
Quick decision
Group Course 6:2 — Right for you if
Masterclass 1:1 — Right for you if
GNPM is NOT the right fit if: you want to become a professional makeup artist working on clients. Look into 6-12 month MUA courses at professional schools instead.
Frequently asked
A personal makeup course trains working professionals to do their own makeup — focused on layouts that suit your face, your undertone, and office/personal events. A professional makeup course (MUA) trains a career — doing makeup for others (brides, stage, photo studios) with more complex techniques, longer duration (6-12 months), and higher tuition (30-100 million VND).
It depends on your goal. Small group classes (2-6 students) are cheaper (5-10 million VND), have a fixed schedule, give you peers to learn with, and instructors can still follow each student. 1:1 courses (15-30 million VND) offer flexible scheduling, 100% instructor attention, and pace adjusted to you — ideal for busy people or those needing fast results. Large classes (>10) aren't recommended because instructors can't follow every student.
16 Seasons is more detailed and more accurate than 4 Seasons. 4 Seasons divides skin into 4 groups (Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter) — too broad, high error rate. 16 Seasons analyzes 3 axes (Undertone warm-cool, Value light-dark, Chroma bright-muted) split into 16 specific variants → much closer to real skin. A makeup course that integrates Personal Color is always better than one that teaches techniques without analyzing the underlying skin color.
Small group classes of 2-6 students (5-8 sessions): 4-10 million VND. Premium 1:1 courses (5-8 sessions): 15-30 million VND. Professional makeup artist courses (6-12 months): 30-100 million VND. GNPM currently prices the group 6:2 course (5 sessions) at 5,350,000 VND and the Masterclass 1:1 at 18,000,000 VND.
Personal makeup courses generally do NOT issue professional certifications (because it's not a profession). The outcome guarantee is REAL SKILLS: you do your own makeup in 10-15 minutes, pick lipstick and eyeshadow colors by Personal Color, and walk away with your personal Beauty Profile. Professional makeup-artist certifications only come with 6-12 month professional courses.
Our team will ask about your goals and recommend the right course — no pressure to enroll.
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