Beauty Lessons With Makeup By Mario
L’Oréal was one of my first beauty brand discoveries. My mother was a cleaner for the L’Oréal building in Manhattan and she often brought home products from Maybelline New York and Lancôme. I remember hiding in the bathroom, closing the door and opening the medicine cabinet, finding this little eyeshadow duo with a clear top. I was so intrigued.
Humble beginnings meant I dreamt of a better life. Not just for myself but my family too. Born and raised in New York City as the child of immigrant parents, I wanted to achieve big things early on. After graduating high school, I got a job as a fragrance consultant at the Sephora Flatiron store. One day a woman asked if I’d help her find a shade of lipstick and I was surprisingly good at it. Prior to working at Sephora, I didn’t even think about make-up or artistry, certainly not as a career, so working there changed the trajectory of my life.
Once I landed on make-up artistry, I studied nightly. I went to the library every day, and taught myself skills and techniques. I spent hours researching make-up artists and the entire industry. I bought every magazine you can imagine and immersed myself in all things beauty. I also went looking for freelance make-up artist gigs around the city before becoming a regional make-up artist for Lorac Cosmetics. This is where I built up my little black book, shooting with photographers and other artists. Eventually, I got my first agent when I was 21.
My first gig was for two cabaret singers. I think I charged them $25 each. I didn’t even have a make-up kit, just a Nike shoebox with some products and brushes inside that my manager from Sephora gave me. When I worked there, we were able to choose what kind of gratis we wanted. I never took fragrance; it was always make-up so I could gradually build a kit.
Working backstage at Miss USA and Miss Universe taught me a lot. As did working at Fox News doing the anchors’ make-up. The pressure of these jobs in live television was invaluable – I learnt so much and took a lot from those experiences.
I’m a big believer in hustling. The start of my career wasn’t easy, but determination has always fuelled me. If you want something, you have to hustle hard and book as many jobs as you can. I certainly did the latter to build a respected name for myself. Even when big jobs started to roll in, there was still a lot of work and sacrifice. In some ways, it became harder. I spent years travelling on aeroplanes and living in hotel rooms, which, as you can imagine, took a toll on my personal life. But I kept going and never took my eye off the prize. I’d like to say my career has also been a series of fortunate events rather than one big break. I’ve never allowed myself to become comfortable, which is the key to success.
Word of mouth is everything in this business. I started working with celebrities like Natasha Bedingfield and a few others – I don’t always name names – and then I met Kim in 2008. Sebastian Smith, a photographer I worked with often, called me one night and said, “Hey, I'm shooting this girl tomorrow for a magazine cover, her name is Kim Kardashian.” I didn't really know who she was. Season one of her show had just aired. I almost said no because I had to work at Fox News that day, but he convinced me.
She loved the make-up I had done for previous shoots. She kept asking what I was using throughout the entire process, and she was taking selfies non-stop. This was right around the time when her fame started to pick up. After the shoot, she asked me if I would take her make-up shopping to buy everything I'd used, so she could take it to LA for her make-up artist to use. I took her make-up shopping, we went to Henri Bendel and bought a few things that I'd used on her that day. We’ve worked together ever since.
I’ve been drawn to founder beauty brands since I started out. So naturally, I set myself the goal early on to have my own range. In all honesty, that’s been the driving force for me throughout my career. I’ve always wanted to build a name for myself first though, so the brand was years in the making.
Having my own brand has been challenging. When I first launched Makeup By Mario, I definitely had a few issues, especially since we launched during the pandemic. Supply chains were disrupted, timelines were affected and there were employee health concerns. I couldn’t even get into a studio space to shoot the products on models. Fear and insecurity were also challenging early on, but my biggest takeaway was to surround myself with a small, trusted team. We were self-funded and had very limited assets and resources, but it meant I could maintain creative control and create what felt authentic to me.
My sister's bridal look is one of the best I’ve ever done. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done red-carpet looks and magazine covers I’m hugely proud of, but the most meaningful look is the one I did for my sister Vicky on her wedding day. That moment will stay with me – and hopefully her – forever.
My best advice is to compete with yourself, not others. I’ve followed this advice for my entire career. As a make-up artist – and now brand founder – it’s helped me block out external noise and pushed me out of my comfort zone to encourage growth. It’s also what has helped me stay true to my vision.
@MakeupByMario
Talent only gets you so far. I really mean that – you also need to be someone with integrity, honesty, patience and professionalism. These are the qualities that build trust and a longstanding relationship with clients. Otherwise, forget it. You also need to establish a signature style that feels authentic to the client – be smart when you choose projects and always do the right things to maintain a good reputation.
My current go-to product is my Ethereal Eyes Moonlight Palette. I absolutely love the glow of the moon, and that’s what inspired me to create this. There are 12 beautiful shades spanning a mix of natural, dramatic and warm hues, but all with neutral undertones. It comes in a variety of textures and I just love the versatility of it – even the matte, darker colours apply in a very ethereal and soft way. I recommend starting with a skin-toned shade across the lid to create a smooth base. Build dimension by adding mid-tone shades to the crease, and darker shades to the lash line and outer corners for definition. Shimmer or metallic shades can be applied to the centre of the lid or inner corners to catch the light. Whatever look you’re trying to create, layer a little at a time and blend out any harsh edges.
A flawless complexion is essential. I always start with thin layers and build up coverage only where it’s needed. I use moisturiser as a primer to create that ‘lit from within’ glow – I love emollient-based formulas as they pair well with make-up. My favourite is Tatcha's Dewy Skin Cream. That mixed with my SurrealSkin Foundation is the answer to skin-like luminosity. I take time to blend it out too, using a stippling motion to get everything buffed into the skin.
Use concealer lightly. I avoid getting it too close to the lash line, which can look overly bright and unnatural. I do recommend using concealer alongside a good setting powder, though, to add grip and enhance the brightness of the concealer. It also blurs a little too.
The budget buy everyone needs is L’Oréal’s Voluminous Mascara. I have had it in my kit for years and, when it comes to affordability, nothing rivals it. It works on every lash type.
Kevyn Aucoin is one of my biggest influences. He was a pioneer and legend in the world of make-up artistry, especially in contouring, which was relatively unknown and not widely used at the time. He really paved the way for that technique. With contouring, it’s all about working backwards. Rather than placing your contouring product right along the hollows of the face, apply it slightly above the hollows of the cheek area, working it back towards your ears. I always use my SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer as it’s so soft and subtle. Finally, make sure you blend it out. When you blend, everything just melts into the skin.
My Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Original will always be my favourite product. It’s the first launch I created for the brand, and we worked tirelessly to perfect it. The shadows are featherlight, super buildable and blendable, with great grip and minimal fallout – it’s truly a timeless palette.
My parting advice is to be kind and grateful. Stay true to who you are and remain focused on your values, style and voice. It’s all that matters at the end of the day.
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