Watching Sam Visser work, I realised that almost everything I thought I knew about make-up was wrong. In Visser’s world, everything goes on the nose, wet highlighter goes on top of powder highlighter, brown powder eyeshadow can be lip liner (which is then blended to avoid a lipgloss mustache), highlighter can be eyeshadow and blush always “looks better five hours later”.
The make-up artist, who was announced as YSL Beauty’s Global Makeup Artist in February, was a child prodigy. At just 12 years old, he would beg his dad to drive him to a Make Up For Ever boutique in Los Angeles. He’d spend the entire day there – he even once recognised make-up artist David Hernandez shopping there and introduced himself. It’s a moment that’s imprinted in Visser’s brain; he remembers his younger self with bright red hair, wearing Abercrombie & Fitch. “My dad was crazy for allowing me just to hang out at these make-up stores alone,” he says. “A lot of doors opened for me just from that one moment.” By 16, he was already doing Kris Jenner’s make-up five days a week.
Since his early beginnings, Visser has become one of the most influential make-up artists of his generation, known for his timeless high glam looks and supermodel friend circle. In February, YSL Beauty announced Visser as the newest Global Makeup Artist and last weekend, Visser held a YSL Beauty masterclass and party at the ‘Love Game’ event in Miami, timed to the launch of new spring products: the just-launched YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Plumping Gloss and Make Me Blush Powder Blush. Both products were used extensively (and, sometimes, surprisingly) throughout the masterclass. “I have blush blindness,” he said. “But we are in Miami”.
Ahead, we asked Visser for his best make-up tips and tricks.
Firstly, congrats on becoming a YSL Beauty Global Makeup Artist. What was the first thing you did when you heard the news?
Sam Visser: The first thing I did was call my mum. She also knew how big of a deal this was for me because she remembered me buying her a YSL lipstick when I was 12 and Sephora has just opened in my city. When I bought her the lipstick, it was really the epitome of luxury make-up and I remember a gold tube. Calling her was my first instinct because she knew how much of a dream this was for me – YSL Beauty is not only a brand that had so much relevance for me as a kid, but also over time I’ve learned more about Yves Laurent the man, and I realised he not only aligns with me as a creative but also as a person. He was a true artist and somebody who was following his pure instinct, and I really identify with that.
That’s a sweet gift for your mum! Did she get you into make-up?
Visser: She got me into make-up, but it wasn’t even purposeful. She had a drawer full of gift with purchase make-up, so I employed myself to figure out how to use mauve-toned blushes or brown eyeshadow in 20 different ways. I really utilised those products and the little sponge applicators. I got more curious about make-up and got her into make-up. I started saving my money to buy her make-up, so now it’s kind of flipped.
You obviously got your start super young, at age 12. What were you like back then?
Visser: For a long time, even before 12, I was an internet kid. I was obsessed with watching YouTube videos. I’d watch make-up tutorials but also had this duality of total internet age beauty because there was another perspective from that time where I also wasn’t really into beauty. I think this still comes through with me today. I love utilising the internet and the way beauty is in social media now, but also referencing a lot of the past.
Do you have any advice for young, inspiring make-up artists today?
Visser: It’s all about persistence and about not giving up. There were so many times in my career that were very difficult. I didn’t finish high school, I dropped out to pursue make-up and, when you are putting yourself out on the table as an artist, it can feel so personal. You can feel like you don’t even want to carry on doing it, but I really feel like if you continue to knock on the door, it will open for you at some point. It takes a long time. I’ve been working for almost ten years now, and I’m just getting to this point because I’ve been persistent and consistent with trial-and-error experimentation. With social media, you can feel like you have to put your life on display as a make-up artist, but it’s more important to focus on yourself as an artist and what feels authentic – not just what the world is telling you to do to go viral.
What’s your favourite look you’ve ever created?
Visser: I don’t think I can even pick just one, but I did a great shoot with Bella Hadid recently for Miss 60, and we did hot girl make-up. The looks referenced the 90s but were also contemporary, and it was created really fast. It was done in 45 minutes, which never happens with make-up, ever. I love the 90s and 80s so much because so much of the make-up during that time was just to make you hot and gorgeous and to accentuate your features.
I also like how you treat all make-up products as multi-use.
Visser: As a make-up artist who works on set or location where I often don’t have a lot of time and only have a small bag of stuff, I have to be inventive. I think that’s where it comes from: utilising different products to use in different ways for the face. You might look at a taupe eye shadow and think you can only use it to contour your face, but it also works on the lips, and then it creates something new.
Is there a make-up trick or tip you wish you knew as a teenager?
Visser: I have to say the brown powder on the lips is something I’m obsessed with now. I really wish I could have foreseen that because there have been so many instances where I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t have the right lip liner’, but it was right there in front of me the whole time. Brown, taupe or any colour eyeshadow works. Also, using the YSL Candy Glaze Balm to bring your skin back to life. In 2016, when the beats were so heavy, there probably needed to be a bit more moisture in the skin.
What are the products you don’t leave the house without now?
Visser: I wear the All Hour Concealer every day because it makes me feel fresh. I shave my face, so I have little nicks on my face that I can cover with that. Another one is blush. I apply blush across my face, on my nose and on the high points of my cheekbones. It looks like you’ve had sun when you haven’t. Then I push up my eyebrows with my hands. I use my fingers to comb my eyebrows forward, and then I’m ready to go. I used to brush people’s eyebrows down or back, but now I fluff them up.
Your work already spans across a decade. What era of beauty would you consider us in right now?
Visser: The 2020s have been funny because what happened 100 years ago is also happening now. Everyone has skinny eyebrows again but it looks so different now, and I think make-up trends right now are very clean. There’s a lot of subtlety happening with a focus on only one element. But my personal taste with make-up, imagery and fashion is for it to be timeless. The beauty of a trend for me is born out of a place of admiring something that happened before and making it new for a generation who have never had that before. Or utilising something completely different, like anime and illustrations. All different things inform what I think is going to trend next.
Where do you hope we’re headed? Is there anything you’d like to see more of?
Visser: I’m all for elegance and glamour. I don’t think being chic is that common in the zeitgeist of beauty and fashion right now, and I’d love to see that return. I’ve been going after that for a long time, and I’m never going to stop. And I also think YSL Beauty epitomises not just glamour but boldness as well.
I have to ask: do you bring every beauty product across the nose?
Visser: Blush, bronzer and highlighter, but I do think everything can go on the nose. I’m even a fan of taking an eyeshadow and running it across the eyes. It kind of gives Blade Runner. I love that.
