Asian Make-up Artists to Celebrate Today and Everyday
Asian culture has informed, inspired and shaped the beauty industry for years and Asian representation remains as important as ever.
In solidarity to our ESEA brothers and sisters, we’re celebrating 5 of our favourite Asian makeup artists who continue to inspire us with their artistry.
Patrick Ta
An industry icon. Vietnamese American makeup artist Patrick Ta is renowned for creating radiant red-carpet looks with dewy skin, feathery brows and rosy cheeks. His experience growing up in San Diego, California, made him proud of his heritage and fuels his ethos that everyone deserves to feel confident and beautiful. His celebrity clients include Gigi Hadid, Shay Mitchell and Addison Rae, and now that he has launched his eponymous beauty brand, Patrick Ta Beauty, we can all achieve his signature glow at-home.
Lan Nguyen-Grealis
With almost two decades of experience as a makeup artist, Lan Nguyen-Grealis has painted awe-inspiring looks for countless magazines, beauty brands and celebrities. The Vietnamese Irish artist first studied fashion at Central Saint Martins before finding her calling in beauty and is a regular fixture on London Fashion Week. She’s also released 2 books and has been a guest judge on BBC 3’s makeup show, Glow Up. Delivering fresh, creative looks, Lan’s work always inspires us to push the boundaries of beauty.
Grace Lee
There are fewer makeup brands with looks more recognisable than Maybelline and we have Grace Lee to thank for that. As the lead makeup artist for Maybelline, she’s created stunning looks that have showcased the brand’s most famous products like Great Lash or Instant Eraser. The Canadian Korean makeup artist first trained at MAC cosmetics and always centres her work on enhancing natural beauty.
Ana Takahashi
Chances are, you’ve probably seen Ana Takahashi’s looks on your Instagram feed. Taking an artistic approach to makeup, she’s attracted thousands of followers on social media and has created looks for singer Rina Sawayama. Drawing inspiration from her Japanese heritage, she’s known to create intricately decorative looks that feature graphic lines, pearl-encrusted eyes and watercolour painting-inspired colours. We also visited her masterclass at Selfridges, so check it out.
Chiao Li Hsu
Surreal, dreamy and mystical, Chiao Li Hsu’s imaginative makeup aesthetic constantly serves as serious beauty inspo. A self-described “face painter”, she’s created extraordinary editorial looks for magazines and brands. Born in China, the makeup artist was raised in the Netherlands and is now based in New York City and London. Reflecting her Chinese culture in her work, she loves celebrating Asian diversity with bold colours and dynamic shapes.
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