Stars Who Do Their Own Makeup

Thanks to the world's most fabulous makeup artists and the widely used program Photoshop, the entertainment industry is full of perfect-looking people. However, while Hollywood's biggest stars may have the pros to thank for helping them flaunt a camera-ready face, there are quite a few famous individuals who prefer to do their own makeup every now and again. Even beyond that, there are even some who have cut out time in the makeup chair altogether. 

Many big names in the business may seem much too busy performing to bother learning how to properly contour a face, but that isn't quite the case. A lot of them do make the time to brush up on their glam skills. (Yes, pun intended.) Some stars find applying makeup soothing before hitting the stage, such as Carrie Underwood, who refers to it as her "me time" (via Entertainment Tonight). Others, like Bella Thorne, have had some not-so-positive experiences with makeup artists. "I got dermatitis from working on a movie," she revealed to Yahoo!. "And I'll never let that happen again."

And they aren't the only celebrities who not only like painting their own faces, but are flat-out good at it. Here are a few other stars who do their own makeup.

One would think that marrying into royalty would mean having your makeup done for you on the daily. However, that's certainly not the case for down-to-earth Meghan Markle. Following in similar beauty footsteps of her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Markle prefers applying all her makeup herself. "My routine is very simple — I call it the five-minute face," Markle divulged to Allure.

Being in control of her own beauty routine, much like the rest of her life outside of royalty, has always been important to Markle — far before she found out Middleton likes being in control of her makeup too. "[It has] nothing to do with Kate," a source reportedly told Us Weekly. After all, the world has quickly come to realize that Markle is not like any regular royal family member.

"I was with her last month, and she was going on a public engagement," another close friend of Markle's reportedly told People. "Harry and I were sitting with the dogs, and we were all chatty, and she's painting her nails. Except for her wedding, she does all her own makeup." Truthfully, her simple beauty routine sounds a heck of a lot like something from all of the sleepovers many of us had when we were kids.

Acne can be a huge drag— especially when you're on a television show admired by millions of fans. "Nothing is worse than when I have a breakout and I have to be in front of a camera," actor Lili Reinhart admitted to Refinery29. During season three of Riverdale, she decided to take matters — or, er, the makeup brush — into her own hands because, as she put it, "I know my skin better than anyone else and I know what works."

A set for a TV show may not be the easiest place to be when you're trying to gain confidence over a breakout. Reinhart told the outlet going on camera when she's in the middle of an acne flareup "makes my anxiety a 10 out of 10." She also shared that working alongside so many acne-less actors on Riverdale would leave her feeling "like the odd one out."

Though it's easy for the camera to conceal an annoying breakout, events are a different story. Reinhart shared that in order to hide blemishes on her forehead, she would "do this fake swoop thing" with her hair. "I'm not encouraging anyone to hide their acne, but a lot of people feel so much embarrassment and shame that they won't leave the house," she said. Taking control of the concealer helped her to take control of her confidence. 

When getting cast on your very first network series, one would think it would be best to take full advantage of the makeup department. However, Jameela Jamil opted to go against having any sort of stylist when she began her starring role on The Good Place.

The series, it turns out, started shooting very early in the day — even before the sun was even up. Waking up at 4:30 in the morning only to hang out in the makeup chair for hours didn't seem like the most prime use of Jamil's time. "We had an hour and 45 minutes in hair and makeup," Jamil explained to E!. "I was like, 'How ugly do you think I am? I need half an hour. I'll do my own makeup.'" This up-and-coming actor wanted to save her energy for her character, Tahani, and having to rely on coffee just wouldn't cut it. "I can't be funny when I'm tired," she joked.

Jamil only counts on herself when it comes to applying her cosmetics, and holy forking shirtballs, it seems to be working out. "I normally do my own makeup as much as I can," she told the New York Times, before noting that she's "done makeup for a cover shoot in the back of a car in 10 minutes." She also said that when she began acting as her own MUA, "it used to freak people out. But now I think people actually find it quite a relief." 

Actor Blake Lively not only has an eye for doing her own eye makeup, but she enjoys the process. "I like doing my own makeup and hair for events," she revealed to The Cut. "I think it's fun." In an industry where you have to adapt if you want to be a successful actor, taking on your own makeup could be a massive risk, but the A Simple Favor star has created a look that works. Now, all of this isn't to say she never sits in a MUA's chair; Kristofer Buckle has been Lively's go-to makeup artist for years.

While many of us have learned our makeup tips and tricks off of YouTube, Lively had other ways she learned to help herself when it came to makeup. "Through doing photo shoots, I get to work with so many amazing hair and makeup artists," she told The Cut. "That's my version of YouTube." Surprisingly, Lively had never seen a makeup video online until recently. "I actually didn't know you could do that," she said. "I watch YouTube for lots of dog videos."

In addition to doing her own makeup from time to time, Lively acts as her own stylist because, as she told Women's Wear Daily, it all comes down to "control issues."

Zendaya had spent close to a zillion hours in makeup chairs when she had had enough. "There were a lot of times people would do my makeup and it would be awful, and I would be orange," she explained to Byrdie. So, she decided to learn how to do it herself. 

For being someone that's so young and is constantly in the spotlight, Zendaya never seems to stress when it comes to her red carpet looks either — even when she's the one in charge of her makeup. "It eases my mind the same way someone would enjoy painting," she admitted to Allure. "It's therapeutic; it calms me down." The young star seems to have perfected everything too, from her eyebrows to combining different colors for flawless lips. "Being in the industry, I watched so many people doing my makeup, I was like, hey, I can do this," she told Byrdie. In fact, Zendaya did it so well that she became the newest face of the beauty brand Lancôme in 2019.

While the Euphoria actor has a knack for doing her own makeup, she still turns to a professional MUA: Makeup artist Sheika Daley has created a lot of Zendaya's memorable looks, including her 2020 Emmys glam.

If there's one occupation that Kate Hudson debated doing instead of becoming an actor, it was becoming a makeup artist. "At least that was my back-up," she told The Skincare Edit. "I really love doing makeup," so it only makes sense that this star does her own for special events. However, there are other reasons why she doesn't enlist the aid of an artist.

When Hudson was first making it big on the big screen, spending too much time in makeup chairs was seriously sabotaging her epidermis. It made her quickly find out how sensitive it really was. "Anytime I do a movie where I'm in the makeup chair every day, I can see it on my skin," Hudson admitted. Caking it on for her character just wasn't ideal, so Hudson had the idea to take control of the makeup brush for events. After all, growing up watching her famous mother, actor Goldie Hawn, gave her a lot to go off of. "I got to see her getting made up so many times in the makeup chair," Hudson explained to Into the Gloss.  

To keep her skin from suffocating, Hudson likes to keep her look light and airy when she does it herself. "In day to day life, I'm natural," she told The Skincare Edit. However, when Hudson has to to get all glammed up, she calls on makeup artist Monika Blunder.

All eyes have been on Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr for quite some time. When she announced she was engaged to the CEO of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, millions of fans were prepared to fall in love with her look when she married a billionaire. Yet, before the "I do's" were even said, Kerr divulged a secret when it came to her flawless wedding day face: she did the makeup herself.

In order to create a timeless and lasting look, Kerr used a minimum amount of products that made her look like she wasn't wearing much makeup at all. To keep it light, she went with a lightweight foundation. "Which I kind of, like, paint on," she explained in a tutorial for Vogue. "And every time I show people, they're like, 'What are you doing? You're crazy!'"  

Even so, this supermodel certainly knows what she's doing. In 2009, Kerr launched her own skincare line called KORA Organics. It was important for her to know what she was putting on her face. "What you put on your skin actually goes in your bloodstream," she explained to Fast Company. Taking control of her own cosmetics was a sure way for this supermodel to take control of her skin's health. After all, her face does look flawless!

When you enter the entertainment industry, it can be easy to get caught up in making yourself constantly look flawless and Photoshopped. "I thought you had to change who you were to become famous," singer Janelle Monáe admitted to Glamour. However, not much changed with her day to day makeup routine when she started singing. Not being able to afford a makeup artist when she first found fame forced Monáe to make up her own face.

People quickly took notice. Between Monáe's unique style and singing voice, creating her own look is what catapulted her career to the top. After a while, she even got herself to a point where she can show up to any photoshoot and set the look she wants. "When someone was trying to push an image of what a girl should look like on me, I'd be like, 'No, this is how I see myself,'" she explained. Monáe now regularly works with makeup artist Jessica Smalls, who she can count on to maintain the image exactly the way she envisioned for herself.

About her role as CoverGirl spokesperson, she told Glamour she hopes people "feel [I'm] representing what it means to be an individual and to remain comfortable in your own skin." She also hopes "Janelle Monáe represents what it means to never have to change your appearance to appeal to an audience."

Like anybody in the entertainment business, singer Cheryl is sure used to spending a majority of her time in a makeup chair. From watching makeup artists at work over the years, she's picked up many tips and tricks from set that have gotten her preferring to pick up her own powder puff for events.

Even while she's worked with accomplished makeup artists such as Karin Darnell and Lisa Laudat, Cheryl believes she has the best beauty routine for herself. After all, "I've lived with this face for 31 years," she told HELLO! Fashion Monthly back in 2014 (via Daily Mail). "So I know it better than anybody!"

In 2017, Cheryl even partnered with L'Oreal and released her own line of lipsticks. She created various colors for charity, but the red is her most loved — that and some smokey eyes. "I know they say not to wear red lipstick and heavily made-up eyes," Cheryl told HELLO! (via The Huffington Post). "But I love statement eyes, so I say just go with it."

Her confidence and control of the makeup brush for events has made her unstoppable, after all. But aside from her signature red lip, what's her secret to glowing skin? "It's called contentment and happiness," she divulged to Glamour. We'll have to try out that shade.

There's no doubt Gwen Stefani has a signature makeup look, and she has her pre-entertainment business gig to thank for that. "I used to be a makeup artist in my 20s behind a counter at the mall," she told Cosmopolitan. "But they never trained me or anything like that, so makeup has been an incredible journey for me and I've learned so much." When fame found her, Stefani was surrounded by many talented makeup artists. However, she still depended on herself for her final look. "I did my own makeup for years because I literally hated anyone doing my makeup," she admitted.

Though Stefani has since started to turn to professionals like Gregory Arlt to look photo ready, she still likes to take control of her look for live shows. "I don't know what it is, but something about that whole kind of war paint, you know putting it on, building the confidence," she explained. "Once I get the makeup on, it's show time."

Not surprisingly, it sounds like Stefani is ready to jump back into a career in cosmetics. According to TMZ, she's trademarked her own line in the works called P8NT, which is pronounced "paint." Per the report, her upcoming beauty brand is said to represent everything bold about her look with nail polishes, hair dyes, lipsticks, and everything in between.

Taylor Swift has set herself up to be an absolute superstar. She's well-known for being surrounded by her squad of celebrity friends, and, obviously, a makeup team isn't far behind. But as People noted, when the 2020 ACM Awards rolled around, Swift decided to ditch the glitz and glam and take advantage of this moment to do her own makeup.

Swift embraced an extremely light look, which, truthfully, made it look as if she wasn't donning much makeup at all. The minimal makeup was a bold — or, er, maybe not so bold — look for her first live performance of her single "Betty." Perhaps caking on cosmetics is something Swift is more conscious of now.  

In an interview with Elle, Swift made it sound like she was taking risks with makeup that she wouldn't recommend. After "occasionally using a Sharpie as eyeliner (DO NOT DO IT), I felt like I needed to start being nicer to my skin," she admitted. Giving her skin a break from constantly being covered in the spotlight seems like the best way to do it. Since Swift seems to always be the center of attention, there really wasn't any better time, after all.