9 Pro Makeup Artists Share Favorite Looks They Created

For most of us, doing our makeup is either a mundane part of our daily routine or something we only do on special occasions — and if we nail a specific look, it tends to stick with us. But for professional makeup artists, creating full red carpet glam is just another day at work.

Some might assume that doing makeup and thinking about makeup all day, every day means that all those smoky eyes and bold lips end up blending together. As it turns out, even the busiest and most sought-after makeup artists have looks that stand out from the rest in their memories. Here are nine makeup artists on their favorite editorial and event looks they’ve ever created.

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"I liked this look because, as much as Emilia [Clarke] is known for her ice-blonde Game of Thrones hair, this makeup showcased how gorgeous she looks as a brunette as well. Her face is one of my very favorites to work on. Besides the fact that she has a pair of the stillest eyes (a dream for all makeup artists), she exudes beauty in a way that feels rather different each time. I loved her hair, created by the talented Jenny Cho, and the depth and '90s-vibe of the lips. I also really liked the balance of her eye makeup to the rest of her face. Pretty clean and simple yet strong. Emilia is such a beauty in general and having her face as a canvas to work with is very rewarding as an artist."

"My favorite makeup look that I've created is definitely when I did Doutzen [Kroes] for the 2019 Met Gala, 'Camp: Notes on Fashion' — a nod to Susan Sontag's essay in which she explains that 'the essence of camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.' Doutzen is naturally a striking beauty and to think that painting her face can make her more beautiful is both silly and amazing.

"The looks we usually create with Doutzen are more minimal and meant to simply further expose her beauty. So with the Met's 2019 theme, it was only fitting for us to cross over to play. [We] focused on the strong color and body of the dress [she wore] and Doutzen's bone structure. I was inspired by the iconic makeup looks from the '70s and '80s of models like Patti Hanson and Juli Foster (often by the hands of the iconic Sandy Linter). So we went for it and I loved every bit of it.

"Since this was a red carpet and not editorial, I wanted the look to have a watercolor feel to the finish. I felt this was important in order to keep the look modern and more Doutzen-esque. This collaboration with Doutzen and the creative team I'm a part of was totally fun and inspiring. And I always love a deeper meaning behind a look."

"I loved the burgundy smoky eye I did on Kate McKinnon for this past Emmys. The look was subtle but with a strong eye that really brought out her beautiful blue eyes."

Sheriff chose two favorite looks.

"I knew this look was going to be special from inception. The choppy, sexy, bed-head bob paired with the simplicity of a sweetheart strapless white gown needed attention to detail in the eyes [and a] sexy, pouty lip. I focused on lining both the upper and lower lash lines, then giving [Taraji P. Henson] a thin cat eye with Urban Decay 24/7 Liner. I added Kiss Cosmetics Wispie Lashes and a few individuals at the outer corner. I married faux and real lashes with my favorite mascara from Eyeco. I used Armani Eye Tint Cream Eyeshadow in a soft taupe color on the lid and used Kett Cosmetics Contour Palette to shape, sculpt, and contour eye crease, cheeks, and the outer edge of the face.

"I gave her a dusty-rose cream blush on the cheeks paired with a gorgeous highlighter from Iconic Cosmetics (they have these amazing liquid highlight drops. The lip was lined with MAC Lip Liner in Spice and Marc Jacobs lipstick in a beautiful, soft, mauve-y pink to complete the look. I also used two shades lighter [than her natural color] for filling in her brows because it paired nicely with the highlights in her hair. I knew when she left, she would win. It was that type of day. You could feel the magic in the air."

"This was from Alicia Keys's platinum album As I Am. I enjoyed creating the looks for this project because Alicia and the team really sat and came up with tons of ideas for the imaging. Alicia wanted to re-create her own version of the iconic Roberta Flack cover of Killing Me Softly. Alicia also wanted to strip down makeup from the heavy eyeliner and smoky eyes we were accustomed to doing. I used earth tones and metals to create a sultry, neutral look paired with glowing, radiant skin. The look is now iconic, and I feel we really began to create a trend in the 'less is more' makeup looks we see now.”

"Emma Stone for the 2011 Met Gala: She had just dyed her hair blonde, so it was a very different look for her. She was wearing a bold black-and-white print dress designed for her by the genius Alber Albaz for Lanvin. I decided I wanted her makeup to have a fun, playful energy, so I experimented with lots of bright reds and pinks until I landed on one of my all-time favorite lip colors: Schiap by Nars. The lip color, inspired by fashion legend Elsa Schiaparelli's favorite shade of shocking pink, was the exact bold statement lip I was looking for.

"I kept the rest of her makeup subtle and let the lip be the voice of the look. I love this makeup so much to this day because it very much speaks to my color sensibility as well as my belief that at it's very best, makeup can make us feel joyful inside and out. This look still makes me so happy.”

“I absolutely adore the look I did on Awkwafina for a feature in Variety. I went for an overall glow with a subtle shimmer on the eyelids and the lips to reflect the light. I perfectly prepped her skin with Dermaflash to create the smoothest, most beautiful skin to apply makeup on and then delivered extra hydration and micronutrients deep into the skin with Dermapore so her skin looked radiant and dewy."

Riner chose two all-time favorite looks.

"I have worked with Kate [Upton] consistently for the last two years. We now have specific looks and go-to products that she loves. [Her] maternity shoot [makeup] was soft and natural, and her World Series looks were classic Kate, but taken up a notch — bronze, smoky eyes and her favorite lip: a combo of Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk liner with Nars Orgasm Lip Gloss."

"Original cast members for Hamilton Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Phillipa Soo sang 'America the Beautiful' at the 2017 Super Bowl. I did their makeup in a trailer at the stadium, and they warmed up and rehearsed while they were having their makeup done. It was amazing. They looked so good together, but the makeup was really individual and highlighted what makes each of them uniquely beautiful."

"It's hard to pick a favorite makeup look because, for the most part, each experience, whether for a photo shoot or private client, is always unique and special. I do, however, fondly recall working with Gigi Hadid early in her career, and this image (for W, shot by Amanda Marsalis) is so reflective, not only of Gigi’s natural radiance but of my own personal aesthetic of minimalist beauty. The goal was to photograph Gigi in natural daylight, so the inspiration was to keep everything fresh, youthful, and vibrant, and I think we achieved that."

"I love this look because Ciara looked like a bronze goddess! I also think the brows are the framework to balance an entire look. My hands-down favorite product to use is the EM Cosmetics Micro-Fluff Sculpting Brow Cream in Soft Ebony. The wand is so refined that I can sculpt the brows to perfection, then follow up with EM’s Fine Liner Ebony Brow Pencil to fine-tune! I love the pay off of these two products combined. They offer the precision I need to execute the details.”

Interviews have been edited and condensed.

More from makeup artists:

• How to Apply Makeup to Skin With Psoriasis, According to Makeup Artists
• 25 Lipstick Application Tips According to Makeup Artists
• Legendary Makeup Artist Bobbi Brown Is Now Giving Makeup Lessons on MasterClass

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