Meet the Top 7 Makeup Artists Behind Your Favorite It-Girls and Celebrities
Including Patrick Ta, Mali Thomas and Nina Park.
To attain a picture-perfect red carpet look, celebrities turn to makeup artists, hairstylists and more. From skincare prep for a flawless application, to a bold or nude lip and a smokey eye, the artists behind these stunning looks are skilled at adding just the right touch. Below, we’ve tallied up the top seven celebrity makeup artists you need to follow.
Our picks make hours upon hours of prepping and priming come across as flawless and natural. While you may be familiar with Mario Dedivanovic who works with Kim Kardashian and Sir John who works with Beyoncé, there are quite a few other talented artists worth paying attention to. A few individuals we’ve included in our list are Nina Park, Emily Cheng and Mali Thomas. Keep reading to learn more.
@ninapark
Nina Parks knows her way around red carpet makeup. She has worked with many of her current clients like actresses Zoë Kravitz, Brie Larson and Laura Harrier for the Met Gala, film premieres, mulitple magazine covers and even the Oscars.
According to S Magazine, Park didn’t initially plan on going into the industry. Last year in a feature, she shared that when she moved to New York back in 2010, she didn’t realize her passion for makeup could lead to a career. She happened to meet a makeup artist who needed an assistant and began working her way up.
With her background in art, it was a natural progression for Park to become a full-time makeup artist. When she’s not sketching and painting face charts, she’s working with some of Hollywood’s hottest young talent. In the past, she has also worked with Chanel and Kiehl’s.
@emilycheng
Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi has been in the public eye for quite some time. Her recent red carpet beauty looks including her 2019 SAG Awards beat have come into fruition thanks to her makeup artist Emily Cheng. Glowing skin, full brows and a pop of color were the details that completed Shahidi’s memorable red carpet moment.
Cheng also counts singer Ella Mai and actress Rowan Blanchard as clients. She initially got her start where all beauty dreams are born, the beauty counter. In a feature with Fashionista, she shared that her experience working with a diverse clientele at a Laura Mercier counter prepared her for her career as a celebrity beauty architect.
Cheng embarked on a career as a freelance artist and eventually moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles and later worked and trained with legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath for two years. She then worked festivals and other high profile events which was where she met Shahidi.
@kingmalimagic
Mali Thomas is a master of complexion working her magic on a wide array of skin tones. Her work on darker skin tones is simply breathtaking. Her Instagram feed is full of inspiration and tips for #DewyBrownGirls, a hashtag she started when she saw a lack of black women with luminous, dewy makeup looks.
In a profile on Sheen magazine, she shared: “Some of us feel this look is unachievable because it’s very sheer and dewy.” She went on to break down that dark skinned women struggle with “hyper-pigmentation, discoloration and oily skin” so they feel that a dewy technique isn’t attainable or long lasting. With her work she proves that this popular trend is attainable no matter your complexion.
Thomas has previously collaborated with Anastasia Beverly Hills for the launch of their inclusive range of foundation sticks. Additionally, she was featured in videos demonstrating how to get a flawless face with ABH products. Along with her celebrity clientele including Nicki Minaj, Ashley Blaine Featherson and Ryan Destiny, she’s continued working with ABH.
@priscillaono
If you don’t know Priscilla, where have you been? The celebrity makeup artist who works with Rihanna is a Fenty Beauty global makeup artist and frequently shares her best tips on Fenty Beauty’s YouTube channel.
Ono got her start at beauty oasis, Sephora, according to ELLE. While she has always loved makeup she didn’t consider making it her career until she experienced a pivotal moment while doing makeup for a music video. In a profile with POPSUGAR, she shared: “That day, I said, ‘This is what I want to do with my life.’”
When Ono isn’t creating that signature Fenty Beauty face, think flawless skin and glossy lips, or working on the actual Fenty face like Rihanna‘s cool white liner look. She’s killing it on her Instagram account and has even dipped her toe into the fashion market recently with the launch of a brightly colored collaboration with Eloquii.
@hungvanngo
Hung Vanngo’s beauty philosophy is “less is more,” according to a past feature by CR Fashion Book. Vanngo is heavy on skincare but light on coverage for good reason. His signature look is bronzed with a pop of color.
He details his rise to the red carpet in Out magazine in which he divulges that he fled Vietnam via a refugee boat to Canada. Following his new life, he later found inspiration in the glossy pages of fashion magazines. He built up his portfolio and reputation practicing the looks he saw on models, and eventually began landing clients. He’s now a red carpet staple working with clients like Jennifer Lawrence, Emily Ratajkowski, Selena Gomez, Jasmine Sanders and Laura Harrier.
@patrickta
Patrick Ta was self taught when he landed his first job with MAC cosmetics, according to People. He later made the leap and moved to Los Angeles where he landed his major clients, like Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell who found him via Instagram and model Gigi Hadid.Ta has been working his magic on major industry faces ever since, including Bella Hadid’s monochrome yellow beat at Dior Men’s Spring/Summer 2019 show which was one of the many looks that ignited the neon eye trend. “My signature look though, would have to be a sun-kissed glow.” He explained later on in the interview.
Ta recently debuted his own cosmetics line so everyone can get his signature look. Patrick Ta Beauty launched on April 4 and his first collection, “Major Glow,” is full of rose gold, glow enhancing essentials like a body oil, a lip shine, a highlighting mist and setting fan for easy application.
@thescottedit
From pearl covered brows, angular pencil thin arches, neon liner to a fresh face and freckles, Scott Osbourne has the range. His work is, as he puts it in a recent interview with Respect Mag, “Abstract. Twisted fantasy glam.” He regularly matches rapper Rico Nasty’s over the top outfits with an equally bold look.Osborne told the outlet that he started his career doing makeup for friends in high school before eventually landing at MAC. He doesn’t shy away from bright colors, gems or glitter and frequently documents his work on his Instagram account where the rapper and fellow DMV native found his work.
From there he’s done versatile looks for appearances, shows, editorials and covers. In a profile with Paper magazine, he shares: “I’m versatile because I can do natural glam as well as then do these crazy unique looks.” He also counts Slick Woods as one of his celebrity clients.
