FASHION Magazine

  • Makeup for dark skin tones: 4 expert tips from Oprah and Michelle Obama’s makeup artist Derrick Rutledge

    makeup tips for dark skin Derrick Rutledge
    Photography courtesy Derrick Rutledge

    Read on for Derrick Rutledge’s makeup tips »

    If you’re looking for expert advice on applying makeup to darker skin tones, Derrick Rutledge is the man to talk to. With more than 25 years experience as a makeup artist and a portfolio that includes Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Janet Jackson, Rutledge is well-versed in all the tips and tricks for accentuating deep skin tones. It’s this expertise that landed him his most recent gig as Oprah Winfrey’s head makeup artist—after seeing the makeup he did for Michelle Obama when she appeared on the cover of TIME in 2009, Oprah came calling.

    Earlier this month Rutledge came to Canada with Oprah and I had the chance to talk to him about some of his beauty secrets. You can truly tell that he loves what he does and why—despite working with some of the most powerful women out there—he’s still so humble: “I do it for the art and the reaction I get after I make them up. Everything else came [with] my passion for it.”