New York City has no shortage of thematic museums, ranging from fashion to ice cream, but notably absent from the lineup is beauty – until now. Enter Makeup Museum, a free-standing museum set to debut in May 2020, as a semi-permanent experience devoted to the history of makeup, preservation of antique beauty artifacts, exploration of trends, and a look at the future. The experience opens at 94 Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District, where it will run for six months while working towards the establishment of a permanent physical space.

“The Makeup Museum is a critical institution for the cultural landscape in New York because makeup has a 10,000-year history,” said Doreen Bloch, CEO of Poshly Inc., who co-founded the museum, alongside Caitlin Collins, former editor of Makeup.com, and Rachel Goodwin, celebrity makeup artist.

The museum’s first exhibit, Pink Jungle: 1950s Makeup in America, will explore the entrepreneurs, icons and artifacts of the decade. “It’s a perfect time period for The Makeup Museum to start with because the 1950s is the birth of the modern cosmetics industry,” noted Doreen. Guests can expect to see Erno Laszlo’s skin care collection from Marilyn Monroe and Greta Garbo’s personal vanities, while also learning the story behind the cat eye, bold red lips, and other iconic makeup looks that came from the decade. There will also be digitally activated displays and interactive elements throughout the experience, including opportunities to play with makeup and cosmetics-inspired décor designed to take over Instagram feeds.

After exploring, guests can visit the Makeup Museum’s Gift Shop, which will feature unique and vintage-inspired makeup products, collections and kits, and gifts. Items will be available for purchase online as well on makeupmuseum.com beginning at the end of November.

While tickets go on sale in March 2020, a waitlist to sign up for early access is live on the museum’s website. Ticket prices will range from $25 to $40, dependent on time of day and day of week, and offer opportunities for add-on experiences such as masterclasses and beauty services. Visitors registered on the Makeup Museum mobile app (on Android and Apple iOS) will have the opportunity to register and get express tickets, view exhibition virtual tours, see exclusive digital content, contribute their own photos and videos that can be displayed, answer Q&As about makeup habits and opinions as well as shop the looks viewed at the museum.

The organizers are planning exhibitions for every time period in makeup history, as well as theme-based exhibitions. Additionally, the concept is expected to travel to other major cities globally beginning in 2021. Individuals and organizations who are interested in supporting the Makeup Museum may contribute to the Makeup Museum’s crowd-funding campaign on GoFundMe.