6 New-Season Tips I Learned From Makeup Pro Mary Phillips

While summer’s glossy skin edict has softened to a more natural-looking finish – somewhere between matte and dewy – for fall, achieving ‘satin skin’ still requires a heavy helping of hydration and luminosity (with a soft-focus twist). According to celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, to get any amount of glow, skin needs to be prepped the right way. “I always like to hydrate the skin as much as possible,” she says. “Doing this ensures makeup glides on flawlessly. I typically apply La Mer’s The Concentrate all over skin, with Crème de la Mer layered over the top; and then use Shani Darden’s Facial Sculpting Wand to massage and depuff the face. I take the tool around the eyes and brow bone, too – targeting smaller areas of the face relieves so much tension around the eyes, which you don’t even realize is there until you use the tool.”

“Whatever the season, we naturally gravitate towards dewy skin tints because they feel lighter on the skin than full-coverage foundation,” says Phillips. When applying a skin tint or a lightweight foundation, Phillips relies on the seamlessness of a brush. “It’s better at laying light layers on the skin [over fingers or a sponge], so you can keep your look very natural – or you can build coverage with more layers.” While your complexion needs a little gloss and luminosity to look like real skin, there’s still a place for powder, stresses Phillips; the key is in how you apply it. “I always use powder, but only in certain areas. I take it under the eyes, and over the T-zone and smile lines. This keeps skin looking fresh without being overpowered. When it comes to oily skin, I do tend to powder more. I’ll powder the whole face lightly instead of leaving out some areas. Oily skin also requires more touch-ups throughout the day.”

The classic winged eyeliner was all over the Emmys red carpet last month – Selena Gomez, Molly Gordon and Shabana Azeez’s iterations where flawlessly drawn on. But getting the look right IRL takes a few simple tweaks to your technique. “I love winged eyeliner, but it’s definitely not the easiest eye look to create,” says Phillips. “For beginners, I would start with an eyeshadow. That way, the line is easier to tweak ­– to get the right shape and length. To create a clean, classic wing, you can add a liquid or gel liner on top of the shadow to darken the line and ensure it’s smudge-proof. When it comes to color, I tend to stick with a dark brown because it’s eternally fresh and flattering on everyone. For a sexy, sultry look, simply smoke out the line with a darker-brown eyeshadow. Sometimes, I add black to the brown to darken it even more, without making it look harsh.”

“For day to day, I always think it’s best to keep your own eyebrow shape and just clean it up – or tweak it slightly to your desired arch.” Softly feathered brows are universally flattering and work with all shapes and thickness of brows. “If you have sparse arches, use a brow pencil to fill them in. I love Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz,” says Phillips. “I prefer a pencil over a tinted gel because you get more control over the shape – and how dark or light you want your brow to be. And, if you overfill, you can simply brush through the brows using a brow comb to soften the color. What’s more, a tinted gel won’t work on sparse brows because the pigment only latches on to the hair and not the skin. Plus, once it’s on, it’s very difficult to tweak. To finish any brow look, I always lock hairs in place using a clear brow wax or gel.”

“I’ve always loved a strong-blush look,” says Phillips. And this season’s softly blurred, hazy blush finish (mirroring skin’s directional shift away from all things glazed) creates dimension. “I use both cream and powder formulas for the best effect. I first apply a cream blush, lightly dust it with a setting powder, then add more powder blush on top. When it comes to color and placement, I blend a muted or bronzy blush into the top of the cheekbone and on the forehead, slightly under the hairline – it shouldn’t be directly in the hairline. Blending the blush in places other than the cheeks will help your makeup look more cohesive. To finish, I then go in with a brighter color on the apples of the cheeks.”

Nude lips are a classic red-carpet favorite, while deep berry, muted cherry, burgundy and even vampy black were seen all over the fall/winter ’25 runways. Whichever hue you lean towards, it’s the texture that makes it modern. “For a red lip, go for a more balmy, juicy finish. A tinted butter or balm is perfect for this look.” When wearing a neutral lip color, there’s more room to play – choose anything from a lacquered finish to a natural sheen. “I still use a lip liner with balmy textures because I like to add a little structure to the lip. Also, it helps to prevent the balm from bleeding. If I’m going for an extremely natural look, I won’t use a lip liner, but just tap the balm into lips.”