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Beyoncé's Makeup Artist Sir John Shares His Best-Kept Beauty Secrets

Sir John, who has been appointed Kilian Paris' first makeup creative director, revealed his tricks of the trade, including the technique he uses for red lipstick.

By Alyssa Morin May 09, 2023 10:30 AMTags
Watch: Beyonce & Balmain's Renaissance-Inspired Collab: See ALL the Looks!

Sir John is here to upgrade u with his beauty tips.

The makeup artist—who is the mastermind behind many of BeyoncéNaomi Campbell and Gabrielle Union's glamorous looks—recently shared his most mind-blowing, yet useful hack for wearing red lipstick.

"Take a lip pencil and use it all over," Sir John suggested in an exclusive interview with E! News. "Using a pencil as a base creates a waxy border for your lips. It won't feather as much and will stay anchored to your lips through eating."

But before you fill in your pout with a lip liner, the makeup creative director for Kilian Paris shared an unexpected trick to prep the area. "I use eye cream as a lip balm," he revealed, "because it doesn't change the texture of your lipstick."

Although that may be unheard of, it's no surprise there's an element of skincare in Sir John's makeup arsenal. After all, he's known for creating fresh, dewy looks on his A-list clients.

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"It all starts at the skincare level," the 40-year-old put it simply. "Your skin is just as much of a statement as a brow or as a lip."

Courtesy of Kilian Paris

Plus, you can never go wrong with the less is more approach.

"You don't have to over-powder," he said. "Be really strategic with your highlights. From your eyes, back to your ears, is a place you can make glowy. But everything from your pupils to your nose, always has to be matte. Make sure you don't have anything shimmery in the apples of your cheeks, it looks horrible."

These small touches can make a huge impact. "Any time I work with someone, I don't necessarily want them to feel sexy or beautiful," Sir John noted. "I want them to feel powerful." 

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And with a client roster like his, it's no wonder his standards are high. "Beyonce, I've learned so much from that girl," he revealed. "She has made me an absolute perfectionist. Like, take it off, do it again. Let's study this five times. That attention to detail is so beautiful."

For Sir John, beauty is more than meets the eye.

"Beauty is a feeling," he added. "You can't always see it, but you should feel it."

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