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Beyoncé’s makeup artist Sir John reveals top budget beauty tips

Sir John recently announced he’s launching his own makeup line

Sabrina Barr
Tuesday 05 February 2019 13:31 GMT
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When global superstar Beyoncé performs at events such as Coachella and the Super Bowl halftime show, her beauty team have to prepare for anything that may ruin her on-stage look, be it warm, beaming spotlights or a downpour of rain.

Her secret weapon? Makeup artist to the stars Sir John.

The beauty expert, who's an ambassador for L'Oreal Paris, has been working closely with Beyoncé for quite some time, in addition to other celebrities including Priyanka Chopra, Kim Kardashian and Ashley Graham.

He recently teased that he's developing his own makeup line, telling WWD that he has two licensing deals in the works.

When applying a full face of makeup, Sir John has some simple, affordable hacks that help prolong beauty looks throughout the day, come rain or shine.

Here are Sir John's top beauty tips for a glowing complexion:

Apply foundation on moisturised skin

Before applying foundation to your face, it's important to first prep your skin, Sir John explains.

"I prefer to apply foundation on wet [freshly-moisturised] skin, because once your moisturiser dries, the foundation aheres to your skin in a really organic way," he tells Refinery29.

Sir John also recommends massaging your skin to increase blood circulation before applying makeup.

The makeup artist likes to use L'Oréal's Paris Hydra Genius Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe Liquid Moisturiser, which can be bought here.

There's no need to use a foundation brush

In Sir John's opinion, using a foundation brush may not be the best course of action, as doing so may make your makeup look "lacquered" on your face.

Instead, he prefers to use a big BeautyBlender when applying foundation, and a large brush for blush.

Use the correct kind of concealer

While some may use concealer as their go-to makeup product to cover up any blemishes or signs of facial pigmentation, it's important to determine what kind of concealer you need first.

"There are two kinds of concealer you should have. One concealer for blemishes, which should be spot-on to your complexion, then one for brightening and elevating your bone structure," Sir John outlines.

Rather than using a flat brush for applying concealer, the makeup artist prefers to use an eyeshadow brush, such as the MAC 224 Synthetic Tapered Blending Brush.

Exercise caution when holding your makeup brushes

If you thought there wasn't an art to holding your makeup brushes, then you're sorely mistaken.

According to Sir John, if you hold your brush with your fingers too close to the bristles, this can cause your makeup to look streaky.

As a result, he suggests holding the brush near the end of the handle to ensure a light application of makeup.

Be strategic with your highlighter

While it may seem as though more is more when applying highlighter, Sir John advises being strategic when placing it on your face.

He explains that applying too much can make your makeup look "greasy" and "unflattering", especially when captured on camera.

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The makeup artist recommends using highlighter predominantly on the outside of your face for a subtle, highlighted look.

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