Mary Phillips is one of the most influential make-up artists out there right now. She’s the genius behind some of the most notable make-up looks of recent years, including Hailey Beiber’s most loved make-up looks and Kendall Jenner’s red-carpet glam. Her make up tricks (including her famous underpainting tutorial) have become just as popular as the faces she glams. Her success has earned her a staggering 2million Instagram followers.
She’s become such a name, in fact, that over 100million people have watched a #maryphillipsmakeup video on TikTok—and her underpainting, contouring technique is still one of the biggest makeup trends of the year.
So, when I heard that Phillips was planning a trip to the UK to celebrate her long-time client, Kendall Jenner, being announced as the new face of L’Oréal Paris, I knew I had to get some time in with her. Keep scrolling for all of the make-up tips I learned from Mary Phillips when I attended her masterclass (and got the opportunity to sit down with her) earlier this week…
1. Don’t set your make-up
This was my favourite tips. Yes, the Queen of make-up herself says that setting the face isn’t as important as you might think. Whether you decide to set foundation or not, “you need to take a couple of minutes to touch up your make-up throughout the day,” either way, so you may as well skip on the powder. In fact, layering cream products over setting powder can lead to a cakey, disjointed finish—so if you’re planning on touching up, skip the powder.
Instead, just commit to touching up where needed later in the day without the fear of foundation separating under a setting power.
Revlon Volcanic Stone Oil-Absorbing Roller
Perfect for super-quick touch ups on the go, roll this product over oily areas and watch as the shine disappears.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible More Than Concealer
During her masterclass, Phillips revealed that concealer is her desert-island beauty product. She explains you can use it as a foundation and as a contour.
2. Use two different foundation shades
Turns out, Phillips often uses two different shades of foundation to help give the face dimension. “I use the lighter one on all the higher points, like the tops of the cheekbones, the higher part of the jaw and the middle of the forehead. The darker shade I like to use on the perimeter around the forehead, under the cheekbones, under the jaw and a little bit down the neck, just to ensure the colour matches,” Phillips explained during her masterclass.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24hr Freshwear Liquid Foundation
Yes, this is the foundation Phillips uses on Kendall Jenner.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Luminous Silk is my personal go-to foundation all year round.
3. Layer a little at a time
“It’s easier to add more than it is to remove,” Phillips explains. Therefore when it comes to applying your base, she recommends applying very thin layers to ‘build up’ the coverage.
“I can do up to five or six super-thin layers [of foundation] when I’m doing make-up, because I want it to be as thing as possible, but as sculpted as possible as well.” Demonstrating her underpainting technique, she applied a thin layer of concealer before adding another light layer of foundation.
If you really want to go for the less is more, this tinted moisturiser is great for those barely-there make-up days.
Hourglass Veiil Hydrating Skin Tint
Phillips’ other very famous client, Hailey Bieber, is a big fan of this sheer skin tint.
4. Use the three-dot concealer trick
It’s easy to quickly pile on a lot of the best concealer, but actually, three dots applied to the right places is all you need.
“I like to start with the corner of the nose, then right in the front of the eye and then at the end, right below the outer part of the eye,” Phillips explains. This technique is designed to ‘lift’ the face. “It brings out the centre part that we want to highlight. Place the three dots and blend out in an upward motion to really lift everything up.”
L’Oréal Paris Infallible More Than Concealer
The concealer is so easy to blend, you’ll want to use it all over your face (but try to stick to the three-dot method).
L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Line Plumping Water Cream
Phillips diluted a bit of the Infallible 24H More Than Concealer with some of this cream for an even easier blend.
5. Underpaint for a convincing contour
Remember the underpainting trick I mentioned earlier? It’s the best way to contour and sculpt without looking patchy or stripy. It’s all about contouring before you apply your foundation. “I highlight [with the three-dot method], [apply] contour and then [apply] foundation,” she revealed.
This easily blendable formula is the contour product of dreams.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24hr Freshwear Liquid Foundation
Phillips went over her underpainted contour with this lightweight and buildable foundation.
6. Prep is everything for a long-lasting lip
According to Phillips, lip prep is crucial when using a matte lipstick. “I like to really hydrate,” says Phillips. “You just want to make sure that the lips start off nice and hydrated because you’re not going to be [able to] wipe it off and start over again.” She also recommends using a lip scrub or running a dry toothbrush over your lips to exfoliate and get rid of any dry skin which a matte formula could cling to.
This lip mask is TikTok viral for a reason. Prep your lips the night before with this mask and wake up with silky-smooth lips.
If you’re battling with dry, flaky lips, this lip scrub is a great way to prep for lipstick.
7. Overline your lips (but only a little)
If you thought the days of overlining your lips were over, you’re not alone. However, Phillips says it’s still the best way to achieve a full lip look. The hack? You just have to be subtle and clean up any mess.
The Phillips trick is to do a tiny bit of overlining to define and lift—applying the liner just slightly over the high points of the lip line. “I always like to soften the line a little bit so it’s not too hard, and then if I have to go in with a little bit of concealer on the brush, I’ll do that to make the line crisp,” she explains.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Resistance Liquid Lipstick
Phillips used this in shade 400, Spill The Tea on Kendall Jenner. It’s transfer proof, long-lasting and the applicator is super soft and easy to use.
LOréal Color Riche Lip Liner
Remember to sharpen your pencil for a crisp line. If you go too hard on the overlining, try Phillips trick of using a concealer brush to tidy things up.