When we catch glimpses of celebrities walking the red carpet, it’s no secret that entire teams of professionals are working behind the scenes to perfect every detail of their appearance — particularly their makeup. Glam squads are practically a Hollywood staple. What might surprise you, however, is just how many well-known celebrities have decided to skip the professional chair and handle things themselves.
Their reasons vary — sometimes it’s about saving time, other times it’s about personal health or simply finding a moment of calm in a hectic schedule. Whatever the motivation, a surprising number of stars have become genuinely skilled at doing their own faces. Read on to discover which of your favorite celebrities are secretly makeup pros.
Scarlett Johansson
One of Hollywood’s most bankable names, Johansson has openly shared that she prefers handling her own makeup for most occasions, making exceptions only for major high-profile galas.
Diane Kruger
Years of working alongside professional makeup artists — both as an actress and a model — gave Kruger plenty of knowledge to work with. These days she handles her own look, favoring a clean and understated style.
Kate Middleton
The Duchess of Cambridge had enough confidence in her own abilities to do her makeup personally on her wedding day — arguably the highest-pressure beauty moment imaginable.
Halsey
The singer has spoken openly about how taking control of her own makeup has become a journey toward personal independence and self-acceptance.
Kim Kardashian
Despite having access to a full glam team, Kardashian’s demanding schedule doesn’t always allow for it. On those occasions, she steps in and handles things herself.
Kate Hudson
A firm believer in natural-looking beauty, Hudson frequently takes care of her own makeup for public appearances. She has also admitted that a career as a makeup artist would have been her backup plan.
Beyoncé
Even with her trusted makeup artist Sir John in her corner, Beyoncé occasionally steps in to create her own look for select appearances.
Meghan Markle
During her time as a working royal, Markle was known to do her own makeup for official engagements, a choice that stood out in the highly traditional royal setting.
Kate Winslet
Winslet has spoken fondly about her habit of doing her own hair and makeup, noting that it helps her feel grounded and keeps red carpet experiences from feeling overly staged.
Lady Gaga
Known for her wildly theatrical looks, Gaga may not always be the artist behind her most elaborate transformations — but by all accounts, she’s more than capable of pulling off a polished, everyday glam look on her own.
Carrie Underwood
The country star handles her own hair and makeup while on tour and has described the process as something she genuinely looks forward to — a meditative ritual amid a busy touring life.
Alicia Keys
Though she has largely embraced a makeup-free approach to beauty in recent years, Keys once told Vogue back in 2015 that applying her own makeup was something she truly enjoyed.
Lili Reinhart
Reinhart takes a hands-on approach to beauty both on and off screen — doing her own makeup daily, on the set of Riverdale, and even for her role in the film Hustlers.
Emily Ratajkowski
The model, who has great respect for professional makeup artists, told Vogue that there’s a unique advantage in being the person who knows your own face best.
Zendaya
Adding yet another skill to her ever-growing list, Zendaya regularly creates her own makeup looks — both for everyday wear and for events — often sharing the results with her followers on Instagram.
Jameela Jamil
The Good Place actress not only did her own makeup on set but also takes the reins for many of her magazine cover appearances and red-carpet looks.
Naomi Campbell
While Campbell certainly isn’t opposed to having a glam team, she has shared her personal morning makeup routine with fans through her YouTube channel and even created a tutorial for Vogue.
Blake Lively
The former Gossip Girl star is a self-proclaimed makeup enthusiast who, despite having a professional makeup artist available, frequently creates her own looks using products that are surprisingly accessible.
Jenna Dewan
The actress and dancer once handled her makeup more regularly but now reserves the professionals for bigger events. That said, her everyday look remains entirely her own — and reportedly takes just ten minutes.
Maisie Williams
Williams has been known to do her own makeup for events on occasion and has even turned the process into a fun activity, at one point involving her then-boyfriend in the routine.
Miranda Kerr
Much like Kate Middleton, Kerr trusted her own makeup skills enough to use them on her wedding day — a testament to just how confident she is in her abilities.
Emmy Rossum
The Shameless star takes a flexible approach, mixing professional help with her own handiwork depending on the occasion. Her go-to advice: blend thoroughly and always check your makeup in multiple lighting situations.
Julianne Hough
Hough clearly impressed with one of her DIY looks when her own hairstylist took to Instagram to give her a public shoutout for her self-done makeup.
Lauren Conrad
It comes as little surprise that the former Hills personality handles her own beauty routine — she has authored a beauty book and regularly walks her audience through her makeup process.
Ashley Tisdale
The actress has crafted her own looks using her personal product line, though she recently announced she would be closing down her makeup brand.
Bella Thorne
After experiencing a troubling reaction to products used on a film set, Thorne made the decision to take full control of her own makeup — and hasn’t looked back since.
Dua Lipa
When health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic made professional makeup artists unavailable for a promotional shoot, Lipa stepped up and handled it herself — and the results were nothing short of impressive.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
The Birds of Prey actress describes doing her own makeup as a therapeutic experience, one that also ensures her appearance stays true to who she actually is.
Featured Image : Instagram/kimkardashian
