Ask The Expert: Celebrity Makeup Artist Rebecca Wachtel

Stephanie: As a celebrity makeup artist you have to be prepared for all skin types, tones and textures. Can you share any prep hacks/secrets you can share to achieve a flawless natural application?

Rebecca: Skin care is key to having a beautiful glowing face. But not only skin care alone, working it into the skin with a massage. Focusing on your trouble spots, forehead lines are a big one. Always massage working up and out away from the center of the face and from the bottom of the ear down the sides of the neck. This draws the blood to the surface and drains the lymphatic system creating beautiful skin.

Stephanie: You were the Emmy nominated creative genius behind the makeup looks for one of my favorite books + series’, “Daisy Jones and the Six.” Do you have any simple tips for us on how you achieved Riley Keough, Suki Waterhouse and Camila Morrone’s famously flawless natural, glowy look every day?

Rebecca: For me when I think of that time in the 70’s, the Laurel Cyn music scene, I think natural skin. I wanted them to look effortlessly beautiful, which of course they already are. But to enhance that natural beauty, I chose only cream based clean products which would blend well together. Cream blush, cream bronzer, cream highlighters and it was important that they didn’t have shimmer, so as to not look like “makeup “. This was over top of light moisturizing foundations and light natural beauty makeups. A natural lip liner that matched their tones to shape the lip without it looking like they had anything on. Then very little powder was used throughout the day for touch ups. 

Stephanie: We’re seeing a lot of bold, red lips this season. Red makes me nervous because I usually opt for a natural lip – any tips on how to choose the right tone?

Rebecca: Yes, red or a bold lip is definitely in this season. Picking a red lip can be daunting. To know what colors work with your skin, determine if you are a cool or warm undertone. There are two undertones of red lipsticks, blue reds and orange reds. Find your undertone by looking at your veins. If they are blue or purple stick to cool/blue reds, if they are greener, warm reds will look better on you. 

There are a few go to colors that tend to be universal. Clinique Black Honey is a beautiful berry tone that can be understated if you aren’t wanting something too strong. NARS Dragon Girl is a bold bright true blue red that tends to look good on warmer skin tones as well. While MAC Powder Kiss Liquid Lip Colour in Devoted To Chili is a beautiful earthy orange red.  

Stephanie: You’ve worked with Sam Claflin and the hysterical Sebastian Maniscalco. Do you have any simple skincare or grooming tips for the guys as the season’s change? They are often forgotten in the seasonal skincare advice! 

Rebecca: Men have a thicker dermis layer on their face than women. It’s important to moisturize and cleanse just like the ladies! When fall comes around and then winter it can be a drying time and heavier moisturizer can be needed. I tend to use face oils and tinted moisturizers on men. I want them to still look natural but with nice skin. Depending on the person I may add some light liquid or cream bronzer to high points on the face for a sunkissed and shaped face. 

Stephanie: What is the most extreme or interesting look you’ve been asked to create that stretched your repertoire + creativity as an artist?

Rebecca: I think taking the 12 cast in “Daisy Jones & The Six” through 25 plus years with subtle shifts to their looks to not distract the viewer was my favorite to date. Sometimes as a makeup artist it’s subtleties that are trickier. Aspects a viewer may not notice because it’s not a big FX makeup creation. Yet, if you do this correctly and it’s not a distraction from watching the story, you’ve succeeded. 

Stephanie: Ok, personal advice please! From my Lyme Disease, chronic inflammation can flare up my rosacea and cause my under eyes to appear darker. Do you have any pro tips to soften redness and dark circles?

Rebecca: I’m a strong believer in red light therapy and microcurrent devices. The red light truly has helped even my skin tone out. The ZIIP Halo microcurrent & nano current device does lymphatic drainage, tightens the skin, builds collagen, it’s truly a miracle worker. Dark under eye circles are due to the blood under the skin causing the color to enhance. Concealers with subtle orange undertones will cancel out the blue tone and cover them. I like something pigmented and long wearing like Tarte Shape Tape concealer. 

Stephanie: Where is the wildest or most interesting place you’ve had to do makeup as a celebrity makeup artist? 

Rebecca: Well, one of the things I love about my career is getting to be in all kinds of unusual places. From traversing the jungle in Costa Rica, to overlooking Athens in Greece and filming in the desert in Morocco it’s exhilarating to travel. When I was working in Mexico on “Master & Commander” we would work on the tall ships. While it was sailing out in the am we did our makeups in the lower decks which were under the water line, no windows. Putting facial hair pieces and dirt/grime on sailors while the ship swayed out to sea. Probably one of the more unique situations I’ve been in. 

Stephanie: Any other fall/winter makeup trends you are excited about? 

Rebecca: Honestly, I love this throw back we are having to the 90’s, which was my era! Clean glowing skin, a natural flush to the cheek, simple eye makeup - maybe just some mascara and a beautiful tone lip. I truly believe skin care is the first and most important step to creating a beautiful face. So always start with that, Fortune Teller brightening serum is my go too for glowing skin that is ALSO protected from the sun!

As you know we always ask our experts a round of quick Qs! 

• Favorite Wellness Practice or Beauty Ritual: Hot Yoga & ZIIP Halo
• One Thing You Can't Live Without: Chocolate 
• What You're Reading / Watching Right Now: From Here To The Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough
• Favorite Place You've Been: This is hard, I have so many. Southeast Asia to generalize. Tigers Nest Monastery in Bhutan was pretty magical. 
• Current Desert Island Skincare or Makeup Products? Sunscreen & Lip balm. I’m a realist.

Editorial Note: Rebecca Wachtel is an Emmy-nominated celebrity makeup artist with a diverse and loyal client base. Ask the Expert tips and interviews are for informational and entertainment purposes only and any practice, product, supplement, medical or dietary recommendations are personal to our expert and this blog post only. Always consult your trusted medical practitioners and estheticians to determine the best options for you. This blog post does not imply any celebrity or network endorsement of Solara products and makes no claim of products used in conjunction with productions.