The Artist · Inspiration
Instagram is the largest free makeup school in the world, if you follow the right people. The best accounts show skin in close-up, explain products honestly and reveal how working artists think. This list of makeup artists to follow on Instagram is organized by what you can learn from each account, from founders and celebrity artists to illusion painters and educators. It is part of Cossèt Môi’s guide for working makeup artists, and every account was checked by hand.
We replaced our 2019 list with this one. Accounts we could no longer verify were removed, and new artists were added.
The short answer
The makeup artists to follow on Instagram in 2026 include founders such as Pat McGrath, Mario of Makeup by Mario, Lisa Eldridge, Hung Vanngo and Mary Phillips; skin-first artists such as Katie Jane Hughes and Nam Vo; creative artists such as Mimi Choi; and educators such as Maria Lihacheva and Isabelle De Vries. Follow a mix of specialties, and study technique rather than trends.
In this guide
How we chose these accounts
Every account on this list was opened on Instagram on 28 October 2026. We confirmed that each profile exists, is public and matches the artist named, and we recorded the follower count shown on the profile that day. Descriptions draw on each artist’s own Instagram bio or official website, so roles and businesses are described in their own terms. Follower counts change daily, so treat them as a snapshot rather than a ranking. Nobody paid to appear here, and no account was included for its follower count alone. Equally, no brand or agency asked us to feature anyone. Instead, we chose accounts that teach something useful to a working artist: skin, color, technique, business or creative ambition. In other words, this is a study list, not a popularity contest. Finally, three accounts from our previous list were dropped because they showed no public posts or no bio we could cite.
Makeup artists to follow on Instagram: founders and leaders
The first group is made up of artists who have built businesses on top of their craft. Many have launched their own beauty brands, and their feeds mix professional work with product development. For a working artist, these accounts are valuable in two ways. First, they show the standard of finished work at the very top of the industry, from fashion week backstage to magazine covers. Second, they show how a makeup career can grow beyond bookings into products, education and a brand. Watch how they present their work, how they credit teams and how they talk about technique. Even if you never plan to launch a brand, their habits of presentation are worth studying closely.
Pat McGrath
@patmcgrathreal. Her Instagram bio describes her as Dame Pat McGrath, DBE, makeup artist, founder, CEO and creative director of Pat McGrath Labs. The account had 5.8 million followers on 28 October 2026. Her highlights collect runway and fashion week work, which makes the feed a reference for show makeup. Our profile of Pat McGrath’s runway work covers her career in more depth.
Makeup by Mario
@makeupbymario. The account’s bio describes Mario as makeup artist, founder and CEO of Makeup by Mario, a cruelty-free brand. With 13.9 million followers on 28 October 2026, it is the largest account on this list. In particular, follow it for clear demonstrations of skin, eyes and lips, and for a view of how an artist turns a signature style into a product line.
Lisa Eldridge
@lisaeldridgemakeup. Lisa Eldridge MBE describes herself as a pro makeup artist, founder and CEO of Lisa Eldridge Beauty, a New York Times bestselling author and the presenter of a BBC documentary on beauty history. The account had 2 million followers on 28 October 2026. Her work is a lesson in how history and technique inform modern makeup.
Hung Vanngo
@hungvanngo. His bio lists him as founder of Hung Vanngo Beauty, with bookings through The Wall Group. The account had 4 million followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for editorial and red carpet faces, and for an example of how an agency-represented artist presents a body of work.
Mary Phillips
@maryphillips. Her bio names her as founder of MPH Beauty and co-founder of Highlight Artists, an agency. The account had 2.3 million followers on 28 October 2026. Her highlights are organized by numbered work series, which is a neat model for presenting a portfolio on Instagram.
Gucci Westman
@gucciwestman. The bio describes her as a makeup artist and founder of Westman Atelier, represented by The Wall Group. The account had 414,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for refined, skin-focused work and for a look at how an artist builds a luxury brand.
Patrick Ta
@patrickta. His bio describes him as a Vietnamese American makeup artist with his own brand, Patrick Ta Beauty. The account had 4.1 million followers on 28 October 2026. In practice, follow it for glowing celebrity skin and for an example of an artist whose personal style became a recognizable look.
Isamaya ffrench
@isamayaffrench. Her bio lists her as a beauty executive and the founder and creative of Studio Iron. The account had 474,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In particular, follow it for experimental, concept-led beauty that pushes far beyond everyday makeup.
You may also like
Instagram for Makeup Artists: Bio, Content and Bookings
You may also like
Makeup Artist Portfolio: How to Build One That Books Work
Studying founders also teaches restraint. Look past the products and notice how often the strongest images are simple: clean skin, one focused color and excellent light. The polish comes from preparation, not from piling on product. In addition, notice how these accounts credit photographers, stylists and models in every professional post. That generosity is part of how top artists build relationships, and it costs nothing to copy. Finally, pay attention to how they use highlights and pinned posts to organize years of work into a few clear categories. A new artist can borrow that structure immediately, even with a much smaller body of work. Start with three highlights and add more as your work grows.
Skin-first and natural makeup artists
The second group of makeup artists to follow on Instagram focuses on skin. These artists are worth studying for the hardest skill in makeup: making skin look like skin, only better. Their feeds show prep, texture and glow in close-up, often in daylight, which makes technique easy to see. For bridal, commercial and celebrity work, this is the core skill clients pay for. As you watch, notice how little product many of them use, where they place highlight and how they keep texture visible. Then practice the same restraint on a model, and photograph the result in daylight to compare.
Katie Jane Hughes
@katiejanehughes. Her bio describes her as a makeup artist born in England and raised in New York, and the founder of KJH Brand. The account had 1 million followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for soft, modern skin and for looks broken down into simple, repeatable steps.
Nam Vo
@namvo. Her bio describes her as a makeup artist and uses her signature phrase for glowing, dewy skin. The account had 542,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for luminous skin techniques that photograph well in daylight.
Monika Blunder
@monikablunder. Her bio describes her as a celebrity makeup artist with 30 years in the industry and the founder of Monika Blunder Beauty, with weekly tutorials. The account had 135,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In practice, follow it for mature-skin techniques and clear, practical tutorials.
Amanda Benko
@benkobeauty. Her bio describes her focus as glowy skin and natural makeup, and names her as founder of Cheris Cosmetics and a beauty YouTuber. The account had 712,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In particular, follow it for natural looks explained step by step.
Daniel Martin
@danielmartin. His bio describes him as global director of artistry at Tatcha and a board member of Callen-Lorde. The account had 169,000 followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for skin rituals and for an example of an artist who works at the director level for a skincare brand.
Rachel Goodwin
@rachelgoodwinmakeup. Her bio describes her as a makeup artist and creative thinker. The account had 160,000 followers on 28 October 2026. Her highlights include magazine covers and studio work, which makes the feed a useful reference for editorial skin.
Fiona Stiles
@fionastiles. Her bio describes her as a makeup artist and founder and owner of the store Reed Clarke. The account had 108,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for polished celebrity skin and for her product edits.
Nina Park
@ninapark. Her official website describes her as a New York-based editorial and celebrity makeup artist. The account had 821,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In practice, follow it for clean, modern editorial faces.
Skin-first accounts reward slow viewing. Pause on close-ups and ask what you would need to recreate them: the prep, the base, the placement of light and the finish. Meanwhile, notice that many of these artists work on a wide range of skin tones and ages, which is a reminder to practice on everyone you can. Our guide to color theory for makeup artists explains why some bases disappear and others look gray. Combine what you see with that theory, and your matches will improve quickly. Above all, compare your own work with theirs in the same light, because daylight is honest. Then repeat the exercise every few weeks to measure your progress.
Creative, illusion and lip artists
The third group pushes makeup toward fine art. These accounts are less about what clients wear to dinner and more about what a face can become. For working artists, they are a source of ideas, technical stretch and courage. Even if your bookings are bridal or commercial, studying creative work sharpens your brush control, color sense and ability to plan a complex look. It also keeps the craft exciting, which matters on the long days when work becomes routine. Watch how these artists build a concept from sketch to finished face, then try one small idea from each in your own practice.
Mimi Choi
@mimles. The account had 2.2 million followers on 28 October 2026. Her grid, viewed that day, is filled with optical-illusion face painting, from faces that appear to split apart to eyes multiplied across the skin. In particular, follow it to see how far precision and planning can take makeup.
Celine Bernaerts
@celine_bernaerts. Her bio calls her “a chameleon making her way through life with make-up” and lists her as global makeup expert for D&G Beauty, represented by The Wall Group. The account had 505,000 followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for bold color and transformation.
Alexandra Anele
@alexandra_anele. Her bio places her in Los Angeles and notes more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. The account had 366,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for creative looks and for an artist who teaches across platforms.
Andrea Reed
@girlgreybeauty. The bio describes her as a lip artist, with a separate art account. The account had 227,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In practice, follow it for detailed lip work, a specialty that rewards a very steady hand.
Creative accounts can be intimidating, because the work looks impossible. In reality, every illusion is built from basic skills: clean lines, careful blending, accurate color and patient planning. Break a look down into those parts and practice each one separately. For example, practice a single sharp line until it is consistent, then a gradient, then a highlight that reads as a raised surface. Meanwhile, keep a sketchbook of ideas, because many creative artists plan on paper first. Our guide to special effects wound makeup shows how the same planning applies to effects work. Over time, those skills transfer directly to bridal, editorial and film jobs. As a result, creative practice is never wasted time.
You may also like
Color Theory for Makeup Artists: Undertones, Correcting and Light
You may also like
What Is Makeup Artistry? The Craft, the Career and the Mindset
Educators and emerging makeup artists worth watching
The final group includes educators and smaller accounts. These are often the most useful for a working artist, because they explain their process in detail and answer questions. Smaller accounts also show realistic paths: artists building careers through teaching, agencies, photography or a specialty. For emerging makeup artists in particular, these feeds are a reminder that a strong career does not require millions of followers. Many of these artists combine makeup with another skill, such as photography, product design or painting. That combination is often what makes their work distinctive, and it is worth thinking about your own. As a result, these are some of the most practical makeup artists to follow on Instagram if you are building a career from scratch.
Maria Lihacheva
@apropomakeup. Her bio describes international makeup courses since 2010 and daily tutorials, and places her in Bucharest. The account had 128,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In particular, follow it for structured, educational content.
Isabelle De Vries
@isabelle.de.vries. Her bio describes her as an award-winning makeup artist, photographer and educator working in editorial, commercial and creative makeup, based in Perth, Western Australia. The account had 129,000 followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for clean editorial work and for an artist who shoots her own images.
Robin Black
@beautyisboring. The Beauty Is Boring account belongs to Robin Black, whose bio lists photographer, beauty and brand consultant and makeup artist. The account had 137,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for strong beauty photography and graphic ideas.
Lilly Keys
@lilly_keys. Her bio links to her page at A-Frame Agency, which represents her as a US makeup artist. The account had 154,000 followers on 28 October 2026. In practice, follow it for color and red carpet work, and for an example of agency representation.
Louise Seymour
@lou_seymourmua. Her bio describes her as a beauty, fashion and editorial makeup artist and beauty educator. The account had 14,500 followers on 28 October 2026. In particular, follow it for e-commerce and beauty campaign work, a steady source of bookings that many artists overlook.
Francie Tomalonis
@francieluxe. Her bio describes her as a “painter who went to faces” and a makeup artist in Los Angeles, represented by The Visionaries Agency. The account had 12,300 followers on 28 October 2026. Above all, follow it for painterly color and texture.
Linda Wickmann
@lindawickmann. Her bio describes her as a beauty editor and brush designer, and the founder of LW Brushes. The account had 16,500 followers on 28 October 2026. In short, follow it for an example of an artist building a tool brand from her own working needs.
Smaller accounts are also easier to learn from directly. Many educators answer questions in comments or run courses, and agency-represented artists often share call sheets and behind-the-scenes images that reveal how professional shoots work. Meanwhile, look at how they write their bios, because those few lines show how to describe a specialty clearly. Our guide to growing on Instagram as a makeup artist covers bios, grids and bookings. Above all, support the smaller artists you learn from. Comment thoughtfully, credit them if you adapt an idea and recommend their courses when they help you. The community grows stronger when artists treat each other generously. Generosity is remembered.
How to learn from makeup instagrammers
Following makeup instagrammers is easy. Learning from them takes a little method. Start by following a balanced mix: a few founders for standards, several skin-first artists for technique, one or two creative accounts for ideas and some educators for explanations. Then create collections in your saved posts, grouped by skill rather than by artist: skin, eyes, lips, color, lighting and business. When you see a technique you want to learn, save it to the right collection and try it within a week, while it is fresh. Meanwhile, photograph your attempt in the same light as the original, and compare honestly. In short, treat your feed as a reference library, not entertainment.
Credit and inspiration
Instagram makes it easy to copy, so be careful about credit. If a post inspires your work, say so and tag the artist. Never repost someone’s images as your own, and never use another artist’s work in your portfolio. Inspiration is how the craft moves forward; copying without credit damages your reputation and theirs.
It also helps to curate your feed actively, including the makeup artists to follow on Instagram from this list. Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate rather than inspired, and accounts that promote products more than technique. Your feed shapes your taste every day, so make it work for you. In addition, look beyond makeup: follow photographers, painters, stylists and designers whose eye you admire, because ideas travel between crafts. Many of the artists above combine makeup with photography, painting or design for exactly that reason. Finally, set limits on scrolling time. Practice, not consumption, is what builds skill. One hour of practice is worth more than a week of watching.
A feed that teaches
The best makeup artists to follow on Instagram are the ones who make you a better artist. For some, that is a founder whose standards raise yours. For others, it is a skin-first artist whose restraint you want to learn, or an educator who explains what others only show. Choose a balanced mix from the list above, organize what you save and practice what you learn. Meanwhile, keep returning to your own work, because the point of following others is to find your own eye. Our list of makeup books worth reading pairs well with these accounts, offering depth where Instagram offers speed. We will update this list as accounts change.
Tools and library
The three tools above help turn inspiration into a career. The quiz helps you choose which group of artists above is closest to the work you want to do, from bridal skin to editorial or creative makeup. Meanwhile, the calculator helps you price that work properly once you start booking it. The library gathers the career guide, notebooks and workbooks, including pages for practice logs where you can record the techniques you study. Start with the quiz if you are still choosing a direction. If you are already working, use the library pages to turn your saved posts into a practice plan. Either way, revisit all three as your taste and your bookings grow.
From the Artist Library
Inspiration starts the journey. The guide covers what comes next: pricing, contracts, agencies, kit economics and the first five clients, in plain terms.
Questions worth asking
Who are the best makeup artists to follow on Instagram?
It depends on what you want to learn. For standards, follow founders such as Pat McGrath and Lisa Eldridge; for skin, Katie Jane Hughes and Nam Vo; for creative work, Mimi Choi; for teaching, educators such as Maria Lihacheva.
Who is the most followed makeup artist on Instagram on this list?
Makeup by Mario (@makeupbymario), with 13.9 million followers when we checked on 28 October 2026.
How do I learn makeup from Instagram?
Follow a mix of specialties, save posts into collections by skill, practice each technique within a week and compare your photos with the originals in the same light.
Are there emerging makeup artists worth following?
Yes. Smaller accounts such as Louise Seymour, Francie Tomalonis and Linda Wickmann show realistic career paths through editorial work, painting and product design.
Is it okay to copy looks from Instagram makeup artists?
Recreating a look to practice is fine. When you post or use it professionally, credit and tag the original artist, and never present their images as your own.
How did you choose these makeup artists?
Each account was opened on 28 October 2026, confirmed as public, and described from the artist’s own bio or website. No account paid to appear.
