Why Dick Page Doesn't Believe in Beauty Rules

Dick Page doesn’t believe in words like “age-appropriate,” “trendy,” or “seasonal.” In fact, the British-born makeup artist doesn’t believe in beauty rules period. “Makeup should be fun, not a chore,” he says. That devil-may-care approach—plus a sharp eye for color and detail—has led to a nearly two-decade stint as the artistic director of Shiseido and countless runway collaborations with designers like Narciso Rodriguez and Michael Kors. Page doesn’t just paint lips and sculpt cheeks; he helps the designers home in on the makeup looks that eventually become their signature. But most important, it’s led to a rich and beautiful life. We asked Page for the non-rules he lives by.

Take notes from your friends— all of them.

“Michael Kors is about trying new things and not saying no automatically. Maria Cornejo has taught me the importance of having a piece of me show through in all of my work, but also a bit of the woman. And then there’s my dog Raggio, who is literally always stopping to smell the roses.”

Eat like a jet-setter.

“If you’re traveling, you need to try new foods. That’s one of my favorite parts of my job. I’ve spent a lot of time in Japan for Shiseido, so I love Japanese stews and soups, which I now know how to make at home. But when I’m working in Paris, I get an Airbnb rather than a hotel so I can prepare my own meals with the amazing ingredients from the fish and cheese shops in the 1st and 7th arrondissements. Cooking is a relaxing creative outlet for me. If I weren’t a makeup artist, I might have liked to be a cook for a living.”

Patrick Demarchelier

If you own only two pieces of makeup, they should be:

“A black eyeliner and a red lipstick. It’s a graphic makeup look that every woman can pull off, whether she’s a downtown punk or a Fifth Avenue society queen. That’s the wonderful thing about makeup: You infuse your personality into whatever you wear, so no two people will look identical even if they are using the same [thing].”

Work your ass off.

“Know that when you’re first starting out, 95 percent of your ideas might be awful, but the other 5 percent could be genius. And eventually that ratio will change in your favor. Whatever you do, realize that you are not the center of the universe—you have to be able to work with people as a team. If you can’t, your career will eventually implode.”


More from our favorite celebrity makeup artists:

  1. Makeup Artist Dick Page Explains How Color Influences Him
  2. Meet Uzo, Our Latest Makeup-Artist Crush
  3. Makeup Artist Vincent Oquendo's Fashion Week Photo Diary

Don’t underestimate the value of Saturday- morning TV.

“I’ve been fortunate—I haven’t had to deal with too many haters in my lifetime, but when I do, I take the Pee-wee Herman approach. Someone says something negative about me, and I think, I know you are, but what am I? It’s as simple as that.”

Remember That Less Is More

“You can really go down a rabbit hole of YouTube makeup videos with all the strobing and baking and ombré eyebrows. How can you move your face with all that stuff on it? I’ve always believed that you should wear as little makeup as you can get away with. And it should have an ease to it, like you put it on while riding the bus.”

"I've always believed that you should wear as little makeup as you can get away with. And it should have an ease to it, like you put it on while riding the bus."

Dick Page on the importance of color:

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