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If you do not know Etienne Ortega through title, chances are high that top that you have drooled over a make-up glance he is created. Ortega is a star make-up artist recognized for touching the faces of superstars like Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, Mariah Carey, Kris Jenner, and Lana Del Rey — simply to call a couple of.
He is the person in the back of Lana Del Rey’s Coachella make-up that everybody continues to be speaking about, and he is additionally the founding father of his eponymous make-up logo that introduced previous this yr. Ortega has so much happening, however he took the time to take a seat down and chat in regards to the inspiration in the back of his latest challenge, in addition to to spill the tea at the pointers he makes use of day-to-day on his most famed shoppers. Stay scrolling to learn extra.
Ortega has been within the attractiveness trade for 17 years, so why release a attractiveness logo now, you ask? In 2021, he used to be identified with degree two most cancers, and he underwent two surgical procedures, in addition to chemotherapy. This used to be all whilst construction his line and proceeding to paintings together with his famous person shoppers. “Going via most cancers made me open my eyes to such a lot of issues,” he tells PS. “Existence is so brief, and I feel everybody will have to do what they would like and practice their desires. I most effective have one existence to are living. I wish to take advantage of out of it.”
As soon as he totally recovered, he determined there used to be no higher time to make his dream of launching a make-up logo a truth. “It is at all times been at the back of my head to have a logo, however 10 years previous wasn’t the appropriate time. Now, I believe I have hit other milestones. I have long past via a large number of issues in my private existence.”
His first assortment introduced in March 2024 and comprises 5 merchandise: the Blu Nectar Lip Oil ($21), the Agave Glow Colour Stick ($22), the Liquid Icon Hyper Gloss ($18), the Comfortable Contour Lip Liner ($16) and the Striptease Make-up Remover ($12).
The road is (for now) focused round lip merchandise, which, for Ortega, simply is smart. “Lips have at all times been my favourite,” Ortega says. “That you must put on a little bit make-up: a little bit basis, a little bit eye make-up, however in case you at all times have a lip — it is like an empowerment product.”
Ortega’s sacred middle lip method just lately went viral on social media, and it is a approach he makes use of on his famous person clientele continuously. He says it is all about drawing very outlined, actual lips which are additionally symmetrical. “That you must do it along with your herbal line, [but] I at all times love to overdraw the highest of it for a extra poutier lip,” he says. “Taking part in with the mixtures and the measurement between doing a in reality darkish liner with a in reality gentle middle after which a gloss is more or less my obsession.”
Whilst he does have plans to make bigger his logo, he is a little bit preoccupied together with his famous person shoppers in this day and age. Ortega is liable for holding one of the vital most famed faces within the trade glance snatched all evening lengthy, and that incorporates via lengthy concert events in each local weather.
His largest tip for flawless make-up? “It at all times begins with prep,” he says. “I at all times inspire my shoppers to drink a large number of water the day sooner than a large match or the day of the development.” From there, if you wish to have your make-up to remaining, Ortega says you need to take away the entire oils out of your face sooner than getting into with moisturizer and different skin-care merchandise. He additionally at all times preps the outside with the Koh Gen Do Cleaning Spa Water ($83). Subsequent, he is going in with a primer. “I have not at all times been a large fan of primers,” he says, admitting that he is since modified his techniques and now likes to make use of them for the T-zone space.
He additionally implores you to not be scared of the use of a ton powder. “A large number of my coworkers or colleagues that experience watched me paintings [are] at all times like, ‘Wow, I did not understand that you simply used this a lot powder,'” he says, noting that it is the most effective means to verify the make-up would possibly not soften and run whilst they are on degree for two-plus hours. “A large number of folks like to only mud on powder, but it surely would possibly not paintings.”
Ortega even makes use of a little of powder at the lips, which is his largest tip for purchasing your merchandise to stick in position all evening. He suggests prepping them with lip oil whilst you do your base make-up. “As soon as your lip oil has set in, wipe it off with a wipe,” he says. “You should definitely don’t have anything, no oils, no residue, or the rest. Then perform a little pat along with your powder puff to take away the moisture, after which do your lip liner and your lipstick,” he says. “It is a game-changer.”
He used this hack whilst doing Del Rey’s make-up at Coachella. There have been no touch-u.s.and through the top of the set, she used to be nonetheless gorgeous.”
Ortega’s favourite powder simply so occurs to be a cult vintage: the Laura Mercier Translucent Unfastened Environment Powder ($47), which he says he prefers to use with a gasp as opposed to a broom.
All of this mentioned you can be surprised to be informed that Ortega is not keen on baking. “I do not love to bake anymore as a result of I feel it provides texture to pores and effective traces,” he says. If you are fascinated about making your under-eye make-up remaining, he additionally has a repair for that.
He says that hydrating the under-eye space is vital, so he begins with a wealthy product just like the Bobbi Brown Diet Enriched Eye Base ($64). “It is a large number of hydration with out oil,” he says. “While you begin to do a large number of oil, that is what makes your make-up get a divorce and crease. If you wish to have a in reality shiny under-eye, as a substitute of baking, use a concealer one coloration lighter than the only you might be used to the use of.” Then, end it off with some atmosphere powder. It is going to provide the brightness you usually get from baking.
As a result of Ortega works with such a lot of other celebrities, he says it is exhausting to nail down a favourite form of glance to do. “I simply love make-up and the entire procedure,” he says. “The arrogance that each shopper will get once we’re executed with glam — that is what I search. That is what I like about any glance. Giving them that pleasure, that self assurance for them to move about their day.”
Renee Rodriguez is a team of workers author and social manufacturer for PS. She writes throughout all verticals, however her primary spaces of experience focal point on style and attractiveness content material with an emphasis on evaluations and editor experiments. She additionally produces social content material for PS’s TikTok and Instagram accounts.