Sir John is the Michelangelo of the makeup world. An art school student who fell in love with the art after filling in for a MUA at a friend's catalogue shoot years ago, his natural talent landed him roles with MAC, Pat McGrath, Charlotte Tilbury, and, most recently, L'Oréal Paris. Oh, and he's also the guy behind Beyoncé's face (insert squeal here).
Even though Sir John has seen (and done) it all, he says that the beauty industry still has a ways to go in terms of inclusiveness. "There are some makeup artists who aren't able to work with all ethnicities," he says. "If you go to a hospital, a doctor doesn't say 'Oh, I don't know if I can work with that type of body.'"
That's why the pro came to show us a few summer glam looks specifically for women of color. The best part is that these can be achieved in a few minutes — and with drugstore products. Take a look at Sir John's three creations ahead.
Don't take this name too literally, Sir John says. "Every shade doesn't have to be exact, but in the same family," he explains. He chose a series of soft browns for Refinery29 producer Ryen Williams — a very '70s look to go with her Donna Summer curls, he says. And since it's summer, the shadow doesn't have to be painted on perfectly: Sir John applied it with his finger after priming.
"It's really great to use certain pops of color to create a sense of balance," Sir John says. To do that, he used an impactful lip, blush, and tinted eyeliner here. If eyeliner intimidates you, Sir John suggests drawing a tiny dot at the side of your eye, then slowly winging out to create the shape. "If it's after dark, after a couple of glasses of rosé, no one's paying attention to how level they are," he jokes.
With this concept, "you want to look like you just left SoulCycle, or had great sex the night before," Sir John says. "You want to look like you effortlessly have God's favor. That's the goal." Want to look #blessed? Prime with a mattifying moisturizer, and do a believable contour. Kiss the hairline, sides of your cheeks, and bridge of your nose with a darker powder. After that, tap a highlighter on the planes of your cheeks to get your glow on.