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Artist in Residency: Makeup maestro Sir John conducts a symphony of color

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FEBRUARY ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: SIR JOHN

WELCOME TO ARTIST IN RESIDENCY, OUR NEW SERIES THAT BRINGS THE INDUSTRY'S MOST INNOVATIVE MAKEUP ARTISTS TO ROSE INC. FOR A MONTH OF CREATIVITY AND INSPIRATION. EACH WEEK, YOU'LL DISCOVER AN ORIGINAL LOOK—AND THE STORY BEHIND IT—CREATED BY AN ARTIST WE LOVE.

This is the month of love, and it’s almost too easy to fall in love with Sir John Barnett. There’s the abundant creativity behind his makeup artistry, for one thing. He seemingly possesses an infinite amount of inspiration that fuels his looks for beauties such as Beyoncé, Karlie Kloss, and Joan Smalls.

Beyond his skill, though, Sir John is known for his warmth, kindness, and humility—qualities that make him a pleasure to have on set. For these reasons and more, Rose Inc. is delighted to feature Sir John as this month’s Artist in Residency.

HIS RESIDENCY INSPIRATION

“Honestly, I’m always inspired by the woman,” Sir John says of the looks he created for our model, Evelyn. As you’ll see over the weeks to come, each one is distinct—yet all share a cohesive, considered allure.

BEHIND THIS LOOK

Here, a tropical, hot-and-cool palette draws attention to the eyes, while a glossy lip feels fresh and youthful.

Before applying foundation, Sir John cleansed with Bioderma Sensibio H2O before massaging Marc Jacobs Youthquake moisturizer into skin. “The best time to apply your foundation is while your skin is still balmy or wet,” he says.” Using a damp Beautyblender, he chose Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation in Y360 for an even canvas, adding L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer where needed. To softly sculpt cheeks and add warmth, Sir John called on Huda Beauty Tantour in Light and Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer in Private Island. A dab of Stila Convertible Color in Petunia perked up the cheeks, while Mehron CreamBlend Stick — applied only to the high points of the face and the upper bridge of the nose — provided strategic highlight. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Loose Setting Powder kept his work in place.

To create an even canvas for eyeshadow and help pigment stay put, Sir John used Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base all over lids. The dazzling blue is courtesy of Stila Suede Shade Liquid Eyeshadow in Something Blue. “It has a periwinkle tint, so I thought it would be nice to pop a little bit of heat in the crease,” Sir John says. There, he reached for shades from the pink and orange Huda Beauty Neon Obsessions palettes. "In the crease, I used a loose brush because I didn't want the pigment to be too saturated." (Try a synthetic blending brush such as MAC 217 for a similar effect.) Then, Sir John used a short, dense brush—here, try MAC 239 — to pack on the color.

‘‘ HONESTLY, I’M ALWAYS INSPIRED BY THE WOMAN ’’

Such bright color calls for more subdued lashes. “I wanted to make sure the mascara was clean and soft, because this look can go punk rock really quickly,” Sir John says of the lash look. “It needed to feel fresh and modern.” Here, he opted for L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara to separate and emphasize length. Brows were neatly groomed with Baby Hair Pencil in 02, Fro-To-Go Pencil in 06, and Blow Out Brow Gel in 05—all from UOMA Beauty.

Last, he painted on Huda Beauty Power Bullet matte lipstick in Prom Night and layered MAC Lipglass atop. The result: a bold and harmonious combination of colors, beautifully arranged by a masterful artist.