Everything about the life of the world's greatest makeup artist: Mario Dedivanovic

The queens of the makeup world are definitely the Kardashian/Jenner clan. Aside from the beauty brands that the ladies have under their names, they are also not afraid of an extra layer in daily life. If they label you as one of their favorite makeup artists, then you are doing something right in your career. Mario Dedivanovic is the man who often has one of the sisters in his chair, or rather, he goes to them, and has been doing so for ten years now. But who is this influential Mario and what is his own makeup collection that he launched exactly three years ago?

Mario Dedivanovic was born today (October 1) exactly forty years ago in The Bronx, New York. He grew up in a small basement apartment and his parents didn't have much money, but he felt drawn to beauty and beautiful things from a young age. His mother worked as a cleaner at the L’Oréal headquarters and often received products from the brands Maybelline and Lancôme, which sparked his interest in makeup. He regularly hid in the bathroom to look at his mother's makeup items, but he didn't dare to actually try them out.

Long story short: I took the box and ran away from home.’

At seventeen, he unknowingly walked through the revolving doors of a Sephora store with his mother, the beauty paradise for makeup lovers, and then he knew for sure: I want to work here. After some time applying, he managed to score a job at Sephora, but not next to the products, but at the door where he said ‘Welcome to Sephora’ every two seconds. That was until a woman asked for his opinion on a lipstick and he helped her against protocol, now he was truly convinced and wanted to do this for the rest of his life. There was just one problem: he was raised with the idea that there was no place for men in this industry, so out of fear of his family's opinion, he kept this a secret. Until his sister found a Nike shoebox full of makeup in his bedroom and showed it to their mother. ‘Long story short: I took the box and ran away from home.’

In 2006, his glamorous career began when he got his first two famous clients: Gina Gershon and Natasha Bedingfield, and shortly after, in 2008, he had his first meeting with Kim Kardashian. This appointment almost didn't happen because Mario had another booking on that day for weeks. His good friend begged him to come anyway, and so it happened. Every time Kim was in New York, she asked Mario to do her makeup, and before long, she asked him to come to LA for the filming of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. His role was behind the scenes for a long time until Kim started filming makeup tutorials for YouTube with Mario on screen. The first video was online for a short time, and the official success had begun, with followers and fans pouring in.

His largest class to date? About 2,200 people, in Albania.

Due to the mega-popular videos with Kim, the idea of starting a two-day offline workshop in LA emerged, but that was disappointing: only twenty students signed up. He didn't immediately throw in the towel; he organized another masterclass, but this time in New York. After one announcement on Twitter, he sold a hundred tickets in no time. With model Adrienne Bailon, he had the masterclass filmed, which made him hugely popular on YouTube. These masterclasses are now known as the concerts for makeup lovers, with big names like Huda Kattan and Makeup by Ariel present in the audience. His largest class to date? About 2,200 people, in Albania.

Their plan clearly stated that they wanted to keep it small, but Sephora absolutely disagreed.

In 2017, he started seriously working on his makeup brand Makeup by Mario, but secretly he had been working on it for twenty years. He met Alicia Valencia, the global president of the brand, in 2019, and together they launched his first collection: Master Metallics. He introduced it to Sephora. Their plan clearly stated that they wanted to keep it small, but Sephora absolutely disagreed. They wanted the collection in every store worldwide, which caused quite a bit of stress for the Mario team, but they succeeded. In 2020, right during the corona lockdown, Makeup by Mario launched the makeup line that many fans had been eagerly waiting for.

The collection consists of about forty products, with the latest launch being the SurrealSkin™ Awakening Concealer, which diminishes, camouflages, and brightens dark circles for a fresh look. By combining good ingredients with high quality and twenty years of experience in the industry, it is no surprise that his collection is a worldwide success. With award-winning products like the Soft Pop Power Blush and the Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick, as well as the most beautiful matte eyeshadow palettes and an extensive brush collection, it is definitely worth stepping into one of the 2000 Sephora stores if you're nearby, or ordering the products online. I am very curious about the next steps in his career, more products? A documentary about his life? Who knows...

Source and image: Popsugar, beautypackaging, Makeup by Mario | main image: Instagram @Kim Kardashian, @Makeup By Mario