Six Makeup Artists That Everyone is Talking About

Our Instagram feed is full of budding young influencers and wannabe makeup artists who are showing off their talent to the world. It’s easy to get caught up in the world of influencers and to feel overwhelmed by all the different makeup looks that you’re seeing. There’s a growing feeling within the beauty community of ‘social media’ makeup versus everyday makeup. Every once in a while, we want to have a look at what is really trending within the beauty industry.
Makeup artists are the people we turn to when we want a new idea for a makeup look or something unexpected to capture our imagination. If you’re falling out of love with makeup or want a new source of inspiration, makeup artists should be your go to. If you’re suffering under pandemic boredom and want to experiment with the contents of your makeup bag, these are the people you should turn to.
We’ve filled our Instagram feed with dozens of makeup artists who are inspiring us everyday to discover new trends, whether it’s with editorial or runway makeup. If you want to see the most exciting aspects of the beauty industry, look no further than makeup artists.
This guide takes you through our favourite makeup artists that continue to inspire us every day. We’re sharing the six most exciting makeup artists that everyone should be following on social media. Whether it’s the French Cecile Paravina or the British Mona Leanne, this list includes six people that are shaking up the beauty industry. Grab your phone and log into your Instagram. These six makeup artists are an instant ‘follow’.

Marcelo Gutierrez

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Marcelo is a makeup artist that was born in Colombia before moving with his family to the United States as refugees when he was five years old. Before he turned his attention to makeup, Marcelo started off as an aspiring painter with a flair for creativity. He is also a performance artist and filmmaker before he found his way to the world of make artistry.
His early makeup looks focused on creating inventive beauty looks to wear for a night out in New York. It was these early makeup looks that inspired him to take his newfound love for makeup more seriously and to become a makeup artist.
You can find Marcelo’s work everywhere from the front page of Porter magazine to Vogue, Paper, and Milk Beauty. His celebrity clientele includes the likes of Troye Sivan and Halsey, showing that he is one makeup artist that everyone should be watching.
Marcelo isn’t afraid to experiment with fun and eclectic colours, often including sparkly rhinestones in his makeup looks that range from soft glam to avant-grade evening looks. You can see his work as a filmmaker come through in this makeup looks. Marcelo’s success shows that being a makeup artist isn’t a linear career and that resilience and resourcefulness will get you far.

Mona Leanne

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Mona is a UK-based makeup artist who grew up in Reading, outside of London. Her love for makeup grew from spending her weekends painting her face. It was this early love of using her own face as a blank canvas that brought her to the world of makeup artistry.
She made her name working with Pat McGrath, one of the most famous makeup artists in the industry. Mona worked alongside her for four years before going out on her own as an independent makeup artist. She’s quickly gained an acclaimed list of clientele, including working with the girl group Little Mix and luxury fashion brands like Vivienne Westwood.
What makes Mona different is that she is constantly pushing the limits of the beauty industry, changing how and what makeup can do. You’ll often see this makeup artist including rhinestones and flowers into her makeup looks, creating whimsical makeup styles that are both fantastical and wearable.
Mona describes makeup as being a form of self-expression and escapism from the real world. This makeup artist treats her craft as a form of therapy, allowing each person to embrace their own identity and personality through the medium of makeup.
She’s currently represented by The Wall Group and is the founder of The Makeup Monster. Her organisation teaches practical makeup skills and shares industry knowledge to help the next generation of makeup artists develop their skills and succeed in the industry.

Daniel Sallstrom

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Daniel is a Swedish makeup artist who has been experimenting with the medium of makeup from his early days. He started by using makeup as a way of transforming himself into something unique and otherworldly. His work has floated from one subculture to another, before finding his place in the queer nightlight scene of London.
This makeup artist has done drag his whole life, having a fascination with makeup and its ability to change how we look. With just a few tools, you can change yourself into a completely different person. A quick scroll through Daniel’s Instagram will show you how his whimsically inspired makeup goes outside the box, whether it’s using neon colours or graphical eye makeup looks.
Daniel is a makeup artist who has worked with almost everyone in the industry. His clients have included everyone from Naomi Campbell to Kate Moss, two of the most well-known supermodels in the world, along with luxury brands like Vetements and Saint Laurent.
He uses his work to communicate a unique idea of beauty – whatever his client views beauty as being. But Daniel’s idea of beauty isn’t always conventional. You’ll often find his models wearing red contacts or having fake blood dripping across their skin.
If you want to follow a makeup artist who isn’t afraid to break the mould, look no further than Daniel.

Ammy Drammeh

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Ammy Drammeh is the daughter of Gambian immigrants and grew up in Barcelona. She grew up raiding her mother’s makeup bag and recreating looks that she found in a book by the legendary makeup artist, Kevyn Aucoin. When she moved to London in her 20s, she was able to chase her dreams and start working as an assistant to the makeup artist, Andrew Gallimore.
She’s now represented by Bryant Artists and her Instagram feed is full of her portfolio shots, which includes work with luxury brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton. This Spanish-born Londoner is already making a name for herself within the industry.
Ammy is often inspired by everything from Spanish folk art to pop culture, collaborating with household names like Mulberry and Vogue. She’s quickly becoming a makeup artist that is popping up on the ‘must watch’ list. Her work with both British and American Vogue has seen her work with Thandiwe Newton and Harry Styles to create their front cover looks.
This makeup artist is one that looks for the beauty in the unexpected, taking inspiration from the charm and confidence of her subject.

Cecile Paravina

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Cecile is a French makeup artist who never imagined that she would end up with a career in the beauty industry. She started out with her eyes set on a career as a fashion designer before her procrastination took over. As she started to grow bored of her work, Cecile found herself on the YouTube page of legendary makeup artist, Lisa Eldridge. She turned her energy into watching and learning everything she could from Eldridge before she started to create her own whimsical looks.
Like most of the people on this list, Cecile’s love for makeup started as a hobby that grew with her through life. She focuses on using makeup as a way of embracing a person’s individuality, changing how they look and allowing them to become their own person.
Cecile moved to Paris almost four years ago and has been on the fast track ever since. Her work has seen her collaborate with some of the most exciting people in the fashion industry, including Amina Muaddi and Fenty, along with stylist Patti Wilson and the photographer Hugo Comte. Her recent portfolio includes working with Bella Hadid, the ‘it’ supermodel of the moment. Cecile has also worked on the Les Marins campaign for Jean Paul Gaultier.

Anthony H Nguyen

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Anthony H Nguyen is a KVD beauty ambassador and a Vietnamese-American makeup artist who grew up with dreams of becoming a horror film director. His plans changed when a family friend gave him a box of special effects makeup, which helped to develop his love for makeup.
Makeup was a form of escapism for a young Anthony, who grew up in an extremely traditional household and found makeup as a way of taking on different roles and characters – just like in a film.
Anthony has learnt his craft and worked on editorial projects for beauty brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills and MAC Cosmetics, before expanding to work with celebrity clients. He’s often the genius behind the makeup look of celebrities like Adele and Katy Perry.
You’ll have seen his makeup most recently in Lil Nas X’s music video for the song MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name), where he turned the performer into an otherworldly creature.

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Who are your favourite makeup artists to follow on Instagram? Let us know in the comments below!

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