Anthony Merante is not only a friend, but one of my favorite makeup artists that I’ve worked with for years! He has an incredible work ethic, attention to detail, and always makes sure my skin is looking glowing and flawless on each shoot we do.  It’s no surprise that his career has grown as much as his impressive client list; which include some of Hollywood’s favorite celebs, such as Iggy Azalea, Hilary Swank, Lady Gaga, and Teraji P Henson just to name a few. 

I thought it would be fun to find out more about how he got his start in the makeup business, what inspires him, and get some insider makeup secrets from the master himself!

 Anthony, what got you interested in doing makeup in the first place?

I originally wanted to be a photographer. I took 3 years of photography in high school and I applied to art schools like Art Center in Pasadena and Otis in Los Angeles with out telling my parents. I wasn’t sure I would get accepted so I kept it a secret. I got accepted to both but wasn’t sure it was what I really wanted to do. I started taking my friends head shots and doing their hair and makeup. I decided to enroll  in a one month beauty course at Joe Blasco, and I was hooked. I started assisting makeup artist like Sharon Gault, Mark Carrasquillo, Diane Kendall and Gucci Westman on fashions shows in New York and LA and tested on hundreds of photoshoots with students at the schools I had applied to years before. Donna, that’s when we first met! On one of those shoots!

I will never forget that random test shoot! The photos were kind of a nightmare, but at least we can look back and laugh about it. Everyone needs to start somewhere.  Speaking of your start in the business, what inspired you most at the start of your career as a makeup artist? 

The first book I ever purchased was Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin. That booked started my love affair with makeup. I would recreate all the looks in that book  on anyone who would let me. Since then, I’ve developed the makeup philosophy of “less is more”. I really like to bring out a persons inner beauty and accentuate their unique features. I favor clean lines and luminous skin.

How important is skincare to you and how can women recreate that sexy glow to their skin that you see in all the celebrity photoshoots and red carpet events?

Skin care is extremely important. I spend a lot of time prepping and priming the skin before I apply foundation. I usually start with a “Clinic-To-Go” from Kate Somerville, which is a gentle exfoliating pad to remove any dead skin and then I moisturize using a Goat Milk Moisturizer, also from Kate Somerville. My favorite primer right now is from Hourglass and is called Veil Mineral Primer. One of my celebrity clients got me hooked on that. After the primer, I like to buff a liquid foundation into the skin using a beauty blender and then setting with a translucent powder using a powder puff to the T-Zone only. Then I apply a finely milled highlighting powder to the high planes of the face, like cheek bones, bridge of nose, and cupids bow. Another great way to get a subtle glow is to apply a cream or liquid highlighter to the same areas of the face before foundation for a soft luminous glow.  

What kind of power do you think makeup has for women?

I think makeup gives women a lot of self confidence and makes them feel good about themselves. Sometimes when I am making up a client, I can see the self confidence come out in them as I paint their face. 

What are your top 5 must have beauty products you can’t live without?

My top 5 products I can’t live without are:

1: Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler

2: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

3: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer

4: L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

5: Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit.

What are your top 5 drugstore brand products?

My top 5 drugstore products are:

1: Ardell Lashes in Demi Wispies

2: Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

3: Burt’s Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes

4: Clean & Clear Oil Blotting Sheets

5: Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream

What is the best way for a woman who has minimal time to get the best makeup application?

If you have minimal time to do your makeup, I suggest using a tinted moisturizer applied with your fingers. Then set with a translucent powder, add some color to lips, eyes and cheek using a multi-use product like the NEW Bite Beauty Multistick. Apply this product using your fingers to the apples of the cheeks, lips and eyelids, and then finish off with your favorite mascara. If you have a few extra minutes, fill in your brows using a brow powder like Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo using an angled brush and set with clear brow gel. 

Thanks for the great tips!

I hope this interview with Anthony inspires you to try some of these fun  products out for yourself! Let me know how it goes and the good news is that even  if you only have 5 minutes, you’ll still end up looking more glowing, more refreshed, and feeling pretty damn good about yourself!

To see more of Anthony’s beautiful work, you can visit his website at www.anthonymerantebeauty.com or follow him on Instagram @anthonymerante

To book Anthony  you can contact his agent:  Benoit@fr8me.com