I've Been Interviewing Makeup Artists for Years—Everyone Loves These 20 It Items

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(Image credit: @tobimakeup)

Being the makeup- and beauty-obsessed child and preteen that I was, I used to comb through my monthly magazine subscriptions—think Allure, Cosmo, InStyle, and more—and cut out every last product recommendation and piece of advice from the most elite makeup artists. Said cutouts would then be pasted into a precociously detailed scrapbook/binder situation, and eventually, I'd refer to them the next time I begged my mom to take me to Sephora. (Clearly, I've found the right career path.)

Well, pinch me, because I now get to meet and interview all of those legendary makeup artists I used to read about and worship, and sometimes, I even get to be a fly on the wall as they work their magic and prep A-list clientele before events and red carpets. While I no longer have that ancient filing system from my youth, I do keep a detailed brain log of the It products I see used again and again by the best makeup pros in the business—whether they're skin-prep essentials or long-lasting makeup staples. And below, I'm sharing! Keep scrolling for 20 beauty items all of the industry's best makeup artists absolutely love.

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Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.