9 beauty products that celebrity makeup artists actually use

As far as makeup recommendations go, there’s no one we trust more than a celebrity makeup artist.

With a wealth of celebrity clients under their belt, an A-list makeup artist has the tough job of finding products that are not only good, but also hold up under studio lights and the flash of the paparazzo’s camera. 

Heck, there are some makeup artists who are so trusted by their clientele that their relationship turns into a collaboration between muse and artist like Margot Robbie and Pati Dubroff. 

From moisturiser to mascara, we’ve scoured the far reaches of the Internet to find the cult beauty products celebrity makeup artists genuinely use. Whether they're using them on themselves or their clients, you know they're are bound to be good.

Mary Phillips: Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara

In a 2023 interview with Hello! Magazine, Phillips shared her favourite beauty products including her "all-time favourite mascara", the best-selling Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara ($45.50 from Adore Beauty): "It really makes my eyes pop."

But she also likes to layer the mascara on top of lengthening and lifting lash primers to achieve voluminous lashes when she's doing her clients makeup. 

"The Monsieur Big Mascara is the perfect last step to a big dramatic lash," she explained in a YouTube Tutorial. "It gives you that super-sized, volumised, thick lash look."

Erika Okvist: PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo

“On every single lady, literally, we used the [Pat McGrath Labs] Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo ($86 from Sephora) on the cheekbones," Bridgerton head makeup artist, Erika Okvist confessed in an interview with Allure. "During the daytime, we'd use just the balm because it works really well with sunlight — when we're going into ball scenes with Penelope, we might go in with a shimmer instead to just give her even more highlights and lowlights for the camera to love."

Nikki Wolff: MAC Eye Pencil in 'Coffee'

"I always use pencils as a base for every eye look I create," Wolff told Glamour in 2022. "That way, the eyeshadow has something to grip onto, you don't get any fallout and it lasts really well throughout the evening. Just make sure it’s not a waterproof pencil, it’ll set quicker and leave you less play time to achieve the perfect shape."

The celebrity makeup artist likes to use a creamy kohl pencil like MAC Eye Pencil in 'Coffee' ($41 from MAC) to line the upper lid, creating a slight wing that follows the natural angle of the lower lash line.

By doing this, you're going to get a shape that's flattering and lifting for the eye," she explained. "If the angle doesn’t look right, you can just clean it up, add more pencil or blend away if necessary."

Violette Serrat: PAT MCGRATH LABS FetishEyes™ Mascara 

According to an interview with The Cut, the makeup artist and founder of Violette_fr has sparse, short, and thin lashes. To combat this she likes to apply a few coats of PAT MCGRATH LABS FetishEyes™ Mascara ($58 from Sephora) for long, fluffy and thick lashes. 

"I love lashes and I don’t wear false ones so I need a mascara that checks all of the boxes," she explained. "Pat McGrath is the best."

Katie Jane Hughes: Weleda Skin Food 

Katie Jane Hughes told Into The Gloss that she's a big fan of Weleda Skin Food ($28.95 from Priceline) and uses it on herself, as well as her clients.

"I use it for any dry bits on the skin, or as a highlighter if I need to just to amp up the shine on the skin on the cheekbones or the legs," she explained. "[You can use] it under a full coverage foundation to create a really dewy base [and] clean up makeup mistakes — if I've gone outside the lips a little bit I'll take a Q-tip, twist it into a bit of the Skin Food, and then use it like a magic eraser."

Allan Avendaño: Therabody TheraFace Pro

"The beginning of great beauty routines starts with great skin prep. I think investing in a tool like Therabody’s TheraFace Pro ($349 from Shaver Shop) is worth every penny," Avendaño told Grazia. "It’s an all-in-one toning device that helps to lift, tone, depuff and clean your face. This tool is invaluable and will really help your beauty products go on more effectively and give your makeup looks a great canvas to start with."

Pati Dubroff: SUQQU The Cream Foundation

Margot Robbie's go-to makeup artist, Pati Dubroff, has had the same favourite foundation for over a decade. 

"I’ve been using a brand from Japan, Suqqu, pretty exclusively for, like, 15 to 18 years — maybe longer," she told Fashion Magazine. "It’s the most beautiful formula."

Dubroff's preference for the J-Beauty product has clearly rubbed off on Robbie, because the Australian actress told Vogue UK it's the only foundation she wears on the red carpet.

"If I go to events I use Suqqu Foundation ($134.64 from Cult Beauty). That sh*t doesn’t come off. It looks like skin, but it doesn’t budge," she explained. "I haven’t found another foundation that stays on like that without looking heavy."

Ariel Tejada: Huda Beauty Blush Filter Soft Glow Liquid Blush

Although there are plenty of old favourites in Tejada's makeup kit, there's a lot of newness he's been excited about using on his clients this year.

"Huda Beauty just came out with new matte luminous blushes that I am obsessed with," he told Pop Sugar, referencing the sheer and buildable Huda Beauty's Blush Filter Soft Glow Liquid Blush ($37 from Sephora). The creamy and blendable blush formula utilises blurring pigments for a soft-focus, flawless finish.

Mario Dedivanovic: Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

"All of my clients take really good care of their skin and regularly see a dermatologist, so typically when they sit in my chair, they're ready to go. There is a cream by Augustinus Bader ($581 from Net-A-Porter) that I swear by though — I’ve been using it religiously for years," Dedivanovic told HELLO. "I like to let moisturiser sit on the skin for at least three minutes before putting anything over it, it goes a little tacky and sinks in — it’s beautiful."

Main image credit: @patidubroff

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