For most collegiettes, flawless hair and makeup are achieved in one of two ways: 1) you are an expert at following YouTube and Pinterest tutorials or 2) your roommate is naturally gifted and does not mind becoming your personal makeup artist. And while you might have to pay your beauty stylist in Starbucks drinks, celebrities have an entire posse who are more than willing to glam their client up (and might just bring them a pumpkin spice latte).
Glam squads don’t usually get to walk the red carpet, but thanks to social media they are now receiving the accolades that they deserve. And while there are so many celeb makeup mavens that we could talk about, we have narrowed it down to the top nine names that you should definitely know about!
9. Nick Barose
Before he was hanging out with his Oscar-winning BFF Lupita Nyong’o, Barose got his start as an assistant for legendary makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin. When he isn’t jetting around the world to glam up his A-list clientele, he’s being featured in InStyle Magazine and Michael Kors campaigns. Even better, he uses his social media accounts to speak out against aspects of the makeup industry that he doesn’t agree with, which can help you just as much as it helps his clients. For example, within seconds of scrolling through his Instagram feed, it is easy to see that Barose is not a fan of contouring. So if you have no idea how contouring works, check out how he manages to make his boos flawless without the confusing process.
Notable Glam Moment: Lupita Nyongo’s 2014 Oscar look
Barose’s Beauties: Lupita Nyong’o, Hailee Steinfeld, Uzo Aduba, Gabrielle Union
8. Daniel Martin
This Dior Beauty Brand Ambassador works with celebrities as well as high fashion models for publications such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vanity Fair. He has also worked with celebrity makeup gurus like Pat McGrath and Pati Dubroff, and even worked with Aveda to re-launch their cosmetic line. Overall, his ability to go from runway to red carpet makes him a go-to makeup artist.
Notable Glam Moment: Jessica Alba’s 2015 Met Gala look
Martin’s Muses: Amy Schumer, Jessica Alba, Kate Bosworth, Elisabeth Moss
7. Patrick Ta
Celebrities love Ta because of his ability to create a wide variety of looks, and he’s mastered bold, glamorous makeup artistry on everyone from pop stars to reality stars. Ta’s work has been recognized by People Magazine and Cosmopolitan to name a few.
Notable Glam Moment: Gigi Hadid’s 2015 Video Music Award’s look
Ta’s Talent: Gigi Hadid, Shay Mitchell, Jenna Dewan-Tatum
6. Mylah Morales
Morales glams up Rihanna. Enough said. As Rihanna’s go-to makeup gal, she has done the pop icon’s makeup for numerous iconic photoshoots, red carpets and music videos. She is responsible for basically every trendsetting look RiRi has rocked since her “Pon de Replay” days. And if that’s not enough, her work is so good she is known as “The Glaminator.”
Notable Glam Moment: Rihanna’s 2015 Met Gala look
Morales’s Makeup Models: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Becky G
5. Hung Vanngo
Vanngo has the difficult task of making supermodels look even more flawless than they naturally are. Fortunately, he is oh-so up to the task. He paints the faces of Victoria’s Secret Angels on a daily basis, and before he was styling the industry’s most recognizable faces, he was painting and sketching in Canada where he spent his childhood. In 2006, he moved to New York City and caught the interest of top fashion photographers with his unique artistry. How cool is that?
Notable Glam Moment: 2015 Victoria’s Secret ad campaign
Vanngo’s Validators: Selena Gomez, Victoria’s Secret Angels, Ashley Benson
4. Pati Dubroff
When your work has appeared in magazines such as Allure, Vogue and Glamour, it’s safe to say that you are probably one of the best in the makeup industry. The signature looks that Dubroff creates make her a red carpet favorite. She also acts as an international spokesperson for Dior and Clarins.
Notable Glam Moment: Taylor Swift’s 2014 Harper’s Bazaar cover
Dubroff’s Dolls: Taylor Swift, Kerry Washington, Miley Cyrus
3. Sir John
We all know that Queen Bey is flawless all on her own, but even she gets a little extra help from Sir John, a primary member of her glam squad. He was the genius behind all of Beyoncé’s looks on her Mrs. Carter World Tour and in nine of her most recent music videos. His portfolio also includes numerous high-profile models like Joan Smalls and Jourdan Dunn. We bet MAC Cosmetics regrets firing the artist for being late when he was 22!
Notable Glam Moment: Beyonce’s 2015 Met Gala look
John’s Gems: Beyoncé, Joan Smalls, Chrissy Teigen
2. Pat McGrath
Ms. McGrath is considered Hollywood makeup royalty. She has basically applied makeup to any and every celebrity that you have ever loved, and along with being a talented, sought-after makeup artist, she is also the Global Creative Design Director of Proctor & Gamble. McGrath has been called the most influential makeup artist in the world by Vogue itself.
Notable Glam Moment: Golden makeovers at 2015 Paris Fashion Week
McGrath’s Mains: Katy Perry, Fashion Week Models, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss
1. Joyce Bonelli
Joyce Bonelli is probably one of the few makeup artists who can actually keep up with the Kardashian/Jenner girls’ beauty routine. Over the years, Bonelli has become the Kardashian’s not-so-secret beauty weapon. Rarely does a day go by that one of the sisters doesn’t post a shout-out to their makeup-artist-turned-BFF, but where did it all start? Bonelli met Kim Kardashian on a photo shoot in 2005 and has been creating head-turning look after look for the entire family since then. She has now become a celebrity in her own right with more than one million followers on Instagram.
Notable Glam Moment: The Kardashian and Jenner girls’ look on Cosmopolitan’s 50th Anniversary cover
Bonelli’s Boasts: The entire Kardashian-Jenner clan
So basically, all we need to do is become famous so other (incredible) people can do our makeup.