You, But Hotter: A Step-By-Step Guide From a Celebrity Makeup Artist

Most of us have been doing our makeup the same way since high school. Same order, same products, same amount, and probably wondering why it never quite looks like what we see on our screens. The answer usually isn’t the products, it’s the technique.

Kelli Anne Sewell is a celebrity makeup artist whose client list speaks for itself. She’s the one behind some of the most talked-about looks in recent memory, including Alex Cooper’s now-iconic Today Show appearance, and has worked with Madison Beer and Alix Earle. She also built a makeup education app from scratch after a 2020 Zoom class she expected 100 people to join pulled in 1,200 signups overnight. She knows how to teach this stuff, and on a recent episode of Well with Arielle, she broke down everything—from the underpainting technique everyone’s attempting but few are getting right, to what she tests on herself before a client’s waterproof shoot.

You, But Hotter: A Step-By-Step Guide From a Celebrity Makeup Artist

Below is a guide created from the episode on the mistakes most of us are making, the products worth buying, and the techniques that actually change how your makeup looks—camera or not.

Start with skin prep

☐ Drain your face before you do anything else 

Two minutes of lymphatic drainage before makeup changes everything—it depuffs, lifts, and means you need less product. No time? Take an ice cube to your face. It sounds like nothing. It works like something.

☐ Your skincare is your primer—skip the extra step

Primers were mostly a marketing invention. If your skin feels hydrated from your moisturizer and serum, you’re already primed. The one exception? If you have enlarged pores or get oily fast, a targeted pore-minimizing product in those spots only is actually useful.

☐ Use way less product than you think you need

The most common mistake Kelli sees is too much product applied with too much pressure. Less is consistently better. A beauty sponge helps here because it absorbs excess, which is actually why your makeup looks better when you use one.

The underpainting technique

☐ Apply contour and highlight before your foundation 

Underpainting means doing your sculpting work first, then laying foundation over the top. The result looks soft and natural—you get dimension without it looking drawn on.

☐ Contour to lift, not just to slim

Instead of pulling contour straight under the cheekbone, take it from the outer corner of the eye up and over the brow. It lifts the whole face rather than just carving a shadow.

Powder—you’re probably doing it wrong

☐ Powder doesn’t cause texture—using too much does

A matte powder actually blurs texture to the naked eye. Use a light hand, and skip the smile lines entirely.

☐ Match your powder to your skin type

Dry or fine-line prone skin needs an ultra-fine powder, something basically weightless. Oily skin needs something that actively absorbs shine. Using the wrong one for your skin is usually what causes the problems people blame powder for.

☐ You can still look dewy—layer creams and powders

Set where you need it, leave the high points alone or add a cream highlight back on top. Dewiness is preserved when you’re strategic rather than powdering your whole face.

Eyes

☐ Switch to brown mascara if you’re fair 

Black mascara reads as “I’m wearing makeup.” Brown mascara reads as “I just look like this.” Or skip mascara entirely. Just curl your lashes, tint them monthly, and go.

☐ Make your eyes and face one cohesive tone

If you’re bronzing your face, bronze your eyes. If you’re wearing blush, sweep some onto your lids. Makeup looks most natural when everything reads as one color story.

☐ For waterproof staying power: Pat McGrath Perma Gel liner

Sewell tested every waterproof product on the market for a client shoot. This one won. For dimension and creaminess in everyday wear, Victoria Beckham Beauty liners are her other go-to.

Making it all last

☐ Layer more for camera—and don’t fear powder on camera days 

Camera lighting blows things out and highlights texture. Dewy finishes on camera emphasize every pore and line, even if they look great in real life.

☐ Switch from sponge to brushes for cleaner layering 

Brushes let you build in light, controlled layers. Sponges are still great for everyday use because they absorb excess if you’ve gone too heavy.

The products Sewell loves

✅ Maybelline Sky High or Body mascara—drugstore: Her go-to mascara picks. No need to spend more.

✅ L’Oréal Lumique lotion—drugstore: She mixes this with high-end foundation drops for a glassy base.

✅ Victoria Beckham Beauty foundation drops—splurge: Mixed with L’Oreal Lumique for her go-to base.

✅ Pat McGrath Perma Gel liner—splurge: The most waterproof liner she’s ever tested.

✅ To hear all of Sewell’s insights on applying flawless makeup, listen to Well With Arielle wherever you get your podcasts.

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