On Saturday, July 25th, 2015 fashion icon, Kim Kardashian West, and her now-famous makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic held “The Master Class” event at Pasadena Civic Auditorium to discuss and demonstrate makeup tips and techniques. The four-hour soiree boasted approximately 1,000 attendees, each of which purchased tickets that cost between $300-$1,000 each.
The enormous success of the lecture proves how social media outlets and celebrity endorsements can catapult makeup artists into household names. For several years, Kardashian has credited makeup artists like Joyce Bonelli, Rob Scheppy, and of course, Mario Dedivanovic for her Instagram looks. With 45.6 million Instagram followers, it’s easy to see how Kardashian can quickly circulate makeup artist names so they can generate a following themselves.
Makeup artists looking to use celebrities and Instagram to propel their careers must learn there are rules to this game. During “The Master Class,” Kardashian and Dedivanovic stressed that it’s a faux pas for makeup artists to post images of celebrities they have worked with. Instead, they should wait for celebrities to initiate postings because it attests to the makeup artist’s humility and professional integrity.
While Dedivanovic started out as a fragrance consultant at Sephora, today he charges between $2,000 and $3,500 a day for his services. Yet, other prominent makeup artists such as Scott Barnes claim that the real money comes from branding. Not only does Barnes cater to celebrity clients, he also owns a product line, has published a book, and presents online seminars.
Kardashian’s makeup artist endorsement trend on Instagram has created a celebrity trend. Patrick Ta, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist, claims he counts TV star Shay Mitchell, model Gigi Hadid, pop star Miley Cyrus, as well as Kardashian among his 225,000 Instagram followers. In a September 9th, 2015 article featured in the Los Angeles Times, Ta admitted, “Without Instagram, I would not be where I am today.”