Mary Phillips Is The Makeup Artist Celebs Trust — & Now She Has Her Own Brand

If you've ever double-tapped a photo of Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, or Hailee Steinfeld and thought, 'Her makeup looks so good and natural; I wish I could get mine to look like that', you are probably familiar with the makeup artist they all text for glam: Mary Phillips. And great news for all of us: she's launching her very own makeup brand — m.ph beauty.

The "Mary Phillips" look can be broken down into three parts: A defined cheekbone, a blush that reads more like a sunburn, and a slightly exaggerated lip easily mistakable as very tasteful filler. But the real secret sauce is Phillips' trademark application technique called 'underpainting.'

Underpainting has exploded over the past few years. The technique is simple, which might be why it has been so widely adopted. Instead of using foundation as a makeup base, with underpainting, you apply the rest of your complexion products — color-corrector, concealer, contour, and highlighter — to bare skin and then brush a thin layer of foundation over top to blur the lines. The result? Skin that’s enhanced but not covered. 

When it comes to makeup products for underpainting, Phillips has tried it all. "My whole career, I've been hoarding things that I love and keeping them in my back pocket, crossing my fingers that one day I'd do a line," Phillips explained at a recent press event Refinery29 attended at New York City’s Greenwich Hotel.

After years of formulating and testing, Phillips' makeup line, m.ph, will launch at Sephora in August. The collection includes an underpainting palette, cream blush, lip liner, tinted lip balm, and brushes. When Phillips pitched the concept of m.ph to Sephora, she says, they signed on immediately: "At our first meeting with them, they interrupted us and were like, 'Yes, we want this.'"

Ahead, R29 caught up with Phillips to learn about m.ph and exactly how to underpaint.

Mary Phillips: For me, underpainting is like creating the bones under the skin. I like doing all the creams first as the 'bones' of the makeup. Then, applying a light layer of foundation over the top is like laying the skin over the bones. I've never been a ‘start with the eyes’ person. When people start with eye makeup, I can't see their vision. So I have to start with the skin. If the skin doesn't look perfect, we have to start over.

MP: As I've gotten older, my technique has changed so much. I used to be so into carving into the cheekbone. Now I want to lift everything.

MP: I know underpainting can be overwhelming for people, so I wanted to make it as easy as possible. There’s a light, medium, and deep Underpainting Palette, with shade extensions coming next year. All the palettes have a color corrector, two highlighters, and two contour colors. My process is: color corrector first, then contour, then highlight. 

The color corrector goes right in the half-moon shape under the eyes, just where you get those blue or gray tones. Then I use the contour shade, starting right at the eye and lifting it into the hairline, giving that pull. It's not like you're contouring your forehead, but you're giving it that little bit of a lift. Next, I take the highlight shade and go over the color-corrected area to add more brightness. To me, highlighting is like good lighting. It's like adding that little bit of radiance.

MP: Tools are so important. We have an amazing dual-ended underpainting brush with two sides, which are modeled after two brushes I've used throughout my career. I've noticed that people use big brushes when they're doing underpainting or contour, and I don't think you need one that big. I think it should be a little bit more precise.

MP: I would use any light to medium foundation. Nothing too heavy — you don't want to cover up what we just did. Even sometimes I'll use my tinted sunscreen with a drop of foundation if it's daytime and I don't want too heavy of a look.

MP: Texture-wise, this blush is on the matte side, but if you don't use powder over it, it will become glowy on its own. I don't like blushes that are too glossy because I feel that when I turn my back for a second, it's gone. So I wanted this cream blush to be a little more matte.

I know that people are going to apply this straight from the stick, but it's so much better to use a brush. When it is distributed evenly throughout the whole brush, you get a better application. When you go straight on your cheek, I feel like you're roughing your face up when you're trying to blend it in. I brush it in an upward motion, creating a flush. I also like a little bit on the forehead and a little bit on the chin, and then over the eyelids. If you're in a rush, this is all you need. That and a little bit of mascara.

R29: Can we talk about lips? What is your process? Do you overline?

MP: I'll mimic the natural shape of the lip and a little higher. I like that babydoll mouth; I love overlining. This m.ph pencil has good precision. I wanted a wooden pencil that’s super sharp. Every week, I have a new favorite shade of lip pencil. Right now, I think it's French Exit, a rosy nude. We have a tinted lip balm, which we're calling a Lip Ciggy because it reminds me of a skinny cigarette. My favorite shade is called Love Bites; it's a brownish red, like a post-makeout when your lips are a little raw.

MP: If you've been wearing your makeup all day, and you're running home to get ready for dinner, and you feel like your makeup is a little dry, you don't have to start all over. My favorite thing to do is dab a little bit of moisturizer on the back of my hand and use a fluffy brush to wash it over my makeup, just to rehydrate it. You don't have to wipe everything off!

Prices: Underpainting Palette, $64; Dual-Ended Brush, $38; Blush, $36; Blush Brush, $36; Lip Pencil, $25; Lip Ciggy, $26.