Throughout the course of entertainment and fashion history, several makeup artists have left their mark on the industry, from people like Stan Winston to Bobbi Brown. There are many other influential makeup artists around the world whom we might have not covered today. Some of them we couldn’t include is Tom Savini, Michael Mills, and Martin Samuel. But, they deserve
Here we go with the list of the ten greatest makeup artists who changed the fashion world forever:
10. Rick Baker
Let’s start our list with one of the most famous and influential makeup artists of his time Rick Baker. He is well known for being a makeup artist as well as a special effects supervisor and creator. He has won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling seven times, for his creature designs and effects.
While growing up Baker created his own artificial body parts, and as fate would have it that’s what brought him into the spotlight. His work in the comedy horror film An American Werewolf in London fetched him the inaugural Academy Award for Best Makeup. It was because of this film that Michael Jackson hired Rick Baker to direct makeup effects for his 1983 Thriller music video. Baker has also received the 2485th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
9. John Chambers
John Chambers is known as one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. He is a prosthetic makeup expert having won an Academy Honorary Award in 1968 from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Chambers is the one behind the pointed ears of Spock in Star Trek. His famous works being a contractor of CIA are on display at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C.
John Chambers has worked on many movies including Around the World in Eighty Days, Mission Impossible, Planet of the Apes and many others. Few of his characters are for display at The Science Fiction Museum in Seattle.
8. Dick Smith
Now, Dick Smith Isn’t your normal makeup artist as he never worked With Vogue or Devil, as his fame and talents lie in special makeup effects as he was the man behind The God Father, The Exorcist, Little Big Man, Dad, Death Becomes Her, Forever Young, and House on Haunted Hill.
In 1985, his efforts and splendid talent as a makeup artist won him Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for the movie Amadeus and he won an Academy Honorary Award in 2012. Smith has published an instructional book for monster makeup.
7. Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge is famous as a
She worked with Shiseido (a Japanese skincare company) in 1998 to develop a makeup line that was targeted for the Asian fashion industry. She then went to work for Boots No7 as their Creative Director, while there she helped redesign and re-launch their brand. In 2015, she wrote a book titled Face Paint which was a New York Times bestseller. Her works appear on big brands around the world such as Vogue, Allure,
6. Bobbi Brown
If Bobbi Brown wasn’t on this list then it would be null and void as this legend is definitely one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. She created a
As a professional makeup artist, she founded her own company Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and wrote eight notable makeup and beauty books. She has worked as the editor for large beauty companies such as the Health magazine, Yahoo Beauty and the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show radio broadcast. She has made several makeup launches with her own line and her own fragrances.
5. Gucci Westman
Gucci Westman is a well-known makeup artist and costume designer and is known for her work making up Hollywood celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Gweneth Paltrow. She is a big name among celebrities and in the
Several things have contributed to her fame. Her career took off when she was hired by Revlon, which then gave her access to makeup stars like Halle Berry, Jessica Alba. Throughout her career she has done makeup for several brands like runway models, New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, she also worked with magazine covers such as Allure, Vogue, and W. In 2018, she launched her own cosmetic line called as the Westman Atelier.
4. Stan Winston
Like Dick Smith, Winston is also a special effects makeup artist and is an Academy Award winner. His notable films are Jurassic Park series, Predator, Iron Man, Inspector Gadget and best of all The Terminator Series. Throughout his career, Winston has won five separate awards. He is highly talented in combining makeup and computer-generated images to produce realistic special effects.
Winston’s talents made him one of the best in the game, because of this he has worked with James Cameron. Stan Winston’s talents also lie in practical effects and puppets. He is also good at mainstream makeup. All these put Stan Winston as a lord in his realm.
3. Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn Aucoin was one of the most famous makeup artists in the world and will surely remain famous in the years to come. He is the man who invented the concept of makeup artist as a media figure. He began his career making up test models and then as fate will have it, he was hired by Vogue and his life took a turn. While at Vogue he repeatedly worked with the famous photographer Steven Meisel. In 1986 he did a cover shoot with Cindy Crawford which became one of his notable works. The colors, textures, and finishes crafted by Kevyn Aucoin in the New Nakeds (greatest line of cosmetics) influenced the fashion industry later.
This shoot gave him a boost in his career, as he was now able to charge up to $6,000 per session. He then left Vogue to work with Revlon as their Creative Director. He then launched The Bakers which became a powerhouse for Revlon. Then, he created a launch for The Nakeds, Inoui cosmetics, and Kevyn Aucoin Beauty. If not for his untimely death in 2002 he would no doubt have soared to greater heights. His death became a cover story for the New York magazine.
2. Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury is a makeup artist who can’t be forgotten. Her talents go beyond makeup as she owns her own beauty and skincare brand. She first attended the Glauca Rossi School of Makeup and then studied under Mary Greenwall (a well-known makeup artist). Later, the two became lifelong friends.
After finishing from the school she then began working for top-tier fashion magazines like V magazine, Vanity Fair, Brazilian Vogue, and Love magazine. Throughout her career, she has won several awards and has launched her own skincare and beauty brands, blog and even YouTube channel. All her brands have been a success and have been featured in several well-known stores.
1. Pat McGrath
Pat McGrath is number one on our list, and for good reason. Having been named by Vogue magazine as the most influential makeup artist in the world, Pat McGrath is second to none. What’s even better is that she had no formal training whatsoever; pure talent. Her unique techniques and style have changed the fashion industry forever.
Throughout her career, she has developed makeup ideas and cosmetics for giants like Giorgio Armani and Prada. For over 20 years she has collaborated with Balenciaga, Calvin Klein and several others to create luxury cosmetic brands.
Special Mention: Jack Pierce
Jack Pierce was a famous makeup artist who is well-known for his creation of the iconic makeup worn by Boris Karloff in the movie Frankenstein. His incredible talents to create innovative monster makeups have inspired the entertainment industry leaving him as one of the most influential makeup artists of all time. He was a master and innovator in the fields of material designing and screen entertainment. In 2003, the Hollywood Make-up Artist and Hair Stylist Guild awarded him a lifetime achievement award for his works.