If there’s one man you want to listen to when it comes to perfecting your makeup it’s Mario Dedivanovic. Known as the man behind Kim Kardashian‘s move from reality star to beauty icon, he was a driver behind the contouring trend 10 years ago and has since created some of the most well known flawless makeup looks on celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner and Salma Hayek. In 2020 he launched Makeup by Mario, his own range of products which all focus on enhancing your natural beauty. The brand has been a worldwide success and is currently stocked in over 1,600 Sephoras around the world, so you know when he’s in town offering one of famous makeup masterclasses I was going to be there.
As Dedivanovic walked out onto the stage of the small auditorium in the Mayfair Hotel, his emotions were clear. As he spoke to the eagerly awaiting crowd, he explained why. “The first time I ran a masterclass in London I did it all by myself,” he tells us. “Everything that went wrong did, from the goody bags being held at customs to the restaurant cancelling the food! And now this…” As he looked around at the supportive crowd it was apparent it has been quite a journey for the son of Albanian immigrants who moved to the US from Montenegro. He cites that journey as being one of the main motives behind his success and work ethic. Oh, and money. Which I found in 2024 to be so refreshing, as so often we skim over this point and I’m a big fan of those who are willing to share their truth and authenticity.
The masterclass went on for nearly two hours and to say Dedivanovic shared some insight into how to create the perfect makeup look is an understatement. Every nugget of information that came from his mouth was useful, which says a lot, as I have been in the industry a very long time and worked with some of the best artists in the business.
As the event was invite-only I thought I would round up my top five takeaways from the masterclass so you can makeup like Mario too. You’re welcome. Read on to find out why you could be applying your eyeshadow all wrong and how you may be doing your makeup in the wrong order.
Always Start With The Eyes
According to Dedivanovic this is key if you want to keep your complexion flawless, as it allows you to clean up any mess before you start with base products. He also believes that it helps you apply less makeup overall. This is because once the eyes and brows have some sort of structure we tend to trick our minds into feeling better about how we look so we don’t feel the urge to layer up the foundation or concealer.
I have heard this before but as I don’t tend to do much of an eye look I’ve always thought this isn’t relevant to my makeup style, but after understanding that this helps with the rest of the base I am going to try it from now on.
Use Your Arm to See How The Product Will Come Out
Have you ever seen makeup artists applying products to their arms before they apply to the face? I always thought this was to remove the excess, but Dedivanovic explains it’s so he can ensure the right amount of product is placed where it’s needed. He will continue to dab the brush until he achieves the colour payoff he wants to see on the eyes and then apply to the face.
Just be careful of smudging the product on your clothes or furniture once it’s on your arm!
Line the Upper Waterline, Not Above The Lash Line
If you want to add definition to the eyes or have small eyes then Dedivanovic advises applying liner to the inside waterline not above the lash line. This adds the definition but according to the makeup mogul prevents wasting any of the eye space. This one blew my mind, as I have always worried about applying eyeliner to my water lines and my eyes looking smaller or the product bleeding. However, according to Dedivanovic, if you apply and hold for a second without rubbing this won’t happen. I tried it on the tube home as I was intrigued and was shocked at the results. It gave my eyes definition but was far more subtle and overbearing than when I usually apply eyeliner above my lash line.
Use a Damp Beauty Blender Once Your Foundation is in Place
This tip blew my mind a bit as I have heard and tried using a damp beauty blender to apply my foundation, but I have never used it once my foundation is in place to set and give it a more natural lived-in finish. I’m not one for an insta perfect base and much prefer my makeup to look and feel natural on my skin, so this will be another technique I will be trying from now on. As he demonstrated on the model her makeup looked like her skin but better – it gave the whole base a blurred appearance.
Add Eyeshadow to the Inside of the Nose
As someone who is advancing in age, eyeshadow is starting to scare me. Not only do I feel it emphasises my creases and lines I feel it can make my dark circles appear more prominent. According to Dedivanovic, this is something I should embrace. He recommends adding eyeshadow under the lower lashes to almost disguise the crease and then finishing with some product in the inside of the top of the nose. I often fear this can make your eyes appear heavier but as he applied to the model and explained that this adds the structure back to the face and makes it look more realistic, I could see the difference. He also explained that when it comes to makeup this placement is the difference between amateur and professional. So there you go.
Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.
