Celebrity makeup artists are the new higher-power in beauty influencing, as brands increasingly choosing to gift product to the glam squads behind celebrities, instead of the celebs themselves.
Earlier this month, Dennis Gross Skin Care launched a professional program offering 40 per cent of its entire skincare range to qualified professionals. This was done in the hopes of getting their products onto MUA’s social channels.
Furthermore, makeup artists are increasingly being made brand ambassadors or global makeup artists for major brands. Gigi Hadid’s go-to MUA Erin Parsons was tapped to be Maybelline’s global makeup artist back in June; and the likes of Michael Ashton, Sarah Tanno and Hung Vanngo, who boast Adele and Lady Gaga as clients, were brought on to be brand ambassadors at Marc Jacobs Beauty.
Most notably, Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist with upwards of 3 million Instagram followers, Mario Dedivanovic, was made apart of Laura Mercier’s Laura Mercier Makeup Collective.
Visual intelligence firm Dash Hudson’s senior editor, Helene Heath, summed the trend up best, saying: “The kind of exposure that a successful social media presence can yield enables anyone to build a devout following, especially if they’re an expert in a specific field.
“It’s that expertise that gives them a leg up over the pretty celebrity faces that beauty brands have traditionally relied on. Makeup artists are authoritative voices in their niche, which gives them an added level of credibility.”
