We Talked to Mario Dedivanovic About Skincare, Makeup Trends and “Reading Kim’s Mind”
"Kim and I are both super calm people and we like to be around other calm people."
Mario Dedivanovic is part of a small group of makeup artists who work with so many A-list celebrity clients to create signature, memorable looks, that they become celebrities themselves. While Dedivanovic, aka @makeupbymario on Instagram (where he has over 4 million followers), is often referred to as Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist—which is totally fair: the pair have been working together for a decade and just released a makeup collection—the MUA has plenty of other celeb clients, like Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Gabrielle Union and Hailee Steinfeld, to name just a few.
Dedivanovic has also held a lot of job titles during his time in the beauty industry. Starting out as a Sephora fragrance consultant, he’s also worked as a freelance makeup artist for Fox News, regularly hosts makeup master classes around the world, and hosted the first season of the Kim Kardashian-produced reality TV show Glam Masters.
We caught up with Dedivanovic when he was in Toronto this week, to chat all things makeup, and his new partnership with Philosophy.
What did you learn from each job you’ve held?
At Sephora I just learned how to do makeup, basically. It’s where I fell in love with makeup. I learned how to work with different women, different skin tones. I learned about different products, textures, all that stuff. From Fox News, the thing that has stuck with me is how to do a full glam really quickly. The newsanchors would come in under pressure and they’d have to go on live television, so I learned how to do a full face of makeup with lashes and everything, in like ten minutes. Also how to work well with a hairstylist simultaneously, and learn how to do makeup while the hairstylist is blowdrying their hair, moving their face around. When it comes to teaching master classes, that’s something I started nine years ago and I still do it. It’s the most fulfilling aspect of my job by far. I always wanted to be a Spanish or English teacher growing up. When all the kids were playing with G.I. Joe, or playing house, I was playing teacher in the corner by myself. So instead, I became a makeup teacher. I think I have a knack for explaining things really well. With hosting Glam Masters I learned to be less nervous in front of a camera. It was a really weird experience for me in the beginning because obviously I’ve always been behind the scenes and can usually show up to work in a baseball cap. Then I show up to Glam Masters and suddenly I have my own trailer and my own makeup artists and my own stylists. I was like “What is happening to my life?” But once I got on set I just kind of forgot that the cameras were there.
What’s your first memory of Philosophy?
When I started my career when I was 17, I worked at the first Sephora in the United States. So Philosophy is very nostalgic for me because it was one of the very few skincare brands that was in Sephora at that time. Even though I wasn’t a skincare expert, I was in fragrance, I would always jump in and try to help women who were shopping for skincare and makeup. So I remember always selling it. The brand just reminds me of my younger days and when I started out in beauty. I even clean my makeup brushes with the Purity Made Simple cleanser. It works beautifully because it’s gentle. A lot of traditional brush cleansers are rough on the brushes, especially if you, like me, have to clean your brushes every single day.
As Libras, what do you and Kim have in common?
Kim and I are both super calm people and we like to be around other calm people. Our aesthetic is similar. I feel like I can read her mind sometimes. We’re both super loyal. Once we like someone we’re really loyal to them.
What makeup trends are you into right now?
The blue eye, of course, that I kind of started. I was ready for some colour.
, is often referred to as Kim Kardashian's makeup artist—which is totally fair: the pair have been working together for a decade and just released a makeup collection—the MUA has plenty of other celeb clients, like Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Gabrielle Union and Hailee Steinfeld, to name just a few.
Dedivanovic has also held a lot of job titles during his time in the beauty industry. Starting out as a Sephora fragrance consultant, he's also worked as a freelance makeup artist for Fox News, regularly hosts makeup master classes around the world, and hosted the first season of the Kim Kardashian-produced reality TV show Glam Masters.
We caught up with Dedivanovic when he was in Toronto this week, to chat all things makeup, and his new partnership with Philosophy.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhuOXUugo70/?taken-by=makeupbymario
What did you learn from each job you've held?
At Sephora I just learned how to do makeup, basically. It's where I fell in love with makeup. I learned how to work with different women, different skin tones. I learned about different products, textures, all that stuff. From Fox News, the thing that has stuck with me is how to do a full glam really quickly. The newsanchors would come in under pressure and they'd have to go on live television, so I learned how to do a full face of makeup with lashes and everything, in like ten minutes. Also how to work well with a hairstylist simultaneously, and learn how to do makeup while the hairstylist is blowdrying their hair, moving their face around. When it comes to teaching master classes, that's something I started nine years ago and I still do it. It's the most fulfilling aspect of my job by far. I always wanted to be a Spanish or English teacher growing up. When all the kids were playing with G.I. Joe, or playing house, I was playing teacher in the corner by myself. So instead, I became a makeup teacher. I think I have a knack for explaining things really well. With hosting Glam Masters I learned to be less nervous in front of a camera. It was a really weird experience for me in the beginning because obviously I've always been behind the scenes and can usually show up to work in a baseball cap. Then I show up to Glam Masters and suddenly I have my own trailer and my own makeup artists and my own stylists. I was like "What is happening to my life?" But once I got on set I just kind of forgot that the cameras were there.
What's your first memory of Philosophy?
When I started my career when I was 17, I worked at the first Sephora in the United States. So Philosophy is very nostalgic for me because it was one of the very few skincare brands that was in Sephora at that time. Even though I wasn't a skincare expert, I was in fragrance, I would always jump in and try to help women who were shopping for skincare and makeup. So I remember always selling it. The brand just reminds me of my younger days and when I started out in beauty. I even clean my makeup brushes with the Purity Made Simple cleanser. It works beautifully because it's gentle. A lot of traditional brush cleansers are rough on the brushes, especially if you, like me, have to clean your brushes every single day.
As Libras, what do you and Kim have in common?
Kim and I are both super calm people and we like to be around other calm people. Our aesthetic is similar. I feel like I can read her mind sometimes. We're both super loyal. Once we like someone we're really loyal to them.
What makeup trends are you into right now?
The blue eye, of course, that I kind of started. I was ready for some colour.
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