The Secrets to Looking Flawless like Beyonce (With Insider Tips from Her Makeup Artist)

by Julianne Carell

Evan Falk
Evan Falk

His name is Sir John. His hands have transformed the faces of Beyonce, Naomi Campbell and Joan Smalls (to name a few). His secrets? We got them. Read on.

On how anyone can channel their inner Beyonce: "All you need is confidence and a good moisturizer."

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On what he's learned from the famous singer: "The last year of my life I've been on tour with Beyonce. We've been to South America, North America, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Twice. I also worked on eight of her music videos. I've learned a lot from her about work ethic and pushing yourself. What's my favorite look I've ever done on her? Wow, we're talking about a year's worth of faces! But can I tell you the truth? I love when she comes to me with no makeup on. That's when I love to look at her. My favorite looks are when she's the most pared down."

On how he picks her looks: "The look depends on her mood. I know this sounds crazy, but I'm a little bit psychic. I can feel if today's a lip day--or if she's a little more fired up--we'll do a winged cat eye. So it really is about the chemistry. I take all these things into consideration: What city are we in also has a lot to do with how I approach makeup. When we were in South America I just went crazy with color. I went to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona and I was so inspired by his saturation of color on cheeks and I was like, I can do this on a real person! So this is how I get inspired. I get inspired by art, and you know what they say: life imitates art,"

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On the his anyone-can-use-them tips to faking a perfect complexion: "Creating flawless skin is all about creating a sense of depth. A lot of girls are like, I'm just going to choose one foundation color and that's it! But I don't approach any look like that. You could be from Russia or Harlem or Hong Kong; you should have a concealer that's a little bit lighter and then one that's a little bit deeper that you can brush into the temples, under your cheek bones and under your jawbone to contour. Don't go crazy. There's such a movement on social media with this full-on, dramatic makeup. I want it to come back into a more natural state. It's all about creating dimension."

On the secrets to working with light from his famous subjects: "These women know their faces very well...they are photographed at every angle. In working with them, I've learned a lot about lighting. It's all about reflecting light from your face; so if you find your light, you don't even have to have as much makeup on. When I'm on a shoot, I am right at the monitor working with the photographer and lighting guys to make sure the light is correct. I took this selfie with Naomi once, and she just said, 'lift your chin,' and by doing that alone, it took away dark circles. These are the little optical tricks I love," he says.

Follow Sir John on Instagram @sjblife.

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