In the age of social media, the desire to sport the unique look of an artist, model or actor of the moment is stronger than ever. It’s no surprise, then, that celebrities’ hottest side hustle right now are their namesake beauty brands. Perhaps that’s especially true of makeup lines, with so many celebs known for, say, a signature bold lip (hey, Gwen Stefani) or a signature dramatic eye (looking at you, Gaga).
“This is the era of celebrity beauty branding,” says Los Angeles makeup artist Shadi Malek. “In my opinion, some have done it extremely carefully and meticulously, while others have not.” For help determining exactly which products are worth our pretty pennies, we turned to those who would obviously know: makeup artists, many of whom work with celebrities and their beauty brands every day.
Within the dozens of professional reviews we submitted, two names kept popping up: Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty. “Rihanna has made her mark on the makeup industry with her inclusion, launching products in shades for every skin tone,” says Malek. “Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s products are intensely pigmented, have sustainable packaging and send a positive message.” But those two are far from the only brands with products that are worth the space in your makeup bag. Here, find the best picks from MUA’s beloved celebrity makeup lines.
The MUA who loves him: Diane Buzzetta based in Las Vegas
The reason: “This shade works on any skin tone and stays on from day to night. I finally found the perfect nude lipstick that lasts. He hasn’t left my side since she took the plunge.”
From $11 at Sephora or from $13 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Cynthia Di Meo, Rare Beauty Global Makeup Artist
The reason: “It really maximizes the lashes you have, and the castor oil makes it comfortable to wear. It is waterproof but good for contact lens wearers. Great staying power throughout the day yet easy to remove. That makes it a great everyday mascara.”
The MUA who loves him: Sarah Tanno, Global Artistic Director of Haus Labs and Lady Gaga’s Makeup Artist
The reason: “This gives the appearance of a glass skin. Fire Opal and Rose Quartz create a subtle shimmering blush, but use Moonstone for a high-impact highlight. All shades are safe to use as eyeshadow, which Gaga and I love to do. Try Bronzite for a beautiful smoky eye. They blend so smoothly you can use them with your fingers.”
$20 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Priscilla Ono, Fenty Beauty Global Makeup Artist and Rihanna Makeup Artist
The reason: “I don’t have to worry about having 20 shades of lip gloss in my kit, because it’s designed to suit every skin tone. It suits everyone.”
The MUA who loves him: Based in New York City Jason Hoffman
The reason: “A lot of bronzers are too heavy on the red, orange, or yellow tones. These do not give the appearance of freshly tanned skin, which is often too ruddy. They look like a tan that has had a few days to settle. It’s a luxurious, neutral shade that usually takes a week of vacation to pull off.”
$49 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Toshi Szpyra based in Chicago
The reason: “It just blends so well, giving the perfect illuminating finish to the chest, shoulders and collarbone for that extra pop.”
The MUA who loves him: Jen Cayle Gaum, New York City resident
The reason: “They are so easy to apply and the smooth, radiant finish works great on everyone. I am obsessed with this!”
$21 at Sephora or $23.50 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Vivi Mintara, founder of Eye Makeup Lab
The reason: “This blush is highly pigmented, which means you don’t need to apply a lot to create a wonderful effect, and the colors are amazing. My favorite is Nearly Mauve.”
The MUA who loves him: Hillary Clark, based in San Francisco
The reason: “The ingredients are divine. Let’s face it: we ingest our lip products. With ingredients like coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, and rice bran extract, you don’t have to worry about that. Pink doubles as a sheer cheek color on fair skin tones when going for a natural look. Garnet does the same thing on deeper skin tones.”
The MUA who loves him: Hillary Clark, based in San Francisco
The reason: “Whenever someone sits in my chair looking a bit pale, I pop Awakened on their cheeks and they immediately look refreshed and youthful. I even use it as a color corrector before concealer.”
$24 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Hillary Clark, based in San Francisco
The reason: “It provides a transparent veil of color that will remain on the shoots of water. I can’t resist doing a modern take on the ombre lip with them. You apply one shade to the center of the mouth and the other to the outer edge and blend between the shades. Zesty Bestie in the center transitioning to Berry Banger creates a fuller looking lip.”
$14.99 at Honest Beauty and Target
The MUA who loves him: Ashunta Sheriff based in New York City
The reason: “The colors are beautiful. One of my favorite glasses for television and film is Forever. These have incredible staying power and yet they moisturize lips.”
The MUA who loves him: Atlanta-based Meredith Boyd
The reason: “It leaves my clients with a natural color wash that is hydrated but not sticky. I use the shades Pucker and Nectar. The cocoa butter makes it really soothing.”
$16 at Ulta and About Face
The MUA who loves him: Rachel Mazza, Fashion Brush Artist
The reason: “It’s my secret weapon, really shockproof, which is a must have, especially in hot weather. I never have to worry about my makeup melting with these paints, and I love the range of colors.”
$20 at Sephora or $22 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Megan Lombardi based in Los Angeles
The reason: “They’re powdery and soft on the lips, almost like cake, and super hydrating for a matte formula. I love how they have just enough color, but they don’t steal the show. They are a neutral lover’s dream!
$40 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves him: Yeika Oliva, New York City resident
The reason: “It melts into the skin and gives a flawless glow to the face. It’s my favorite with celebrity clients, like Teyana Taylor’s 2022 and 2021 Met Gala looks. He looks amazing in photos and videos.”
The MUA who loves him: Deney Adam, Ulta Beauty Professional Team Member
The reason: “The soft, blendable color blends seamlessly with skin for a buildable sheer or saturated look on lips or cheeks.”
The MUA who loves him: Sarah Tanno, Global Artistic Director of Haus Labs and Lady Gaga’s Makeup Artist
The reason: “They are extremely versatile and long lasting. I love using Black Onyx to replace a liquid eyeliner. It is extremely black and has better control, which makes attention to detail much easier. Nowadays, I love mixing Blush Matte with a touch of Flame Matte to make a beautiful peachy crème for cheeks and lips.”
$29 at Sephora
The MUA who loves him: Cynthia Di Meo, Rare Beauty Global Makeup Artist
The reason: “Enhances your natural beauty with sheer-to-medium buildable coverage that blurs the appearance of texture while protecting your skin, giving you an even, radiant complexion. I use it almost every day.”
The MUA who loves him: Paige Pelfrey based in Los Angeles
The reason: “They are transfer proof, which is very important to me. And honestly, I have never seen any other product that compares to this design. Creating hair-like strokes is a breeze, and having a spoolie on the other end is incredibly helpful for distributing and blending product.”
Source: www.cnn.com