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The World’s Top Makeup Artists Share Their Best Makeup Tips of All Time

From Pat McGrath to Charlotte Tilbury, plus more industry icons.
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This article first appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of New Beauty. Click here to subscribe

We tapped the world’s most talented makeup artists to share their top tips of all time. From Pat McGrath to Sam Fine and Charlotte Tilbury, these makeup magicians know what works and what doesn’t. Below, you’ll find takeaways for everyone, whether you love to go full glam or embrace a no-makeup makeup look.

The Best Makeup Tips From Celebrity Makeup Artists

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Pat McGrath, Founder of Pat McGrath Labs

“Sometimes I like to use my fingers to apply makeup as opposed to brushes because it allows more control over the pressure against the skin and can blend better with the heat from my fingers. It is easy to apply foundation, concealer and eyeshadow with your fingers, and you can smudge or even out the pigment as desired. This technique inspired many of my products.”

Pat McGrath

PRODUCT TO TRY

Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation is formulated to be applied with your fingers or a brush—however you prefer.

Pat Mcgrath Foundation

2 / 12

Sir John, celebrity makeup artist

“Lean into ‘Dopamine Glam’ and ‘Dopamine Living.’ It’s basically the anti-trend. Choose products, styles and applications that make you feel amazing when you apply them, when you see them and when you get a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. That’s the challenge. That’s the outlook.”

celebrity makeup artist Sir John
3 / 12

Pati Dubroff, CHANEL makeup artist

“It’s all about lighting! Lighting can change our perception about how we look at any time. If you apply your makeup in unfavorable lighting conditions, it could cause you to overdo it, like trying to cover shadows that are not there or choosing the incorrect shades. I tell everyone to try to apply their makeup in natural light, ideally near a window, to get the truest perspective. This also applies to photography. Try to find the most flattering light to capture your selfie and boost your self-esteem!”

CHANEL makeup artist Pati Dubroff
4 / 12

Lisa Eldridge, founder of Lisa Eldridge Beauty

“Early in my career, I suffered a bout of adult acne, which really knocked my confidence. I then honed a targeted concealing technique that allowed my skin to look as naturally perfected as possible, and it has been my secret weapon ever since. Pinpoint Concealing is all about precisely concealing only the areas you feel are absolutely necessary to disguise. Simply tap an intense-coverage, creamy concealer directly on top of the blemish or area. Then, randomly dot around the surrounding area to ensure the edge of the concealer isn’t too uniform. This cheats the eye away from the concealing. Lastly, lightly blend the edges to ensure a seamless finish.”

Lisa Eldridge

PRODUCT TO TRY

Eldridge’s latest addition to her makeup collection—Pinpoint Concealer—brings her Pinpoint Concealing technique to life and comes in 16 long-wearing shades.

lisa eldridge pinpoint concealer

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Bobbi Brown, founder of Jones Road Beauty

“Smile. Make sure you’re looking at yourself in good lighting—natural light is the best. And don’t be afraid to add a little glow to your face every day.”

Bobbi Brown

PRODUCT TO TRY

The “little glow” Brown refers to comes courtesy of her cult-favorite Miracle Balm, which now comes in 13 shades, including the latest fan-favorite Pinky Bronze.

jones road miracle balm

6 / 12

Vincent Oquendo, celebrity makeup artist

“Roll with the mistakes. Sometimes, when something goes left, I follow through with it and end up someplace unexpected and more exciting than I previously imagined.”

Vincent Oquendo
7 / 12

Sandy Linter, makeup artist and author of The Makeup Wakeup and Disco Beauty

“Never put eye cream on your eyelids before doing your eye makeup. You cannot do good eye makeup with moisturized eyelids. Everything just blurs and disappears. Instead, opt for a good eyelid primer. If you find they are too dry, use a concealer. Also, lip pencils should go on smooth and creamy. They should not be dry and tug on your skin.”

Sandy Litner

PRODUCT TO TRY

Linter recommends the iconic MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil, which comes in 34 shades.

MAC Lip Pencil

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Patrick Ta, cofounder of Patrick Ta Beauty

“A tip I’ll always stand by, and what our blushes have become so well-known for, is to start by applying your powder blush to set your base first, then add your cream blush on top to bring that glow back to your skin. This also allows your blush to last longer and really show up beautifully in photos.”

Patrick Ta

PRODUCT TO TRY

Put Ta’s tip to the test with his Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo, which went viral as soon as it launched and comes in 15 shade combos.


Patrick TA Major Headlines Double Take Blush Duo

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Priscilla Ono, Fenty Beauty global makeup artist

“Don’t be afraid of setting powders! So many people powder their makeup after it’s on and leave a white cast, but applying a powder with a translucent, natural matte finish is the trick to making your look last.”

Priscilla Ono

PRODUCT TO TRY

“To avoid looking too cakey, I typically don’t bake with a setting powder and just use Fenty Beauty’s Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder instead,” Ono says. “It has the most beautiful, translucent, universal, natural matte finish for all skin tones and instantly removes shine and sets makeup. It’s also perfect for touchups throughout the day, and as much as you layer it on, it’s never going to cake up. Even Rihanna had to have it with her for her Super Bowl performance!”

fenty-pressed-setting-powder

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Mario Dedivanovic, founder and CEO of Makeup by Mario

“My favorite tip is what I call ‘editing oneself’ throughout makeup application. It sounds simple, but this is something a lot of artists struggle with. It’s about learning to shut off the autopilot feature in our artistry, where we often add a step out of habit versus necessity. Before reaching for the next product, I ask myself, ‘Is this going to enhance her features further, or is the makeup starting to look too heavy?’ Editing my makeup ensures I get the most flattering, beautiful result every time.”

Mario Dedivanovic

PRODUCT TO TRY

“One product I never edit out of my routine is the SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder,” says Dedivanovic. “It’s absolutely essential for locking everything in place and keeps the skin looking natural while blurring imperfections. I press and roll the powder into the skin, smoothing the complexion for my signature SoftSet effect. This powder allows me to build makeup in thin layers, which is important to my artistry technique.”

Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Talc-Free Soft Blur Setting Powder

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Sam Fine, celebrity makeup artist

“I’ve often found that a woman is one product away from experiencing transformative results. So, pick up a bronzer to add warmth to your skin, select a loose powder—instead of pressed—to set your under-eye area for a creaseless finish, purchase an ultra-fine eyebrow pencil to make hair-like strokes…and c’mon! Also, try using a lip liner that matches your skin tone for added depth before applying lipstick or gloss.”

Sam Fine
12 / 12

Charlotte Tilbury, founder of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty

“I have always been known for my signature Tilbury glow. That is why they call me the Queen of Glow, darling! I have always been obsessed with Old Hollywood light tricks, and one of my top tips is to apply highlighter on the high points of the face: the cheekbones, the top and tip of the nose, and anywhere the light naturally catches. This gives a flattering, lifted and radiant glow! You can also dot it on the inner corners of your eyes to widen and brighten them.”

EXAGGER-EYES Mascara

PRODUCT TO TRY

“To create this lit-from-within, luminous complexion, you need my viral sensation, Beauty Light Wands,” says Tilbury. “They are like a diva light for the face! Infused with Glow-Gel Technology, they give a high-gloss highlight that stays dewy and plays with the light beautifully.”

charlotte

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