Few makeup artists harbor star power similar to their famous clientele. Pat McGrath climbed the ranks as an editorial makeup artist for top fashion houses, gaining a following of fans that included A-list names like Taylor Swift and Naomi Campbell. McGrath quickly became a golden fixture in both the beauty and fashion industries herself. Mario Dedivanovic, affectionately known as Makeup by Mario, earned a name so closely intertwined with Kim Kardashian’s that his own instills the same shock and awe as the celebrity herself. It takes years of muscle, grit, and painterly finesse for a makeup artist to ascend to the same astral plane as their famous subjects, and one person we spy making the same journey is Saudi Arabia–born, Los Angeles–based 29-year-old makeup artist Yasmin Istanbouli.
Passive beauty fans may be hearing Istanbouli’s name for the first time, but everyone with a smidge of interest in pop culture has seen her handiwork. The burgeoning artist has been by Charli XCX’s side since before the birth of Brat, launching a new era and look for the ever-evolving pop star and inspiring the masses to shift from clean girl beauty to pared-back party girl makeup in 2024. Two years later, Istanbouli has played a prominent role in forging the modern definition of grunge—an unfussy, editorial iteration shaped by her sharp photographer’s eye.
To sit in the makeup artist’s chair is to be reinforced as an It girl, and notable faces like Olivia Rodrigo, Nara Smith, Madison Beer, and Amelia Gray (we could go on) have been transformed beneath her brushes into sleeker, edgier versions of themselves. To see their faces on her Instagram is to look at the stars, their teams, publicists, and agents with an arched brow of approval. “You know about her too?”
From the smoky, smudged shadows of Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s Sweat tour to Hilary Duff’s sculpted features and Camila Cabello’s onstage glam, Instanbouli is slowly but surely etching her name among the greats. Keep reading to see what makes her her—from her creative inspirations to memories of meddling in her mother’s makeup and the items on her “someday” shopping list.
Are you based in L.A.?
Yes, based in L.A. I’m from Saudi Arabia, and I moved to L.A. at the end of 2021. I came here for college but officially got my work visa by the end of 2021, so I’ve been here ever since.
What made you want to go into beauty? Was this always the plan after college, or was it what brought you out west?
Where I’m from in Saudi is coastal; it’s very similar to L.A., in a way. When I first visited L.A. when I was in middle school (we just came for a summer vacation), I just loved it, so I always knew that I wanted to live here at some point. When I was in college, I actually wanted to get into photography, so I did a lot of video editing, photography, film photography, and animation. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to be in the photography world.
Then, in junior year of college, I got really into RuPaul’s Drag Race—like, obsessed with watching them do their makeup—and I started getting stoned and sitting in my bathroom for hours doing drag makeup on myself with my friends for fun. Then I started playing around with makeup and buying more, like Urban Decay, all of their palettes. But when I graduated college, stepping into the photography world sounded scary to me because I felt like I wasn’t that technical of a person, so I talked to my mom about doing makeup.
Priscilla Ono, who’s Rihanna’s makeup artist, had a three-day course in L.A. coming up right after I graduated from college, so my mom gifted me a ticket as a graduation present. We didn’t expect anything to come out of it. I just wanted to do it, but that was the light-bulb [moment]. Of course, she taught us about the business and the more technical side of [the industry], but she was giving me such great feedback that I thought, “Oh, maybe I could do this professionally.”
At just 29, you did not start doing this that long ago!
It’s kind of funny because this is my job, and I’m obviously so lucky to do this. For where I’m at and for my age, it may seem like I got a very quick, strong start, but it’s all Instagram, to be honest. I’ve just been doing the Instagram thing for a while.
How did Instagram become a conduit for you?
Ever since I was a high school student in Saudi, I was very interested in photography. I also loved L.A., so I was following a lot of L.A. people, and I was obsessed with Tumblr. I was very much curating a classic aesthetic on my Instagram, and I got really into it during college too. I’ve also had a public account since high school, which is kind of controversial for a girl in Saudi. I remember my dad was like, “Your Instagram is public?!” So I was very into putting myself out there.
When I started doing makeup, I was just hitting up the L.A. models—the girls that I was following for a while—and was like, “Can I do your makeup for free? We’ll just take some pictures, whatever.” That was what got the ball rolling because then those girls would post and tag me even though I didn’t have a name at that point. That’s where Instagram helped.
You and Charli must really jive because you understand the artistic side of things, especially with this upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film. You two are such a synergetic pairing in that way.
I don’t know if I’m not giving myself enough credit (I haven’t been doing this for that long, so I still have a lot to learn), but I feel like people are hiring me because of vibes. Charli and I really get along, and it just makes the makeup process easier. She trusts me. I remember the first time I met her. She told me two things, and I still stick by it to this day: “I don’t like covering my under-eyes, and I love gray.” So ever since then, I’ve just stuck to that, and she’s such an easy person to work with. Beautiful face. It’s like a match made in heaven.
When did you first work together? I feel like we were introduced to this grungier look in the Brat era, but do you two predate that album?
We started working together pre-Brat. I was introduced to her through an incredible hairstylist, Fitch Lunar, who’s probably known Charli for 15 years. We were at a shoot, and he was like, “Do you know Charli XCX?” I was like, “Yeah, of course.” This is what I mean when I say it’s all vibes. He said, “I feel like you guys would get along.” He told her about me, and then not too long after that, she hit me up to do her makeup when she came out as a surprise guest at a Caroline Polachek concert in L.A. in 2023. After that, she started booking me for little things here and there, and then it really took off when she booked me for tour.
You are literally responsible for the Brat makeup trend. That’s wild!
It’s also her, though! When I look up pictures of Charli in her past eras, she was really into glam and color and glitter. But for Brat, from very early on, she said, “I just want it to be very stripped back and more me,” which is how I love to do makeup. So it’s very, very collaborative. Some days, she’d say, “I want nothing,” and then other days, she’d be like, “Let’s do a messy, black eye.” We were just doing it on the fly during tour, really.
Between the tour girls, it’s you and Sophia Sinot. It’s your work with Charli, and it’s Sophia with Zara Larsson. Those are the girls to watch.
Stop it! To be put up next to Sophia Sinot… I’m honored.
It’s true! We need a collab someday. But let’s take things back to the beginning. What or who comes to mind when you think of your first memories of makeup?
Definitely my mom. I still remember her Chanel lipstick. She loves Chanel nail polish and lipstick to this day. I was obsessed with her lipstick, even the smell of it. She had a gorgeous vanity, and my mom doesn’t wear much makeup, but she always had so much of it. I remember grabbing her Chanel lipstick and then, obviously, covering my whole mouth, and then I suddenly dropped and smashed it.
What a chic mom.
When [Charli and I] were on tour or traveling together and I’d wear an outfit, people would be like, “That’s so cute. Where’d you get it?” And I’m like, “It’s my mom’s.” My whole closet is my mom’s vintage.
You have such an impressive client list, from Charli to Olivia Rodrigo, Nara Smith, Madison Beer, and beyond. Who is still a dream client of yours?
I have a few! I recently worked with Olivia Rodrigo, who was definitely on my list. Love her. And as someone who’s half Palestinian, Bella Hadid. Bella’s makeup artist, Nadia Tayeh, is also Palestinian, and she’s amazing. She’s my idol, and they’re a match made in heaven. We actually just ran into each other in passing. We were working with two different clients at the same hotel in New York, and I was a full-on fangirl.
Love Hailey [Bieber], and I would also love [to work with] Jenna Ortega. I think she’s really fucking cool; she’s so stunning and so low-key. Hannah Einbinder too—I love her. Obviously, this is my job, and some days, it’s not a personal thing, but I really want to work with people that are aligned in terms of morals and what we care about. That’s a big deal to me.
Yes, 100%. Your roster is filled with quite the crew of fashion people too, and you fit right in. How would you describe your personal style?
I love being comfortable. When I was in college, I was wearing Dickies, Converse, and my dad’s T-shirts. I didn’t tap into my feminine side at that point in my life, so when I moved to L.A. and lived with my best friend… She has the classic tube tops, miniskirts, big hoops, lashes, and a tan. She looks so hot and confident. She started letting me borrow her clothes. At that point, I really tapped into my feminine side.
I love basics—a good pair of jeans, a good jacket—but it depends on what I’m doing. I don’t consider myself a fashion girl, but I feel really good when I’m wearing a good leather jacket and a good tank top. I have a lot of Skims, Brandy Melville, and Tank Air and always a good pair of jeans. My mom always says that you know someone has good taste when they wear good shoes, so I’m trying to elevate my shoe game right now.
What are three things on your shopping wish list right now?
I love a good YSL or ACNE Studios leather jacket. I have so many leather jackets. They last forever. Oh, and I want to get ballet flats with a pump from Repetto or somewhere similar. And I mean, anything from The Row—someday, I’ll get there.
My mom is the blueprint for me, and she loves to shop. Every time I go back to Saudi, she’s just giving me things, like her OG 2001 Balenciaga City Bag, so I don’t need to shop. I feel like that’s why I don’t know if I have good taste or not, because I’m just taking from her.
It’s called inherited taste! Who are your fashion and beauty references?
Of course, Charli. She can just go out in a T-shirt and baggy jeans and look amazing. I also love Alex Consani. When she wears no makeup and has her hair down, she’s just so chic to me. Alex can look very casual chic or high fashion but always effortlessly. I just think she’s extremely, extremely cool. I’ve worked with her once, but she’s definitely high up there on my list of people whose makeup I want to do. It was a long time ago, and I need a rerun.
In that same vein, where do you usually like to shop? In your mom’s closet, I’m sure.
My mom’s closet, for sure! I’m not much of a shopper, but when I do shop… Charli and I went to Nordic Poetry in London and found some really cute stuff. Lara Koleji and Procell in New York. There’s this one store in L.A. that I haven’t been to but really want to: Staklena Kuća. Kate Berlant, who is very chic (she’s a comedian and has amazing style), told me about that store. I’m more of a vintage shopper, so if I’m buying new things, I’m usually just getting basics.
If my wallet allows it, definitely ACNE. Love The RealReal, also Gimaguas and Paloma Wool. I went to a Paloma Wool pop-up in London and bought a lot. I’m really into accessorizing right now. I love a cute scarf with a leather jacket, a tank top, and jeans.
On the other hand, what beauty brands and products do you love to collect?
I love Dior makeup. I use a lot of Dior on myself, and my mom always had a lot of it. Once I got into makeup, she would give me some of her products to use on myself, and a lot of it was Dior. I love the packaging, their palettes, and I have a lot of them. You know how makeup artists depot products. We take all the eye shadow palettes out of the actual packaging and put them in a bigger palette. I feel like I can’t do that with the Dior ones. I’m like, “They’re so precious and gorgeous!”
Another brand that’s a staple for every makeup artist is MAC. They just have everything! I love their mascaras, lip liners, lipsticks, skin products, all of it. I’ve been really into Haus Labs and Merit. I have a drawer dedicated to Merit. I gave a Complexion Stick to each of my sisters. We all have very similar complexions, and whenever I’m with them and I have it out, they try it and are like, “Oh my god, this is amazing.” So I just keep giving them Merit Complexion Sticks!
Fill in the blank: I feel most confident when ________.
I feel most confident when I’m having a good hair day. My hair is my armor. I like having long hair, and whenever I cut it, I’m instantly insecure, but when I’m having a good hair day—because it’s just also hard to manage (I have frizzy hair)—I feel unstoppable.
Last question: What’s your star sign, and do you think it reflects who you are?
I’m a Cancer sun, Virgo rising, and Leo moon. I’ve always felt very connected to my sign. I’m a Cancer, so I’m obviously very sensitive, and I do consider myself a nurturer. I am very much a sensitive girl, and I think Leos are, out of all the fire signs, the more sensitive ones. Charli’s a Leo! I love Leos, and they’re really fun.
