Fashion Week beauty may appear effortless on the runway, but backstage it is a world of beautiful chaos, heavy lighting, quick changes and long days. Every product in a makeup artist’s kit must perform at speed, work across different faces and remain dependable under pressure.
Lan Nguyen-Grealis knows this better than most. The London-based makeup artist and author has worked across runway, editorial and red-carpet beauty, with clients including Raye, Paloma Faith, Nicole Scherzinger, Pink and Alex Scott. She has also written two books on her craft, Art & Make-Up and ProMakeup Design Book.
Lan is also a friend of mine and someone whose beauty recommendations I genuinely trust. With years of experience creating makeup under the most demanding conditions, I wanted to discover which products have earned a permanent place in her Fashion Week kit.
The Five-Minute Skin Preparation
Seoulista Beauty Rosy Glow Primer
Good makeup begins with properly prepared skin, but backstage there is rarely time for a lengthy routine. Lan’s solution is the Seoulista Beauty Rosy Glow Primer, a five-minute priming mask designed to hydrate, smooth and prepare the complexion for makeup.
“The Seoulista Beauty Rosy Glow Primer has always been that one saviour that makes clients say, ‘Wow.’ It is a speedy way to rebalance and revive the skin, especially before makeup application,” Lan explains.
It is the kind of product that makes perfect sense backstage: quick, effective and capable of creating a smoother canvas without adding several extra stages to the routine.
The Base That Lasts All Day
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation
When makeup needs to survive an entire day, Lan reaches for Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Fluid Flex Natural Matte Longwear Foundation.
“I’m absolutely loving the formula. It looks like skin, still feels light and gives a lovely, even coverage that glides over the complexion,” says Lan. “It is easily applied with a brush and can be built up to achieve a perfect finish that lasts all day.”
The lightweight foundation offers medium, buildable coverage with a natural matte finish and has been formulated to resist creasing, sweat, humidity and transfer—qualities that become particularly valuable during the long, heated days of Fashion Week.
The Eye Product That Performs Under Bright Lights
Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint
Bright runway lights and close-up photography can expose every heavy layer or poorly blended edge. For a look that remains subtle in person but still registers beautifully on camera, Lan relies on Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint.
“Armani Beauty Eye Tints are my go-to eye base for nude and naturally warm looks,” she says. “In real life and under bright lights, they sit exactly where they need to be. They are subtle but still add something to the overall look.”
The creamy liquid shadows can be blended into a soft veil of colour or layered when greater intensity is required, making them particularly useful when a makeup artist needs to adapt a look quickly.
The Complexion Hero
Hourglass Cosmetics
For reliable complexion products, Lan considers Hourglass Cosmetics one of the hero brands in her kit.
“Hourglass is such a staple because the complexion products sit like skincare while still covering the areas that need it,” she explains. “Clients always appreciate that their skin looks naturally flawless.”
Rather than masking the entire complexion, Lan’s approach is about placing coverage only where it is required. The result is polished skin that retains its natural dimension and still looks like skin when viewed up close.
The Concealers Lan Trusts Backstage
Clé de Peau Beauté and MAC Cosmetics
One concealer cannot always meet the needs of every complexion, so Lan carries different formulas and shades to ensure she can work across a varied cast of models and clients.
For light to medium skin tones, she relies on Clé de Peau Beauté.
“It is an easy, quick fix that looks like skin and does not become dry after layering. It does the job in one application,” she says.
For deeper skin tones, MAC Cosmetics remains an essential part of her kit.
“The colours are always spot-on and easy to use. You can mix and match them, they blend extremely well and they are long-lasting.”
It is an important reminder that a professional kit is not built around a single universal product. Shade accuracy, blendability and how a formula behaves throughout the day are equally important.
The Eyeshadows Made for Creativity
Stila Liqua-Play Eye Shadow
Lan’s go-to eye product is Stila Liqua-Play Eye Shadow, a buildable liquid formula that can move between understated and highly creative looks.
“They are fantastic for preparing the eye with a natural base, but they can also be layered and used for more creative makeup,” says Lan. “There is a great range of colours, so I always have them to hand.”
She also keeps Stila eyeliners nearby for their playful shades and dependable wear. “They are long-lasting and practically smudge-proof.”
The versatility is exactly what makes these products useful backstage. One formula can create a soft wash of neutral colour, form the base of a more elaborate look or introduce a striking element of pigment. The Liqua-Play formula is designed to be lightweight, buildable and resistant to creasing or fading.
The Lip Products Always in Her Kit
Lan’s lip collection combines intensive preparation with colour that can withstand demanding conditions.
Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream
Although it is designed as a multipurpose skin balm, Lan uses Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream on the lips.
“It melts down beautifully, sinks into the lips and helps to soften dry or cracked areas.”
Its rich balm-to-oil texture makes it useful for preparing lips before colour, particularly when models have been moving between shows, climates and repeated makeup applications.
Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask
For a more indulgent treatment, Lan turns to Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask.
“It smells lovely and feels like a complete lip spa,” she says.
The restorative mask is designed to hydrate, soften and visibly smooth the lips, making it an ideal preparation step before lipstick.
Huda Beauty Lip Products
For occasions when colour cannot be allowed to smudge, Huda Beauty’s lip glosses and stains earn their place in Lan’s kit.
“They are great for long-wearing situations, extreme conditions and red-carpet moments when you need products that will not move.”
Morphe Lip Liners
Morphe lip liners complete Lan’s lip wardrobe, giving her the shades and precision required to define, balance and reshape the lips before applying colour.
The Brushes Behind the Looks
Lan estimates that she owns around 400 brushes. Working with multiple models and clients means she rotates between brush rolls, with particular sets assigned to different people and purposes.
Her collection is not restricted to traditional makeup tools, either.
“My original art brushes, which I have had for decades, are brilliant for powders and final touches,” she reveals.
Her current brush favourites include:
- Vieve for powder
- Sculpted by Aimee for concealing
- Hourglass for foundation and base products
- Real Techniques for blush and contour
- MyKitCo. for lashes and liner
- Kryolan for eyeshadow blending, lip work and long-wearing grease formulations
The variety reflects the way professional artists build their kits: the best tool is chosen for each individual job, regardless of whether it was originally designed for makeup, artistry or something else entirely.
The Quick Fix for Tired Models
When a model arrives with tired-looking eyes, Lan reaches for under-eye patches.
“They always work wonders,” she says. “I look for brightening, collagen or plumping formulas, ideally with a dose of vitamin C.”
They can be applied while hair is being prepared, allowing the delicate under-eye area to receive a quick burst of hydration without slowing down the backstage schedule.
Lan’s Fashion Week Emergency Product
When asked to reveal her secret Fashion Week fix, Lan laughs: “It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you!”
However, if she had to select one emergency product, it would be a rice toner. Lightweight and easy to layer, it can be used to refresh and rebalance the skin when it needs additional preparation without introducing a heavy texture beneath makeup.
The One Product She Could Never Work Without
Despite a kit containing hundreds of brushes and products from across the beauty world, Lan’s ultimate essential is refreshingly straightforward: a silicone-based face primer.
“It protects my client’s skin before I begin the makeup and gives me a blank, smooth canvas to work on,” she explains. “It is one of those products that never lets me down.”
Lan’s Fashion Week kit may contain products designed for very different purposes, but a clear philosophy connects them all. Skin must be carefully prepared, complexion products should enhance rather than overwhelm, and every formula must earn its place by performing reliably under pressure.
The result is makeup that appears effortless on the runway even when the work happening behind it is anything but.
