Painted by Esther’s Journey From Campus Glam to Red Carpets

For the past month, makeup artist Ngozi Esther Edeme, best known as Painted by Esther, has become even more well known for her signature pigmented pink blush look. “Blush is my bread and butter. I love Barbie or Bratz, whimsical doll-like makeup,” the London-based makeup artist says. Edeme has done makeup for Naomi Campbell, Anok Yai, Kelly Rowland, Olandria Carthen, SZA, Zaya Wade, and more. In fact, her technique is so recognizable that people often call out her work on the red carpet before she shares it.

She grew up in Nigeria, and her mother had a paintbrush in Edeme’s hand since she was a young girl. “In Nigeria, it’s like a rite of passage to have some sort of artistic medium. I’d come to school and practice and go home and practice,” she says. She moved to the U.K. at 8 years old