In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite celebrities and talent for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing. Ahead, Ash K Holm talks about her love of makeup, her first celebrity client, and the beauty products she swears by.
For Ash K Holm, confidence has always come in the form of makeup. “I felt super insecure as a child, and I was diagnosed with scoliosis in third grade,” the celebrity makeup artist tells Bustle. “I was feeling so self-conscious about it, so I would always wear makeup. At 11 years old, I was going to school with eyeshadow on and clear brow gel on my eyelashes. It was the 2000s, so I was wearing chalky pastel tones and glitter. It was probably so inappropriate, but I was just trying to give myself more confidence to show up in class. And honestly, nothing worked better.”
After experiencing the power of beauty at such a young age — and doing all her friends’ makeup throughout high school — she knew she was going to work in that industry. She begged her parents to let her attend cosmetology school, and despite being rejected five times, she eventually landed a job at the Mac store in San Antonio, where she had moved for school. “I can’t take no for an answer,” says Holm with a laugh.
Six years later, she left to pursue a freelance career. It was at a time when Instagram was just taking off, which she used to her advantage. She worked with Lilly Ghalichi, who owned Lilly Lashes and starred on Shahs of Sunset and tagged Holm’s glam. “That brought me thousands of new followers,” she says. “I realized there’s influence in working with powerful women, so I started to post more and more.” Then Carmen Electra found her. And then Khloé Kardashian booked her. Everything took off after that.
Today, her clients include some of the most recognizable A-listers: Besides Khloé and Kim Kardashian, there’s Lindsay Lohan, Ariana Grande, and Penelope Cruz, to name just a select few. (The list really goes on and on.) Besides putting her artistry to work on major celebs, Holm’s recently joined forces with beauty subscription service Ipsy to curate its August Icon Box.
Ahead, Holm opens her makeup bag — and her vanity — to share the products that keep her and her star clients glowing, including the face oil she slathers all over her body and her signature scent.
Her Go-To Mascara
Haus Labs B Structural Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara
“I was so excited to put this in my Ipsy Icon Box. I find it really hard to pick a mascara that works for people like me who have straight lashes that kind of go downward. I have more bad days than good with my eyelashes. I get amazing volume, curl, and lift from this product — it’s not clumpy; it’s lightweight; it doesn’t flake. It does everything that I need it to do.”
Her Signature Scent
Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum
“I love the YSL Libre fragrance. I always leave it, but I always come back to it. There’s something so sexy about it. Anyone can put it on and you just get so many compliments.”
Her MVP Eyeshadow Palette
Patrick Ta Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette
“I love eye makeup. Eyes are the feature of the face that I always play up. This gorgeous palette from Patrick Ta has an incredible variety of shades for sculpting the eyes. I’m really big on supporting makeup-artist-owned brands because we know what we’re doing when it comes to products.”
Her Fave Face Oil
Dr. B Lab Nourishing Face Oil
“I can’t live my life without a face oil. I have really dry skin, and I travel a lot, so the climate is always changing. This one by Dr. B Lab is in my Ipsy Icon Box, and I would put it all over my whole body. It’s amazing. Sometimes I just wear this and sunscreen because it locks in a glow.”
Her Essential Concealer
RMS Beauty UnCoverup Concealer
“This concealer, which is in my Ipsy Box, is perfect for pinpointing little blemishes that pop up and covering dark circles under the eyes. It mimics the look of skin, and it’s buildable. Sometimes I’ll use it to brighten and then to camouflage other areas — I like to have at least three shades in my makeup kit.”
Her Must-Have Eyeliner
Kulfi Underlined Kajal Clean Waterproof Long-Wear Eyeliner
“I’m a big eyeliner fan. I have these gorgeous ones in my Ipsy box — they have great performance, the wear is amazing, and the brown and black are such good staples.”
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