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.
Take Margot Robbie and Pati Dubroff for example. The pair are practically inseparable and have created some of Margot Robbie’s best beauty looks to date.
And so, we’ve scoured the far reaches of the Internet to find the cult beauty products celebrity makeup artists genuinely use. Whether it be on themselves or their clients, you know these are bound to be good…
Image credit: @maryphillips
Mary Phillips: Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara
In a recent interview with Hello! Magazine, Phillips shared her favourite beauty products including her "all-time favourite mascara", the best-selling Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara ($55 at Sephora Australia): "It really makes my eyes pop."
The L’Oreal ambassador said she can't live without L’Oreal’s Infallible More Than Concealer ($31.99 at Priceline). "It lasts all day and looks so natural on the skin," she said. "It’s great for underpainting too - just pick a deeper shade."
As for lipstick? The L'Oreal Paris Le Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick in 'Spill The Tea' ($26.99 at Chemist Warehouse) is the only liquid lipstick she actually likes. "I’ve never been a huge fan of liquid lipsticks, they always feel so dry but this one feels great," Phillips told Hello!. "It’s comfortable and so light, I don’t even notice I have it on. I've been using them on my clients since Kendall and I shot the campaign and everybody loves them."
Image credit: @bridgertonnetflix
Erika Okvist: PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo
Wondering how all the cast members on Bridgerton’s much-anticipated second season had such gleaming skin? Turns out the Netflix series makeup artist Erika Okvist employed the help of a cult favourite Pat McGrath Labs highlighter to illuminate the complexions of all the actors on-set.
“On every single lady, literally, we used the [Pat McGrath Labs] Skin Fetish Highlighter & Balm Duo ($79 at Sephora) on the cheekbones," 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."
Image credit: @nikki_makeup
Nikki Wolff: KVD BEAUTY Good Apple Lightweight Full-Coverage Concealer
Nikki Wolff recently had the opportunity to paint Kendall Jenner’s face after her amazing copper hair transformation. The pair collaborated on a look that helped Jenner’s skin shine through. “We wanted to keep Kendall’s skin really fresh and natural,” Wolff explained to Style Caster. “I perfected it using a bit of concealer — I blended it in and mixed it with a lovely, glowy primer. I applied KVD Beauty’s Good Apple Concealer ($42 at Sephora) in just the areas that needed it, [because] it is amazing when used all over the skin as a weightless, but full coverage base.”
Image credit: @Violete_fr
Violette Serrat: PAT MCGRATH LABS FetishEyes™ Mascara
According to an interview with The Cut, the A-list makeup artist and Guerlain Creative Director of Makeup has, “very few, short, thin lashes, but I love lashes and I don’t wear false ones so I need a mascara that checks all of the boxes.” Her recommendation for keeping her “lashes long, fluffy, thick”, while maintaining curl and with a potent colour payoff? “Pat McGrath [LABS FetishEyes™ Mascara] ($49 at Sephora) is the best.”
Image credit: @katiejanehughes
Katie Jane Hughes: Weleda Skin Food
If you’re a fan of Ashley Graham’s makeup artist, Katie Jane Hughes, then you probably aren’t surprised to hear that she told Into The Gloss that her “main multi-purpose cream is definitely Weleda Skin Food ($26.95 at Adore Beauty) . 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.” Hughes also uses “it under a full coverage foundation to create a really dewy base” or to even “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.”
Image credit: @emilywoodmakeup
Emily Wood: e.l.f Hydrating Camo Concealer
Emily Wood caters to some of our favourite UK talent. She uses a plethora of exxy products in her makeup kit but as far as concealers go, Wood actually really rates the budget-friendly e.l.f Hydrating Camo Concealer ($10 at e.l.f cosmetics). Why? Well, according to an interview with Who What Wear, Wood said it’s “a hydrating, long-wearing concealer, perfect for under-eye circles and blemishes. [Plus,] it has a lightweight formula that provides a satin finish.” The makeup artist swears you can “wear it without any foundation” but she personally likes to focus “under my eyes and any other specific areas that I want a little coverage on.” Alternatively you can “pair this product up with a cream blush” for a “fresh and flushed” vibe. “I love seeing raw skin and that is why Camo has my heart.”
Image credit: @carolinebarnesmakeup
Caroline Barnes: MAX FACTOR Miracle Second Skin Foundation
Want to know how Caroline Barnes achieves Nicola Coughlan’s dewier makeup looks? It’s all down to the MAX FACTOR Miracle Second Skin Foundation (was $31.95 now $19.17 at Priceline), which is “wonderful for anyone who has normal to dry skin and wants a natural-looking complexion with protection,” the makeup artist explained to Who What Wear.
Image credit: @allanface
Allan Avendaño: Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara
Allan Avendaño told Teen Vogue that "[Dior] Diorshow Iconic Overcurl [Mascara] ($56 at Sephora) is my favorite mascara because of its magical brush.” According to the makeup artist behind Jodie Turner Smith’s eye-catching makeup looks, “it really helps to swoop your lashes upwards while applying the mascara to give you a more open-eyed look. I find that it's better for volumising; however, it really does the trick for overall lengthening and thickening. Two coats and it looks like you're possibly wearing false lashes.” As for Avendaño’s technique? “I use the sharp edge of a cosmetic sponge or a business card over the eyelid to maximize the contact my mascara brush makes with the lashes. [Next, I] apply the mascara on the bottom of the lashes, pinning them against the sponge or card, [which] helps to naturally curl them. Then, I remove the sponge or card and use the mascara brush on the ends of the lashes for extra length."
Image credit: @robertsesnek
Robert Sesnek: Tom Ford For Men Concealer
As Sesnek told Byrdie, “on days where I'm up at 3 a.m. and on a few hours of sleep, I will use [Tom Ford For Men Concealer] ($75 at David Jones) in medium, just in the inner corners of the eye. Almost everyone — men included — have darkness in the inner eye area,” he explained. “This product is more of a salmon/beige color, so it's not going to look like you're wearing anything at all, but it does work! Start slow and build up to desired intensity, pat in with fingers and remove excess with a tissue. You will look like you had eight plus hours of sleep.”
Want more expert tips? These are the beauty tricks and techniques Margot Robbie’s makeup artist Pati Dubroff swears by.
Main image credit: @maudeapatow
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
