Makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic—@makeupbymario on Instagram—is the man behind the majority of Kim Kardashian’s makeup looks. We caught up with Dedivanovic while he was in Toronto for a Philosophy skincare event (Dedivanovic is an ambassador) where he shared his tips on how to cover a blemish and why everyone needs to cool it with the contour.

What made you want to work with Philosophy?

When I first started doing makeup as a teenager in retail at Sephora, Philosophy was so popular. Every minute people were asking me for ‘Philosophy this’ or ‘Philosophy that’. I used to want it really badly myself, but I was making $7 to $8 dollars an hour, so couldn’t afford it.  Eventually I could, and I know the product works because I use it. As a makeup artist, it is so important to use products that don’t make your clients breakout. So many different skin types can use Philosophy. That’s definitely why I said yes to them. How cool is it that I used to sell it, but I couldn’t afford it at the time, and now they pay me!

How do you prep a client’s face pre-makeup?

It depends on the client, what kind of skin they have, and what type of look we are doing. Also if they have any skin issues or conditions. Typically, I will use a wipe to make sure they are super clean and then apply moisturizer. I work with powders, so I use a lot of moisturizer which allows the powder to really adhere to the skin and keeps it from looking powdery. That’s pretty much it! I don’t go crazy! Sometimes I’ll  use a mask if someone is really dehydrated.

How do you cover a blemish?

I cover the skin with the foundation first, and then I take concealer afterwards and I put it right on to the spot. I blend it very carefully around it and set it with a translucent powder so it doesn’t move. I use a dry consistency concealer, because if the concealer is too liquid-y or too oily it just comes right off.

To guarantee your makeup looks great the next day, what skincare do you recommend to do the night before?  

I would do everything! I would do the full on exfoliation, moisturizing, masks. All that stuff. Make sure the skin is dewy.

What’s your favourite beauty look you’ve ever created?

There are a lot of them!  For a long time it was a look we did years ago on Kim that we called “The Miami Look”.  What comes to mind right now: the Met Ball look we did on her last year [2018]. People just love that one a lot.

What’s one tip you always share?

People call me the “Contour King” and so I think they thought my contour technique was going to be something crazy, when it’s really so simple and basic. I don’t use a lot of product to contour. The most important thing I teach in my class [The Master Class] is that it’s important to know how to contour as an artist, but it’s more important to know when not to contour. Because I think in the social media climate that we live in, people have taken it to this place where even as an artist it is intimidating to look at. Not everyone needs contour, and not everyone needs every part of their face or features contoured. Some people just need the cheeks and not everything else. Not everyone needs the layering of the cream and the powders. It’s about editing. We see so many things today that need editing desperately.

What are your future predictions for makeup and skincare trends?

I know that really dewy skin, the glow-from-within, is going to be big. And you can tell that [because of] what [products] brands are currently releasing. I think that [trend] stems from so many years where we’ve seen heavy foundation and heavy powder. We need that moment of freshness. I do a super dewy skin technique where I use emollient products so the skin looks so expensive, like glass.

MARIO’S KIT:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths: “People typically wash their own face before they come in to glam, but there is always a little mascara residue left or liner residue or lash glue. So I use the wipes to get in there nicely.”

Purity Made Simple Hydra Essence With Coconut Water: “This new product is great; it’s like a huge glass of water for the skin. You just rub it in with your fingers or a cotton pad. I like the look of dewy skin and I like the look of moisturized skin but I don’t like anything that looks too greasy. This doesn’t have the greasy feel to it, but it gives intense moisture.”