Renowned makeup artist, Anthony Nguyen is known for his beautiful and diverse work, whether he is helping stars like Katy Perry, Hilary Duff and Joseph Gordon-Levitt prepare for the red carpet, putting together bold, gorgeous looks for advertising and editorial, or, more recently, presenting his own face as the canvas for Halloween-inspired makeup tutorials. Here, Anthony lets Beauty Launchpad in on his makeup and beauty influences, his favorite fall beauty trends, makeup essentials, and more! Plus, get Halloween-ready with his amazing Ursula the Sea Witch makeup tutorial below!
Beauty Launchpad: How did you first get involved in the beauty industry? What about being a makeup artist attracted you the most?
Anthony Nguyen: In the beauty industry, you always end up dabbling in a little bit of everything - wardrobe styling, hair styling, photography - After playing with different trades, I found my strongest niche with makeup artistry, so I focused on just that and gave it my all. What attracted me most about being a makeup artist is the art of transformation. Manipulating the face and body with different textures, mediums, and colors is a powerful thing.
BL: Who or what are some of your major beauty/makeup influences?
AN: Makeup artists Pat McGrath, Alex Box, and Kevyn Aucoin. They influence me because I love storytelling, and I feel like their makeup artistry does just that. It makes my imagination go wild.
BL: When creating a look, what is the one beauty routine step you never skip, and why is this step so important?
AN: Prepping the face and body with the appropriate skincare. It's important to have the skin primed and ready for whatever environment you're in. You have to think about the weather, the lighting, photography, everything! Just like a relationship, a strong beginning will make your makeup last!
BL: You've created a lot of different types of looks throughout your career, from innovative and edgy, to simple and natural-looking to glamourous, red carpet ready. What beauty style is your favorite to create, and why?
AN: It's hard to decide which style is my favorite because it depends on my mood. However, I do love simplistic beauty with beautiful skin, simple eyes, and flushed lips. It's a classic look and brings out the best version of the individual.
BL: What is your favorite current fall beauty trend?
AN: My current favorite beauty trend is dark matte lips! I'm loving that so many more people nowadays are open to stepping into the dark side!!
BL: What beauty product can you not live without?
AN: Honestly- Oil blot sheets. Next to lip balm. I want to remove shine without having to add on layers I don't need to, so oil blot sheets does just that! And nothing is more uncomfortable than chapped lips, so having a good lip balm is always in my right pocket.
BL: You went all out to create your Halloween-inspired Ursula the Sea Witch tutorial, and the results were amazing! What part of the look was the most fun to create?
AN: Creating lavender colored skin was the most fun part of doing my Ursula inspired look! That's the main thing about her, so I had to embrace her true color!!
BL: What inspired you to recreate Ursula the Sea Witch?
AN: Every year my friends always ask my advice for what they should be. I've always recommended Ursula, and no one wanted to be her because it wasn't "sexy" or "flattering" enough, when in my eyes… that's all I saw! She's the best Villain, so I decided to take the crown this year and make it my own, ha-ha! Who doesn't want to be a lavender queen??
BL: What advice would you give to readers at home who want to go big with makeup this Halloween?
AN: My advice to those who want to go big with Halloween makeup is to #1. Don't underestimate your ability! #2. Rather than duplicate, make a look your own! It's always more fun being unique! #3. Remember makeup isn't permanent, have fun with it and don't be scared to take it to the next level! #4. Don't forget to take a “selfie” and share your fabulous tricks!
Check out Anthony's dramatic Ursula the Sea Witch transformation:
(You can see more makeup tutorials on Anthony's Youtube Channel!)
See more images from Anthony's portfolio by clicking through to the next pages, and by visiting his website, and on Instagram! [pagebreak]
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[Images/video courtesy of Anthony Nguyen]
