Lipstick on the Rim: Celebrity Makeup Artist Sir John On Mastering That Glow – Skincare Must-Haves, Lighting Hacks, & 4 Game-Changing Tips To A Brighter Complexion

By Mollysims.com

Glow-getter’s listen up. Sir John joins us this week to answer every makeup question you’ve ever wanted to know. Sir John has worked with some of the most influential and iconic stars in Hollywood and is very passionate about the tie between beauty and mental health. He shares beauty tips from the inside out, and major makeup hacks to help you perfect that glow. Stay tuned for the legendary “back seat face beat” and the makeup rapid-fire you’ve always wanted. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Listen to the full episode here:

[Sir John] On Building Sir John

“I was blessed to have a really strong mom. I was taught to prioritize self-care. We were very emotionally in tune. We also knew to leave her alone when she was taking a bath. I’m a feeler. I want to make other people feel good.”

“Beauty is a feeling”

Molly asks Sir John to tell us how he got here. “I studied art history since I was 6, and I moved to NYC with $400,” explains Sir John. “I got fired from MAC at 23, and then I left makeup alone. I started doing the windows in NY at Bendel’s. The thing with me is that I’m not afraid of a no. No means no with women. But no just means I can’t do this with you. It’s not a door closed. So then I started doing merchandising for two years.”

“Later, I ran into Pat Mcgrath’s lead assistant 13 years ago. She’s the queen. And she told me to come to this show. At this time, I was doing makeup at a strip club for extra cash, and I got invited to go to Milan, Italy. I went back and told the girls at the strip club that I couldn’t go. The girls at the club put together a jar of money for me to afford to go. They twerked me to Milan.”

“The first show I went to was Dolce. Then she was like, I’m going to take you to Prada. And let me tell you, there is such fierce competition for her attention as an artist. I don’t believe in competition. It’s unhealthy. It doesn’t teach you about a win and what a win means emotionally.”

Molly asks Sir John to explain what this process looks like. “She created the look the night before, and I remember doing some looks, and she approved some of my looks. I remember starting to see a line of black girls waiting to get their makeup done by me. They felt comfortable coming to me because I understood what they needed. Pat McGrath was the largest person of color in this industry and still is. I remember being on sets and not seeing one person of color there.”

“After I left Prada, she sent me to Naomi Campbells’s hotel room. I idolized her so much because she demanded respect. She had a masculine mentality in that she wanted the same as her counterparts. At that time, it was unheard of. I went back to the strip club because I still needed work. Then I remember working with Charlotte Tilbury. I love Charlotte Tilbury. She introduced me to Beyonce. At the time, I was the best assistant. We’re in an era where people don’t love being in the background. I didn’t have an ego. It’s the best way to learn. You can’t lead until you can effectively follow someone. I also believe heavily in vibrational alignment. It might sound corny or spooky to some.”

“Being in alignment with what you want is powerful. “

“I remember meeting B. I was like, is there a model named Beyonce, and Charlotte was like, ‘no, it’s the singer.’ And at the time, I was like, I can’t do this, so I went to the bathroom to collect myself and called my mom. She was like, ‘she puts her pants on one at a time, but this is the most important smoky eye you’ll ever do.’ So Beyonce came in, and she was nice and cool, and I loved her hairstylist at the time. She already had an amazing makeup artist, Francesca. Truthfully, I couldn’t do what she did. I knew how to do my makeup, but I couldn’t do everything she could. I remember thinking, damn, I’m never going to see her again.”

Molly asks Sir John if he remembers the smoky eye he did, and he describes, “I do, it was a chocolate brown shimmer, individual lashes, and a glow. My secret sauce is the glowy light-reflective situation. It’s all about lights and shadows. All about reflection.”

“That year changed my life. I didn’t take it for granted. When I work with celebrities, you’re invited back — not guaranteed. No girl or no woman is yours. Whenever I get a renewed contract, I feel blessed.”

“I kept getting these calls to be put under contract and to go on tour with Beyonce. You have to remember there was no Instagram, only Twitter at the time. They had told me that I wouldn’t be able to say that I worked on this project, even after being released. I thought about it, and I said, this is not for me. And I turned it down. I just started building something. I couldn’t go underground. Then I got a callback, and they gave me a list of requirements and protocols to follow, which I was cool with.”

[Sir John] On Touring

“I started touring with the Mrs. Carter tour. Touring is tough. I’m not going to lie. It pushes you to know yourself. You also have to have a certain sense of knowing when to say no. I didn’t feel like I belonged to myself. I’m not property. But it was a blessing. These are champagne problems I’m talking about.”

[Sir John] On Beauty & Mental Health

“Mental health is important to me because we all have socioeconomic and cultural differences in the country. We’re all coming to the plate with different levels of gas in our tank. It’s a sense of self – Empowered or connected to yourself. And makeup doesn’t necessarily change that. Listen, a good lipstick helps, but it can’t fix it all.”

“I do love the emotional power of beauty. Beauty is a word that hasn’t always been kind to everyone. We don’t always provide the safest place for people. Not just women. This ultimate view of what perfection is and the filters and the contours. The perfection. The cookie-cutter look. Don’t ask me about a celebrity’s look. Let’s talk to the people, and let’s empower them.”

[Sir John] On Advice to Makeup Artists

“You have to check yourself at the door. As much as I want to go in and talk about my drama,  you have to have a clean palette. I can’t meet their energy with my negative energy. We also don’t need to come to you guys with what we want to do. We can have ideas, but look and see how they feel. It doesn’t take a long dialogue. Just a quick check-in. It can even be how much she’s not talking.” 

[Sir John] On 2020

“There’s no easy way to change except being vocal. I also thought, how can I bring this energy back to this space that matters? I started asking brands, how are you treating other black creatives? That’s the work we need to do. I am very serious about holding brands accountable. I will only work with brands that are working in alignment. It’s in the DNA of who I am, and I won’t work with people who aren’t.”

[Sir John] On The Back Seat Face Beat

“Beyonce flies into each show, and we had 40 minutes to show time, and her plane hadn’t arrived. Okay, I’m going to keep it real. Makeup artists always get the last. The stylist has more space to create the look with the talent. Then hair gets a lot of time. I remember I would always get scraps. I learned how to be really fast in the strip club. Let me tell you, anyone who is doing makeup in the audience, don’t let anyone know how quick you are because then you’ll never get 45 mins to do her makeup. I remember leaning over the passenger seat and anchoring my feat. And holding her jaw and neck. The wings had to be even when we got there, and it worked.”

[Sir John] On “Eat Your Skincare”

“I believe heavily in what you ingest. Before you go into makeup, how are you living? Do I take care of my gut health? Gut health is so important for your complexion. Probiotics, postbiotics, or enzymes. I make sure I’m giving my gut some good bacteria and not stripping the skin. We grew up when they were saying to use more chemicals or a peel. And let’s dial back on stripping.”

“3 days before going somewhere, try to shave off all salt or as much as you can. Salt makes you retain too much water around the eyes and in the face. Carrots are great anything orange for increasing cell turnover. Imagine eating a chemical peel in carrot form, so you want those carrots or carrot juice. Also, kale is so great because it has 650% Vitamin K. Vitamin K increases circulation, so if you’re looking in the mirror and you see dark circles, it can be a lack of hydration and circulation. And then a lipstick helps.”

[Sir John] On Makeup Hacks

“The prep starts with what you’re eating. I can’t stress that enough. Prepping for me begins at the skincare level. I’m a skincare freak. I love it, try it all, and believe in natural and chemical. You want to make sure your skin is really hydrated. If the skin seems flaky even after moisturizing or this time of the year. Give yourself a mild scrub. ”

“Here’s the ultimate hack. You want to make sure you’re applying your tinted moisturizer or foundation when your skin is still damp from your moisturizer. Once your moisturizer dries, your foundation adheres organically and looks airbrushed on. And I love a beauty blender and an egg sponge.”

“Here’s another hack – it’s been a long day, your off work or running errands, and you want to re-do your makeup for dinner. All you have to do is reset your concealer. Take a water-based wipe. Take off concealer under your eyes & chin, and reapply with moisturizer, and you’ll have a brand new base. This process can happen in 3 minutes.”

[Sir John] On Makeup Through The Ages

“I love mature women just in general. It’s fun to teach people how to lift their eyes. The conversation of your face changes as we become more mature. I use products that are very hydrating. I don’t like to use powder in general on anyone. I like the Makeup Forever HD Loose.”

“Let’s stop using the word anti-aging. Let’s pro-age”

“Another hack is to always use a loose powder on your T Zone, not pressed powder. Don’t use anything heavy and dry on your eyes and lips. They are the weakest point you have. Pressed powder is heavy. Only use loose powder to set concealer. Think of the eye area as chiffon. And this goes against baking – We don’t bake. We cook.”

[Sir John] On Products To Get That Glow

“Glow is strategic. If you’re looking at your face, take your finger underneath your eyes. That area should always be void of shine. The front of the cheeks should always be matte. Anything past your pupils can be as shiny and as loose as possible. Make sure you consistently glow up the sides — I love an emollient highlight. I also like using a really emollient and shiny SPF.”

“The eyes are an excellent cutoff point for contouring and shine. When you become more mature, you have to be strategic with your light. We want to make sure it’s flattering. I also don’t believe in shining up your nose. You look like a porn star, and that’s fine if that’s what you’re going for.”

[Sir John] On Nailing Your Smokey Eye

“A lot of people get scared, and everyone has a different version. A smokey eye is there to give the eyes a silhouette. It takes on the liner or one color and wraps it all around the eye. It’s the silhouette it offers that is flattering. It’s not about the color. It’s about the shape.”

[Sir John] On Rapid-Fire Makeup Edition:

Molly and Mary Alice ask Sir John some rapid-fire questions – makeup edition. 

1. Favorite red lipstick? “Sephora cream stain #1 is the most universally flattering red lipstick.”
2. Most underrated makeup item? “A brow pencil – I love MAC and Anastasia. A brow gives you definition. Take care of the hair on your face. Lashes and brows are impactful.”
3. Best fake eyelashes for an event? “Huda lashes and I also love Ardell from the drugstore. I am an individuals guy though, strips can be aggressive. You can’t use strips in the editorial world. It’s really LA and red carpet.”
4. Cream or powder blush? “Cream all day – I love Stila’s.”
5. Worst makeup trends of all time? “We’re seeing some of them now. We can still do the looks but dial it down with the skin. Dial down the foundation back. There’s too much skin happening. Let’s go back to skin-malism.” 
6. Favorite makeup trend right now? “Etherial, GenZ is inspiring me with makeup. It’s very whimsical and haphazard.” 
7. Favorite setting spray? “I love Caudalie Beauty Elixir and D’Alba which is a Korean brand serum spray, but I like to use it as a mist to soften the makeup.”
8. Must-have makeup brushes? “My friend Katie Jane Hughes just came out with an amazing set and MAC has always had great brushes.”
9. What advice would you give to your ten-year-old self? “Just be patient. I was so hard on myself. Be kind to yourself.”