Every time when I would watch Beyonce, I would always wonder, who is doing her makeup? She looks so beautiful, effortless, and natural in every single one of her appearances. Well, the master mind and artist behind that is Sir John Nicholas Barnett.
I first found out about Sir John through YouTube. I am pretty sure that he was a guest on some of the influencers’ videos, probably Desi Perkins. I am a huge fan of Desi so when I saw that she invited Beyonce’s makeup artist, it was impossible for me not to check it out. While I was watching the video, I was astonished by the way he was doing her makeup. I listened to him and watched him, and I felt like I should be paying to watch that video.
Sir John grew up in Buffalo, New York and his first inspiration was his mom. He started working in Mac and he said that when it comes to makeup, everything came natural to him. He got noticed by Pat McGrath (for anyone who doesn’t know, Pat is honestly the Mother of Makeup) and then he got invited to do the show to work with her in Paris. Then he met Charlotte Tilbury and started working as an assistant makeup artist on the fashion shows. He had to do two jobs in order to survive in New York, so after work he would go and do makeup in the strip clubs. He is claiming that he owes his fame to the super models Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, and Natasha Polly, and that’s how he got noticed by Beyonce. His first contract was with L’oreal and he now works with Tom Ford, Gucci and celebrities Kim Kardashian, Serena Williams, and Ashley Graham.
I was surprised how his makeup differed from the makeup I have seen on YouTube. I watched his technique and his looks and the way he does it makes it so natural and effortless. His hand is light, he knows facial structures very well, and he starts light and then builds products without making his skin look cakey and heavy. I feel like his looks fit his clients all the time and another interesting fact is that he always has this mystic vibe coming out of the look. Trust me, Google it and you will be astonished. Also, the message he is sending is so empowering and he has some very good advice for men and women.
Thanks to our queen Beyonce, we have a chance to know him and see his work. He is full of tricks and tips, and he changed the way I do my makeup. Makeup is so powerful, and he is sharing that power with us. Check him out, follow his steps and you will change the ways you do your makeup.