The Who What Wear Podcast

Guest: Celebrity Makeup Artist & Groomer Tasha Reiko Brown
Host: Hilary Kerr
Date: February 25, 2026
Episode Theme:
An intimate conversation with one of Hollywood’s most sought-after makeup artists and groomers, Tasha Reiko Brown. From her artistry origins to working with A-listers like Michael B. Jordan and Gabrielle Union, Tasha shares candid insights about red carpet grooming, her product staples, creative process, and predictions for 2026 beauty.

Overview

This episode dives into the journey and working philosophy of Tasha Reiko Brown—a revered figure in the beauty industry known for her “fresh, effortless” makeup style and high-profile clientele. The discussion spans her creative background, approaches to makeup and men’s grooming, product essentials, trusted industry relationships, and what lies ahead in beauty trends.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Tasha’s Artistic Beginnings (02:42–07:00)

• Start in Art & Graffiti:
  Tasha first explored creativity through graffiti in New York. “The biggest canvas, the freest canvas.” (03:04)
• Transition to Makeup:
  Switched from street art to faces out of practicality: “I got too old to keep ducking and dodging police.” (04:04)
• Organic Career Growth:
  “It was just a very, very organic transfer just to sort of switch canvases... the canvases kept getting smaller and more intimate.” (04:16–04:50)

Early Experiences & Style Development (05:05–08:14)

• Self-Taught Approach:
  Inspired by watching her grandmother and mother, and classic guides like Kevin Aucoin and Sam Fine.
• Signature Style:
  “The makeup I do on myself always tended to be lighter and fresher because... I just didn’t like the way a lot of makeup looked.” (07:01)
• Finding Her Lane:
  Advised by a friend: “‘Nobody asked you to do it. Do what you do, and your client will find you.’” (07:44)
• Building Clientele:
  Trusted her vision, believing “a client whose vision aligns with that will find me.” (07:54)

Working with High-Profile Clients & Trust-Building (08:14–10:21)

• Synergy & Communication:
  “The way I see you is also how you see you... I communicate in a lot better with photos.” (08:45)
• Building Trust Over Time:
  “People treat the makeup artist relationship... as a very intimate space. Because one, I’m in your home, on your face. I’m helping you present your best self.” (09:29)
• Knowing When to Take Risks:
  Save big creative leaps for smaller events; build up to greater trust for major moments. (09:35–10:19)

Collaboration with Stylists & Other Artists (10:21–13:34)

• Importance of Communication:
  “If he’s going big and I go big, suddenly everything’s big, and it looks like we weren’t even in the same room.” (10:54)
• Wardrobe Sets the Tone:
  “It always has to start with the wardrobe, because that visually takes up the most space.” (12:26)
• Drawing Inspiration:
  “I get a lot of my creativity and excitement from things that the stylists are bringing in... I tend to take most of my cues from the stylist.” (13:01)

Partnership with Chanel (13:34–15:24)

• Organic Brand Relationship:
  “We align in that we’re very much art first... their products match my aesthetic. Right. Natural is a style. Very clean, very quality, very luxury, very chic, very timeless, yet modern.” (13:44–14:18)
• Respect for the Brand’s Support of Artists:
  “They’re amazing and they’re really, really invested in creating beautiful things.” (14:43)

Grooming Men for the Red Carpet: Michael B. Jordan (15:24–21:11)

• How They Met:
  Long industry overlap, connecting during the ‘Black Panther’ press cycle. (15:56–16:50)
• Red Carpet Men’s Grooming:
  “On men... it’s not doing makeup, it’s hiding makeup. So you have to be spot on.” (17:11)
• No Room for Error:
  “If I miss the mark with women just a little bit... On men, you really have to be spot on. Not just the color, but the texture.” (17:59)
• Tailored Approach:
  “Sometimes it’s three different products just for different zones of the face.” (18:15)
• Routine Emphasizes Skin Health:
  “I always start with levels of hydration. I do a lot of lymphatic drainage techniques... lots of massage techniques, very minor, minor, minor coverage.” (19:10–19:53)
• Understanding Each Client’s Skin:
  “I do kind of just want talk to you about your skin care, see what you’re using. Bonus points if I can peek in your bathroom.” (20:15–20:48)

Gabrielle Union & Creating a Signature Look (21:50–27:04)

• Gabrielle Union: Effortless Beauty
  “It’s so hard doing her makeup because she looks better without it.” (22:10)
• Matching Look to Wardrobe:
  “When the dress is doing that much... I can’t also... turn it up. So this was just... a beautiful nude lip... classic smoky eye. We’ll just let the dress dress.” (23:52–24:04)
• Subtlety in Glam:
  “If I put a lot of energy on the eye, I pull everything way back...” (24:54)
• Minimal Eye Products:
  “I don’t know how to apply multiple shades of eyeshadow. If you go back through my work... you see one eyeshadow color.” (25:47–25:56)
  “You get two eyeshadow colors, and that’s crazy.” (26:13)

Foundation Philosophy & Technique (27:04–28:47)

• Hero Foundation:
  “It’s the Chanel Healthy Glow foundation. It blooms, it bonds down to the skin... Every single face I’ve done on the red carpet has less than two eyeshadows and the Chanel Levige foundation.” (27:18–27:51)
• Less is More:
  “When I apply makeup, they’re sitting in a high chair, and I kind of tend to think of myself as a spotlight... All of the faces I do, there is sort of a light is hitting them and the edges seem a little darker...” (28:01–28:47)

Color, Shape & Cat Eye Tips (28:52–31:34)

• Color Placement:
  Stronger eyes or shapes are balanced with neutral tones so the face “compliments” the overall look, not outshines it. (29:20–30:13)
• Her Cat Eye Trick:
  “What I like to do is they’ll just look right at me, and that way I’ll put a dot where I want the liner to end and keep looking at you, and I know it’s even. Then I’ll just back my way in.” (30:24)

Longevity & At-Home Tips for Listeners (31:34–35:33)

• Product Layering:
  Longevity comes from the right formulas and applying them over complementary skincare:
  “If you want a look that’s going to last a long time, it has to bond to the skin. It’s never going to do that with oil.” (32:02–32:54)
• The Secret to Powder & Oil Control:
  “Put the blotting sheet. Hold it, give it a beat... and just in the center of the face.” (33:50–34:00)
• Photo-Ready Advice:
  “Look at what you don’t like about the last time you were photographed... and just do little, little tweaks and you’ll get there.” (34:26–35:33)
• Thinking Ahead About Makeup Intensity:
  “It’s a lot because you’re in your robe in the kitchen at home, but... in the setting... it might be perfect.” (35:36)

2026 Beauty Predictions & Product Essentials (36:13–40:27)

• Multiples:
  “All the things I’m seeing are very... the packaging is moving towards, like, lip and cheek stick, lip and cheek stain.” (36:29)
• Cleaner Skin:
  “Every year where skin is going cleaner, cleaner, cleaner. The best version of you with not a lot of product.” (37:11)
• Favorite Products:
  • Chanel Solution 10: “Anybody can... I know it’s not going to react... just going to give me hydration... every artist should have.” (38:56)
  • Chanel Balmassential: “It’s like painting with light... makes everything heavy look light, and everything light look angelic.” (39:18)
  • Morph Brown Lip Pencils: “They anchor all my light with... I would save [them] in a fire.” (40:27)
  • Tweezerman Tweezers, Retin-A, Supergoop Glow Screen: Nuanced routine essentials. (40:29–41:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Artistic Identity:
  “Nobody asked you to do that. Do what you do, and your client will find you.” – Tasha Reiko Brown (07:44)
• On Men’s Grooming:
  “On men, you really have to be spot on. Not just the color, but the texture.” – Tasha (17:59)
• On Less-is-More:
  “Every single face I’ve done on the red carpet has less than two eyeshadows and the Chanel Levige foundation.” – Tasha (27:51)
• On Collaboration:
  “The face is the face. But when you bring in new clothes, then I get to play, and then I get to push it in different directions.” – Tasha (13:14)
• On Gabrielle Union’s Beauty:
  “It’s so hard doing her makeup because she looks better without it.” – Tasha (22:10)
• On Trends:
  “All the products I’m seeing coming in 2026 are not really trends... they’re just mainstay products that are just beautiful.” – Tasha (37:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tasha’s creative start: 02:42–07:00
• Developing her signature style: 07:01–08:14
• Building trust and client rapport: 08:14–10:21
• Collaboration with stylists, approach to wardrobe: 10:21–13:34
• Working with Chanel: 13:34–15:24
• Grooming Michael B. Jordan, men’s makeup: 15:24–21:11
• Gabrielle Union, approach to smoky eyes: 21:50–27:04
• Foundation philosophy: 27:04–28:47
• Color and shape on the face, strong eye looks: 28:52–31:34
• Long-wearing makeup advice for listeners: 31:34–35:33
• 2026 beauty predictions: 36:13–38:04
• Favorite/desert island products: 38:47–41:39
• Fashion and beauty for the rest of awards season: 41:52–42:32

Closing Thoughts

Tasha Reiko Brown’s approach blends artistic intuition and technical precision, underlined by a preference for minimal, radiant skin and a belief that the best results come from collaboration, trust, and clear communication. Her advice resonates whether you’re prepping for the red carpet or your next big life moment: highlight what makes you unique, use products intentionally, and always begin with great skin.