7 pro make-up artists share their top tip
What do Simone Ashley, Kendall Jenner and Olivia Palermo all have in common (apart from being some of the most beautiful women in the world)? They all have a killer make-up artist to help them keep looking their best.
Luckily for us, those same make-up artists have shared the top make-up tips and tricks they’ve picked up through their careers so that you can take their expertise and apply it to your clients, as well as sharing the answers to their most asked questions.
1. Mary Phillips
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It comes as no surprise that the question most often put to celebrity make-up artist Mary Phillips, who’s known for being Kendall Jenner’s go-to and has a client list spanning the Kar-Jenners, J-Lo, Chrissy Teigen, Salma Hayek and many, many more, is how to achieve a natural-looking, healthy glow.
For Phillips, the answer to this is more than skin-deep.
“’I’m a firm believer in beauty starting from the inside,” she shares. “Maintaining a healthy lifestyle really shows in your skin.”
What’s her advice on this? “Drinking plenty of water, exercising, getting sleep, meditation and a healthy diet, as well as following a skin care regimen.
When it comes to make-up application, Phillips likes to add to inner glow and natural beauty by “subtly enhancing features for everyday natural makeup using minimal products”.
Phillips’ go-to routine? “Sun cream, a tinted moisturiser, bronzer and blush, curled lashes,
maintained browns and a lip tint.” Simple and stunning.
2. Ruby Hammer
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If there’s one person we’re taking make-up advice from, it’s Ruby Hammer. With 30 years in the beauty industry under her belt and as co-creator of cosmetics brand Ruby and Millie (gone but not forgotten) and founder of her own namesake brand, Hammer has three decades worth of tips and tricks under her belt.
The question Hammer’s been asked repeatedly is how to correct dark circles and pigmentation marks.
“Last year I coined the phrase ‘strategic camouflage’ for applying concealer strategically rather than blanket coverage (which leaves you prone to cracking or cakey concealer),” she shares.
“I advocate the use of correctors and different textures of concealers for different areas of the face – choose more lightweight and fluid ones for around the eyes and something a bit thicker for the rest of the face (nose, chin, marks or scars).”
Application is key to avoid ‘cake face’, with Hammer advising to “apply with a thin brush and pat in using your fingers”.
When asked for words of wisdom to pass on to other make-up artists, Hammer said, “Observe and watch other artists, then attempt to put it into practice.
“You can have the best instruction in the world but without practice you won’t hone your skills. Practise on models and practise on yourself – every face is unique.”
3. Joy Adenuga
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For Joy Adenuga, whose clients include Little Mixer Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Bridgerton’s Queen Charlotte, Golda Rosheuvel, one question she’s constantly asked is which primer is best to use on oily skin.
“My all-time favourite primer has to be the Becca Ever-Matte primer which I was lucky to stock before Becca closed down,” shares Adenuga. Unfortunately for us all, the cult make-up brand closed at the end of September 2021 as a result of the pandemic.
Adenuga is yet to find a suitable replacement for her go-to primer but has a trick up her sleeve for the time being.
“I am still researching an alternative but a cheat technique I share is to gently powder down, using a loose setting powder, all the areas that are prone to shine on your face before applying foundation.”
As a glasses wearer herself, like many Adenuga struggles with glasses marks on her nose – an issue that has since been solved with some sage advice from another MUA.
“I actually just picked up this tip at the Sephora UK launch from an artist at the One/Size stand (Patrick Star’s make-up line),” she says.
“She was talking about their powders and told me that a great way to minimise those annoying marks left by glasses on the nose is to apply loose setting powder directly to the areas of your eyeglasses that rest on your nose before wearing the glasses.”
Adenuga had to see it to believe it, and adds, “She did this with my eyeglasses and I have to admit, the marks they usually leave was very minimal as at when I arrived home.”
4. Andréa Tiller
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Andréa Tiller, whose recent work includes Ariana Debose’s Elle USA cover and Olivia Culpo’s stunning smokey eye for the CFDA Awards, is often asked whether skincare is really that important prior to make-up application. For Tiller, prep is one of the key steps in creating a great look.
“I feel skin prep is the most important part of make-up application,” shares Tiller, adding, “If you don’t have a good skin prep then your make-up won’t look as radiant or last as long on your skin.”
Skin prep is super important as, as Tiller explains, “The skin has to be hydrated and plump!”
To achieve this, the MUA invests time into skincare, as she explains, “I take around ten minutes minimum to prep the skin which usually consists of cleansing water, serums, undereye cream, lip mask and a very hydrating moisturiser and sometimes primer depending on the skin type.
If Tiller has time, she likes to sculpt the skin with the use of massage tools like gua sha and rollers.
Tiller was lucky enough to be mentored by runway MUA Jon Hennessey, who taught her to always remember that “less is more”.
“I learnt this in the beginning of my career from my mentor when I was assisting. It’s a great rule of thumb!” shares Tiller. “You can always add more and layer. Once you apply too much product it's hard to remove.”
5. Hannah Martin
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Hannah Martin’s CV is extensive, from royals and red carpets to editorial and celebs, and the MUA was even mentored by the Bobbi Brown.
“I’ve been lucky to have received amazing advice throughout my career but the one I use every single day that came from my mentor, Bobbi Brown, is ‘find your light’,” shares Martin.
“It’s so challenging to do great makeup in bad light so wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I search out the best light I can and after a few horror stories going to jobs where I literally couldn’t see what I was doing, I now take makeup lights with me to every job to ensure no matter the natural light situation I’m going to be able to do my job!”
When it comes to undereye creasing, Martin’s got you covered as she shares, “My most asked question is probably how you prevent creasing in undereye concealer. As the skin under the eye is very delicate and moves constantly, the area can be susceptible to creasing with make-up but there are a few steps you can take to minimise this significantly.”
Like Tiller, Martin knows prep and hydration is key, recommending that you “hydrate the skin under the eye before makeup with no more than a grain-of-rice-sized amount of eye cream” ahead of applying the product.
“This will ensure the skin of soft, supple, hydrated, and ready to hold makeup,” explains Martin.
With this area, the brush you choose can make a huge difference – something Martin knows from the launch of her own make-up brush collaboration with Ciaté London.
Martin recommends “laying the concealer onto the skin; a flat concealer brush helps blend a little bit of product a really long way”.
Blending is key for undereyes as this ensures the product doesn’t stick too much in one area, causing it to become cakey.
“Once you’ve blended the concealer under your eye, buff the concealer into the skin – this second step of buffing further blends the concealer into the skin for a seamless finish while also helping to lift off any excess product.
“I then finish with a tap of my ring finger and the tiniest bit of setting powder.”
6. Valeria Ferreira
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Valeria Ferreira, whose clients include Lily James, Simone Ashley and Chloë Grace Moretz, is also frequently asked about how to approach the tricky under-eye area.
“Most people want to know how to get a smooth and even skin tone and how to get rid of dark circles,” shares Ferreira.
Her top tip for tackling dark circles is to “never use foundation close to the lash line as this will make the eye area too moist and therefore concealer won’t last”.
Dark circles are a great way to practise your colour theory, as Ferreira adds, “use a colour corrector before applying your shade of concealer to neutralise the undereye darkness – you won’t see it coming through once concealer is on.”
Like Martin, Ferreira knows the importance of using the right brushes – something she was taught by YSL Beauty’s global beauty director Tom Pecheux.
“The best tips I’ve picked up is to use the right size brushes for the makeup I am creating. For detailed work you need small brushes and for wider designs you need bigger brushes.”
7. Rae Morris
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Make-up artist and author Rae Morris, who is also the founder of her own namesake brand, is often asked how to make make-up last longer on the skin.
“My best advice is to choose product that’s more pigmented, and then just use less.”
Prep can also be important because your make-up needs a good base to “stick” to, as Morris explains, “Don’t over-prep and prime the skin, especially if it is oily. Just remember that the first thing that comes off your face are the last products you applied.”
Also a fan of the less-is-more approach, Morris shares that the best tip she’s picked up is to “know when to put the brush down”, something she was taught by the late Richard Sharah.
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What’s your top tip for other MUAs and how did you learn it? Let us know in the comments…