Makeup Science Asia Is Redefining Beauty Education in the Philippines
More than just the “hows”, Makeup Science Asia is here to break down the “whys” through their one-on-one, personalized courses.
If you were into beauty in the early 2000s, chances are your weekends were spent watching YouTube makeup tutorials on repeat. Eyeshadow tips, contouring tricks, winged liner fails—you name it. YouTube was the ultimate makeup school for most, and Abby Ofrasio was one of those subscribers, endlessly scrolling and binge-watching.
Beauty has always been part of Ofrasio’s DNA. As a child, she would go with her aunts to salons and makeovers during the 90s, quietly observing and admiring the process. Later, she deepened this interest through YouTube tutorials and even physical workshops. But something was missing—while these taught her how to do makeup, they never explained why things worked the way they did.
So Ofrasio took the extra mile. She started digging into the science of undertones, color matching, and product compatibility. In 2018, she eventually built something of her own and founded Makeup Science Asia, a beauty academy that looks at makeup as a science and an art. ”I’m a nerd, that’s the easiest way to put it,” she laughs. “I love studying formulas and how things work.”
The power of personalization
At the core of Makeup Science Asia is its one-on-one personalized classes, offered both in-person and virtually. This approach thrived during the pandemic when Ofrasio’s team discovered that their tailored courses actually made remote sessions more impactful. Instead of passively scrolling through YouTube tutorials and the new generation TikTok videos, Ofrasio turned virtual learning to be more engaging with an expert ready to listen, explain, and guide.
Photo by Kieran Punay.
Today, Makeup Science Asia has grown into a team of over 60 experts, many personally trained by Ofrasio herself, alongside tenured artists with years of experience. Their students range from eight to 80 years old, from different parts of the country and the world, each with varying reasons for learning makeup.
“You wouldn’t really find an academy like this,” Ofrasio says. “Since it’s one-on-one, everything is adjusted to your skill set and your needs. When someone asks us what the best foundation is, we can’t give a one-size-fits-all answer, because it really depends on the person. It’s customized learning, and that’s what makes it so effective.”
Once enrolled, students receive a workbook, a drape set for undertone testing, and beauty products from local partner brands Ellana and Soft Beauty. Homework is given after every session and reviewed by the QA team before students level up to the next class. “The ultimate goal for our personal class is to never hire a makeup artist again,” Ofrasio shares.
While group classes provide community and collaboration, Ofrasio says many students prefer the safe space of one-on-one. “A lot of them are shy,” she explains. “Hindi sila nahihiya magtanong, magpakita ng mukha nila to really air out their questions.” (“They’re not shy to ask and show their bare face to really air out their questions.”)
The importance of color expertise
In 2023, Makeup Science Asia introduced color analysis as part of their offerings for in-person classes. Ofrasio flew to Singapore to train and acquire a license in color analysis from Academy of Image Mastery (AIM). “When you teach makeup, you don’t need a license. But with color analysis, you do, and it’s really hard to pass,” she shares. “When it comes to color analysis, you have to have a natural eye or acumen for color and I felt that I had already developed that from years of teaching.”
Photo by Kieran Punay.
More than color analysis becoming a trend, it’s essentially important when integrated with makeup. “Kahit gaano kagaling ang skill nila, hindi parin maganda yung makeup kasi mali yung colors,” she explains. (“Even if their skill is good, their makeup doesn’t look nice because the colors are wrong.”)
A learning she shared from studying color analysis is debunking the belief that all morenas have warm undertones. “When we started incorporating color analysis, we saw morenas finally realizing the right shades for them. It breaks my heart when morenas think they are limited in colors. Sometimes, a morena would feel like a pink lipstick would not look good on them, but it actually does.”
As part of her next big project, Ofrasio is dedicated to creating a color analysis book made specifically for local beauty with tips such as finding the perfect homegrown products for Filipino skin tones. “I want to do something that is very supportive of the Filipino skin and Filipino brands because all recommendations online are for international audiences,” she says.
Beyond the brush
Photo by Kieran Punay.
For Ofrasio, the work goes beyond glam. “Makeup is a life skill,” she says. She wants to dismantle the idea of makeup lovers being “too insecure or vain”. She adds, “It’s okay to want to improve yourself. We need to stop being apologetic for wanting to look beautiful. It’s just as important as knowing how to present yourself.”
According to Ofrasio, Makeup Science Asia’s students come from all walks of life, fresh graduates preparing for job interviews, performers wanting to improve their stage looks, seniors picking up makeup as a new hobby, or simply anyone looking to have more self-confidence.
When asked about her philosophy, Ofrasio says Makeup Science Asia goes beyond technique—it’s about learning what works for you. She shares, “Our mission is to make every single person look and feel beautiful.”
Because at the end of the day, beauty education isn’t just about how to hold a brush—it’s about giving people the knowledge, tools, and confidence to finally see themselves clearly, and like what they see.
Visit https://makeupscienceasia.com/ to learn more about their personalized courses. Follow them on @makeupscienceasia on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates.
