Celebrity Makeup Artist Ash K Holm is Just Getting Started

Have you ever met someone and felt instantly calmed by their presence? As I sit down with Ash K Holm before she’s set to host a master class with Kiss products for editors and influencers in New York City, I’m amazed by how cool, calm and collected she is. Despite the frantic energy around us, she radiates positive Zen vibes.

Holm, who is a Kiss Falscara ambassador, is one of the most in-demand makeup artists in Hollywood (her star clients include Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello and Demi Moore), and it quickly becomes clear that her tranquil energy has served her well throughout her successful career. To keep up with her busy schedule, Holm meditates and does breath work for 10 to 20 minutes every morning. She also swears by power poses she picked up from TED Talks, like the Wonder Woman stance (standing tall, hands on hips). “It seems silly, but it actually works,” she says.

Holm grew up outside Houston, where she discovered and fell in love with makeup at an early age. Her first memory is from Christmas when she was around four years old. “My mom had saved up to get me a kitchen set and I was like: ‘Forget that. I found a Princess Jasmine Chap Stick in my stocking,’” she laughs. “I was running around screaming. It was just the most exciting thing to me.”

Four years later, Holm was diagnosed with scoliosis. As she was getting out of the bath one day and bent down to reach for a towel, her mom gasped. “My back was hunched, and one of my ribs was sticking out,” Holm says. While recovering from surgery three years later, she leaned into her artistic side, drawing, painting and playing with makeup. “Kids were really mean. I had a lot of insecurities growing up. And I turned to makeup to make myself feel good. I was 11 years old with a full face,” she laughs. “I always knew the beauty industry was for me.”

After graduating from high school early, Holm enrolled in cosmetology at Paul Mitchell the School at 18 and got a job working at a local MAC store. “I would help 50 people a day, working with different ethnicities and skin concerns,” says Holm. It wasn’t long before she was the most-requested artist at her location.

After six years of honing her craft at MAC, she decided to pursue makeup artistry on her own, posting on Instagram every day to promote her work. Soon, she began booking gigs with reality-TV stars from Shahs of Sunset and Love & Hip Hop. “I would reach out to people I wanted to work with,” Holm says. “It didn’t always work out, but eventually the universe responded.”

In 2015, Carmen Electra was in town for an appearance and found Holm through hashtags. Then, toward the end of that year, Holm received a message that would change the trajectory of her career. “I got an email from Khloé Kardashian’s team, and I thought it was fake,” she says. “But then I thought, ‘Wait, why not me?’” Kardashian wanted Holm to do her makeup for a New Year’s Eve event. Posing as an agent named Leila (“I wanted people to take me seriously!” she laughs), she quickly confirmed. “We had a good connection. That was a pivotal moment in my career that I’ll never forget.”

In addition to her strong work ethic, Holm takes pride in her impressive organizational skills. To this day, she creates mood boards for every single client she works with. “I have folders in my phone with my clients’ names and I’ll pull things from Pinterest or social media that inspire me,” she explains.

For Jennifer Lopez’s 2023 Met Gala appearance, Holm prepared a staggering 30 makeup looks — one to go with each dress option. In the end, Holm went with a sultry cat-eye and glowing skin to complement the black and light-pink fitted Ralph Lauren gown Lopez wore to the event. Holm and her assistants also meticulously catalogue each and every look she creates, noting the products used along with the date and a picture of the look. Their records, kept in both digital and hard-copy formats, go back five years.

As for what’s next, Holm, who co-founded Dripology Medspa in Santa Monica, sees herself owning more businesses, including a makeup brand. More than anything, though, she wants to give back to non-profit organizations.

“I work with a lot of women who are so fortunate and influential,” she says. “But I want to give back as I grow in my career. Ultimately, I want to make people feel good forever. I feel like that’s my calling.”

Top Shelf

Ash K Holm’s tried-and-true beauty essentials.

Kiss Falscara Natural Wispy Wisps

“These give me a beautiful wispy-lash look that I can’t live without because of how seamless and flawless the application is. The under-lash band never lifts.”

Mob Beauty Smooth Precision Lip Liner in “M1990”

“The founder of Mob Beauty was a chief chemist at MAC. This used to be the iconic Spice lip liner from the ’90s, which Mob brought back. It really gives the essence of the original.”

Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel in “77”

“This is the deepest, creamiest, most-long-wearing gel liner I’ve ever used.”

Augustinus Bader The Body Cream

“This luxurious body cream will leave your skin feeling hydrated all day. I actually see my skin getting smoother and softer with use.”

Nécessaire The Body Wash in “Eucalyptus”

“This clean formula smells so fresh, and the ingredients are incredible for all skin types but especially for sensitive skin like mine. It’s very soothing and has the most calming scent.”

Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50

“The most-lightweight, silkiest facial sunscreen I’ve ever used. It makes your makeup look smooth and never gives you the heavy feeling of sunscreen.”

This article first appeared in FASHION’s March 2025 issue. Find out more here.