The One Makeup Artist You Need to Follow on Instagram This Year

By Dianna Mazzone
Updated Jan 24, 2019 @ 8:45 am
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Courtesy

Followers flock to Katie Jane Hughes's feed to see what Rosie Huntington-Whiteley once called “the KJH special”: a flashy pop of color set against fresh, dewy skin. “I know how to put [foundation] on a person and make it look like it’s not there at all,” says Hughes.

A former editorial manicurist, she developed her makeup skills assisting industry vets on set. But it was Instagram that made her a social-media star, attracting clients like Ashley Graham and campaign work for beauty brand Glossier.

“Instagram is my launchpad, my inspiration,” she says. And with near-daily posts and live tutorials featuring glossy complexions and edgy eyeliner, Hughes continues to draw a crowd. “If someone told me 10 years ago that Instagram was going to change my career, I would’ve been like, ‘ Yeah, whatever.’ ” Scroll on to see the products that never let her down.

RELATED: 5 Beauty Lovers on the Best Blending Brushes for a Stellar Smoky Eye 

Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette Precious Stones Collection in Sapphire

TIPS
$27
SHOP IT

When painted on with a wet brush, these metallic shadows deliver a rich, textured finish, says Hughes.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Revlon Electric Shock Highlighting Powder in Light It Up

Courtesy
$15
SHOP IT

Hughes dusts highlighter along the very top of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, and on the chin. The vertical path elongates the face, she says.

3 of 5

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Hydrating Gel Cream & Weleda Skin Food

Courtesy
$30
SHOP IT

Massaging in moisturizer before foundation makes for a more seamless application, she says.

$19; target.com.

Advertisement

4 of 5

Innisfree Eyeshadow Contouring Brush & Urban Decay Lo-Fi Lip Mousse in Noise

Courtesy
$22
SHOP IT

To give lips a softer look, Hughes applies lipstick then blurs edges with a pointed eye-shadow brush. She also dabs powder over the center of lips for a diffused effect.  

$6; us.innisfree.com. 

5 of 5

Ardell Beauty Stroke a Brow Feathering Pen & Göt2b Spiked-Up Max-Control Styling Gel

Courtesy
$10
SHOP IT

After filling in sparse areas with this pen, Hughes brushes brows upward and sets them with hair gel.

$7; walgreens.com.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Dianna Mazzone