Laara is truly the best and one of a kind! I've been getting my hair cut by her for several years, and I can honestly say she's one of the most talented people I've ever met. Not only does she consistently give me the best haircuts, but the stylists she's trained have also were able to repeat her directions in order to start mastering a perfect bob. That speaks volumes about the quality of her teaching. What makes her truly exceptional is the confidence she builds in everyone around her. Whether she's working with a client or teaching a room full of hairstylists, she has a remarkable ability to make people feel capable, motivated, and excited to learn. You can see how much she genuinely wants the people she teaches to succeed, and that encouragement translates into incredible work. On top of her technical skill, she's personable and has an amazing character of a truly passionate and driver person. She creates an environment where people feel comfortable and confident, and that makes all the difference. She's a rare combination of an outstanding stylist, an inspiring educator, and a genuinely wonderful person. I couldn't recommend her more highly!!! read more

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I've had the honor of experiencing Laara Raynier's education in group setting and Private Instruction. She's high energy, passionate, and an educator I always highly recommend. I needed to break barriers in my career. If I wanted that next level, it called for a teacher who would be direct and not let me slide-- Laara delivered. What good are mistakes if you are not given the opportunity to learn from them? Not only did she fine tune my cutting skills, but she coached me to deliver a consultation in an energy that beams 'Im a professional artist in complete control.' Im forever grateful to her for what she's done for career. I learned the only barriers we have are the ones we place on ourselves and that as long as we follow the art... the rest will come. read more

Laara's private classes transformed my hair cutting and confidence. It was an amazing experience. She went above and beyond and far exceeded any other training that I've had (and I've had a lot). She's the best! and I know people fly to New York and train with her, so that might make her the best in the world. Thank you Laara! Using your techniques I've been able to make a lot more money!!! read more

I know someone that attended one of her trainings and was told by multiple people how rude and arrogant this person is. I went onto her Instagram and she preaches about confidence and how important self-worth is, but it sounds like to me all she does is degrade people. Double standards. read more

This was a horrible experience from start to finish. she spent a lot of time telling us how lucky we are for her to be there. during one of the haircuts she asked a student if they could see and when the student said yes she could Laara said "yeah okay fucking idiot". She came out of the bathroom only to not wash her hands then grab a napkin wipe her mouth with it and then toss it onto the counter and leave it for us to pick up. She disrespected multiple students and teachers even pulling a student up to berate her in front of the class because she said she didn't want a haircut because she was growing her hair out. She told the student "You are a beautiful girl but your hair cut looks like shit and it's doing nothing for you. You are turning down the opportunity of a lifetime! doesn't everyone agree that her haircut looks horrible?" She taught us absolutely nothing. Anytime we had questions about why she was using certain techniques she would go into a tangent about how she's the best of the best and acted like we were stupid for asking anything. She had a very sweet and very pregnant assistant who was videoing for her and she proceeded to treat her horribly for both days. She constantly would tell the girl that she wasn't getting the right shot and that "she could be making money off this content if she would stop fucking around" This poor girl was doing everything she could to keep her happy but Laara was just so rude. I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone. You learn nothing and get treated like a second class citizen the entire time. read more

Well where do I start. She talked about "professionalism," but she is far from that. She talked down to every person in the class, whether it was them just asking a question or based on their appearance. She claims to be the best teacher, but doesn't know how to explain what she's doing, and if you ask her she'll make you feel like you're stupid. Seems to me she only likes to cut bobs and only bobs and if you don't want a bob you are nothing. She is so self conceded, that if you don't spend money on having a one on one with her, you will be nothing. If you want to spend over $1000 to have her training, all I gotta say to you is good luck. read more

My name is Gidget Badini. I'm from McKees Rocks, PA. On May 8th, 2022, I took a one day private class with Laara Raynier, one on one precision hair cutting on live models. WOW! She is awesome with her teaching techniques, such as the consolation, face framing, growth patterns and so much more that makes for a successful haircut. She is very determined to see students succeed. When she's cutting hair the scissors look like they're dancing, it's unbelievable! It's always been my dream to go to New York and train with somebody in the beauty industry to learn new skills. I am so grateful that I found Laara. Thank you, Laara! What a dream come true! Are you an individual who has a Cosmetology License and are not practicing? Ask yourself, what is your passion? If it's cutting hair make your dreams come true, you're so worth it! Call Laura Raynier, she is the best, learn from the best! read more

This Is Zulaikha from Singapore Zulu Style Singapore I meet Laara and here my hearty love note for her Outstanding Hairdresser. Out of this world Human being! What can I say about the famous Laara Raynier! So fortunate to have spent time learning the next level of Hair cutting from the master herself. I have been as excited as a little girl in a candy shop:) Feeling richer with a diploma from the prestigious Mastercutter Academy, tons of expert advice from Laara Raynier and heart full of amazing moments to cherish! Highly recommend read more

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Without a doubt, Laara is the best Investment for your Career . I trained with her this last September for a 3 day 10 haircut session . Prepare to train with a Master and for your mind to be blown ! She gave me exactly the guidance I have been looking for my entire 9 year career . Thankyou from the bottom of my heart Laara . My haircuts may not be as perfect as Laaras yet but , my skill set has 100 percent improved . My clients are Loving their chic, sexy timeless haircuts and so do I ! I want to train with Laara again and again . read more

I came from California to NYC to train with Laara Raynier , I had a great time with her, she is an amazing teacher! I learned so much, , she is patient, very inspiring and has great skills and knowledge, she takes her training very seriously, great models too. I learned amazing precision techniques. The atmosphere was perfect for learning! Thank you Laara, I will be back ! read more

My experience with Laara was amazing! Being in the industry for 13 years I wanted to learn something different and new. Laara was the best instructor and I registered for more of her classes. She truly is the best in her craft and has so much knowledge to offer and takes her time to teach and perfect our skills. read more

Laara is great and excellent at what she does. I've gone to a few of her classes to get my hair cut by her and her students and it's been a stellar experience each time. She encourages her students to take the lead (under her careful eye) and guides them through the whole cut. You can tell she's a master of her craft. I plan to keep going to her for as long as she'll have me! read more

Unfortunately this establishment is in fact not a mastery of the craft they claim. . . Let's jump right to it. Laura Raynier herself has said, "I don't do black hair." How can you consider yourself a "mastercutter" yet you cannot cut the most diverse, unique, and versatile type of hair? Have you not heard of the devacut? Or how to shape an Afro? How ignorant it is to dismiss a whole race from your practice because of your own lack of knowledge and skill set. Instead of seeking to complete her mastery of the craft Laura continues to turn away Black models in her own prejudice. read more

Just got back from Laara Raynier's 3 day master cutting course in NYC! All I can say is WOW! I am so excited to get to work! Laara is the most amazing teacher I could have ever imagined. I learned skills I never knew existed . I so appreciated how high quality the models were- you could tell Laara she has a passion for excellence in her academy. I would say to all my fellow hairdressers out there- consider this master cutter academy course it will push you to bring out every ounce of talent that you have! read more

You will learn how to make your customer unhappy and how to give the worst hair cut of their lives.

Where do i start!!! I have been a hairstylist for over 20 years and have taken countless classes never to be treated like i was at this workshop. Laara was very brass and lacked in the one most important skill which is having patience. I felt as though the purpose of this workshop was to get you to sign up for the private classes which they kept promoting throughout the class. Laara's assistant continually pushed the private classes as well, even telling us not to confide in our spouses before spending $3,000.00 for some classes. I emailed her letting her know how disgusted i was with their mannerisms. Laara offered me a private class free of charge but of course called the day before stating a model had cancelled. Have not heard from anyone since. I left her class feeling much less confident than when i walked in. Take this class if you have really tough skin!!! I Wasnt impressed at all!!! read more

I met Laara when she came to the salon I work in here in Californing to do a haircutting workshop. It was the most exciting class and content I have ever gotten from a teacher. She was so amazing I couldn't help but sign up for her private classes. I went straight to 10 classes/haircuts because why do just 3 haircuts if can do 10 haircuts and have a chance to learn from a living legend!! So here I am in NYC were I just finished my 10 hands-on private classes and ohhh let me tell you I can't rave enough about them! There is no distraction, I could not have asked for a better environment to learn. It is so perfect. In addition I must say the quality of the teaching, and the values of the techniques I have learned are impressive. She is what every hairdresser should consider for themselves, for their confidence and personal growth.I have never experienced hands on training on live models like this. I had taken classes before but her skill level is beyond. She is the real deal ! And for the level of expertise she is sharing, her passion, the models she got me, and how she invested in me, I actually think that her private classes are cheap. I totally recommend Laara as a teacher and mentor. read more

I enjoyed the experience of getting my haircut by Laara and I'm quite satisfied with the results. She really knows how to analyze hair, face shape, head shape, texture, etc. to give the best possible cut to the client. read more

I wish there was a negative star I could give. Worst haircut of my life. I had listened to what I had wanted and at one point told me to shut up because she bedew to concentrate. Beware and do not step foot into this establishment read more

I just want to start by saying my boss had attended one of laara classes in previous years and absolutely LOVED it. She loved it so much, in fact, that she took a few of us to a private workshop. We flew from ohio to attend this class. As a stylist that has been doing hair for 6 years I was surprised at what I didnt know! The best part of this class was that laara actually had LIVE models for every attendee. That was amazing because we had the opportunity to see different textures and lengths and cutting styles. She explained her methods very well and was very quick to correct you if you had a mistake. Laara is VERY passionate at what she does and is the best in my opinion. I feel as though her passion is misconstrued as negative or rude. This woman has been featured in almost every magazine and worked alongside Vidal sassoon director roger Thompson!!!!! She knows what shes talking about! Take her classes and invest in your future. Will definitely be saving up to come back and attend more classes! read more

It was a negative experience from start to finish. We paid $600 for this class, she was extremely rude to us, took two lengthy telephone calls during our class and taught us NOTHING. read more

Worst private class I have ever been . I didn't come in and spend a fortune to be treated like crap . She was harsh , rude beyond words. Save your money take Vidal Sasoon classes they have way better teaching techniques! read more

WoW, just wow, this woman is such a genius!! She saved my hair and gave me a new passion. I ve been a hair model to other academies and they always gave me haircuts just to look edgy for the class and then I'm stuck cause those teachers don't care about my hair just for them to look cool to the class! The worst haircuts. But with LAARA RAYNIER First time she Gave me a haircut at her mastercutter academy I could see my hair react to her touch and cut. It is as if she could hear them talk. I have never experienced this before. I like to call her the hair whisperer cause it is impressive to watch her cut hair and give life to not only your hair but your soul. To the point that i was so inspired by her I wanted to learn from her. So I took a class with her one, did 2 haircuts on live model and I mastered the bob technique!! It is known as the most difficult haircut and she taught me so well and with such passion, guidance and technique and honesty I can now cut precision BOB! So if I can do it, i can only imagine how it can change the life of hairdressers to learn from her. And it would change my life too to know I can go to hairdressers that have her technique so I don't have to worry about getting a bad haircut anymore read more

Laara is a true gem. She's a one of kind haircutter/teacher. Plucky, funny, positive and masterful at both teaching and cutting hair. Should you get the chance to learn from her, consider yourself lucky! And do it. She cuts my hair (for the last year) and I always get compliments. Her long-time NYC expertise is earned through hard-work and a contagious passion for hair. Spend time with the best and you'll be glad you did! read more

I've been going to Mastercutter Academy as a hair model since last summer and have been very pleased with the haircuts I've received. I'm getting married in a few weeks and went to Mastercutter Academy for the most fabulous wedding haircut. Laara Raynier is charismatic, refreshingly honest, and clearly very skilled in her craft. She is an excellent teacher and is very careful to explain each step of the process to her students. I highly recommend both Laara and Mastercutter Academy for consistently high quality haircuts. read more

Had an absolutely lovely experience with Laara Raynier at Mastercutter Academy. Having moved to New York recently, I had been searching for a good hair cutter for a while now. I came across Master Cutter Academy on Salon Apprentice and decided to come in as one of the models for a free haircut. Laara was very quick to reply when I contacted her and I went in for my session. Having very thick Asian hair, I was quite worried about how it was going to go about. Arriving at Mastercutter Academy, I was met by a very friendly woman who introduced herself as Laara and her student she was teaching at the time. Laara's bright and energetic personality really made me feel comfortable and at home. Although initially I was worried on the bold style she chose for my hair, I am so glad she did it! This has to be hands down my favorite hairstyle I have ever had until now. She really understood my face shape and created a one of a kind hairstyle that would reflect my personality. I received so many compliments about my hair afterwards. Without Laara's skill and confidence, I would have never stepped out of my comfort zone and tried out this hair style. She is such a sweet lady and I will continue to come back to her time and time again. I have complete trust in her abilities as a hair cutter and would recommend her to anyone looking for a great haircut! Thanks Laara! read more

After being a hairstylist for almost 20 years in NYC and working with some of the best hairdressers in the industry, I decided it was time to take classes again to sharpen my skills. I've taken many classes over the years ( Sassoon, Toni & Guy) but this time I really wanted to find a private teacher. I wanted someone who would give me undivided attention and give me an honest opinion about what I needed to improve. I also felt i needed some motivation to push myself outside of my comfort zone. When I called Laara, the first thing I liked about her is that she's super enthusiastic AND she not only teaches, but she's worked at the best salons in the city. She was trained by Roger Thompson (who was a direct protege of Vidal Sassoon). For those who aren't old enough to be impressed by this, let me tell you, you need to do your homework and GET impressed! Laara isn't some beauty school teacher, she's the real deal and has a full career as a very successful stylist. She's taken what she's learned from the absolute masters of haircutting and is passing that knowledge on to anyone who's interested in learning. That is freaking amazing stuff! As for the classes, we decided to focus on the bob haircut. It may seem like a simple haircut, but all hairstylists know that doing a perfect precision bob is really difficult to do and takes a LOT of practice and skill. Laara is a MASTER of the bob cut! She has a rock solid technique and understands HOW to effectively teach her method. She will push you, she'll cheer you on and she'll give you your time and money's worth. I ended up taking a group class after my private sessions and that was a great experience too. The classes are kept pretty small so I still got the attention I needed and being around other stylists in a learning environment was really a lot of fun. After Laara's classes I had a client (who's usually very picky about her cuts) tell me that that haircut was the best I'd ever given her!!! One last thing i'd like to mention is that I not only improved my skills, but after being around Laara, I started to breathe new life into my career in a way I hadn't expected. I can't recommend her highly enough!!!!! read more

I purchased a 6 haircut package in Feb '18 and went for my training in April. I live in Northern California and spent a small fortune on this trip. We did 4 haircuts on day 1 in 6 hours and 2 haircuts on day 2 in less than an hour and 45 minutes. In my opinion the haircuts on day 2 were repeats of cuts we did the first day. The bottom line for me reflecting back on the entire experience is that I'm feeling like I didn't receive much bang for my buck. (Paid $2600 for 6 haircuts) I felt rushed and there was more watching than hands on. Academy is very misleading!!! The MCA website depicts all of these fabulous pictures, videos and testimonials and the truth is that the training takes place in a make shift studio in her ghetto apartment. Unfortunately I only researched the MCA website before booking and it was after the fact that I saw the not so great reviews on here. The review on here that says that they spent $600 and didn't learn anything and that she is rude, pretty much sums it up. Beware and proceed with caution!!! I have a feeling most of the AMAZING reviews on here could be questionable. Also, I expressed my feelings to Laara and told her I wanted a refund and she said she would consider it if I signed a document drawn up by her attorney, stating I would remove my review and wouldn't be allowed to post anything thereafter. She also has all of the models sign a form agreeing not to leave any negative reviews!! Extremely disappointing experience...oh and the certificates are so lame and unprofessional read more

Training with Laara Raynier is the best decision I have ever made for my career. Starting out as an inexperienced beauty school graduate, I didn't know anything. I can no longer say that. After training with Laara for the past three months, I am learning precision haircutting techniques that are amazing and my confidence level has grown massively for the better. I purchased 20 haircuts with Laara and every haircut has inspired me. All our haircuts are on live models with amazing hair. Laara is a very honest teacher and the teacher I've always wanted. Laara is hilarious, genuine, and sweet. She is a great mentor. She motivates me to do better and takes her time to really get to to know me. She has pushed me to understand and learn like I never have before. She is very patient with me and thorough with every single haircut we do. The atmosphere is very professional and all together it is a perfect place to learn. I'm learning not only to cut hair, but to have consultations with clients and speak to them in a professional manner. My confidence level as a hairstylist has grown so much in so little time and it's all thanks to Laara Raynier. I highly recommend this training. read more