Celeste Duquesne - Makeup Artist

Bit by the acting bug at the tender age of eight, Celeste Duquesne was sure she had the talent to make it on stage. What she did not anticipate was falling in love with a decidedly off-stage pursuit: Makeup artistry.

Less than three decades later, Duquesne — a San Diego, California native of Argentinean descent who now travels the world plying her craft as a top makeup artist — credits her experience in the limelight for helping her to become as sought-after in Hollywood as she is in New York, London and Paris.

"As an actor, I understand the importance of a moment — be it onscreen or in real life," she explains. "I also understand character. Characters excite me. I love it during photo shoots, when we get to explore the nuanced facets of an individual."

While pursuing acting in her early- to mid-twenties, Duquesne worked as a makeup artist for three hot cosmetic companies: Bobbi Brown, Trish McEvoy and Stila, helping to build their brands at the national level. In 2000, Chanel named Duquesne its head makeup artist in Los Angeles.

There, she began collaborating with actresses from Claire Danes to Angelica Houston. Tyra Banks and the late Caroline Besette Kennedy also counted on her to get gorgeous. But perhaps musicians captivate Duquesne most. Having worked with Cyndi Lauper, Celia Cruz, Eminem and Sting on some of their most memorable videos, she is now the makeup artist of choice for hit singer Natasha Bedingfield.

"Celeste knows how to make someone look beautiful and soft, but still edgy," Bedingfield says. "She is just the most loving, sweet person, too. You just feel really cared for when she is putting your makeup on."

"I love faces," Duquesne says. "I love discovering someone's face, and finding her beauty. I think everyone can be pretty. I think everyone can feel sexy…for herself."

For her clients, the makeup artist starts with "a nice canvas" by mixing several foundation formulas and using an oil-free serum to add radiance. "Your skin should look like baby's — luminous," she explains.

"Eyes are also big for me," she adds. "And it's so easy to overdo them! I spend more time blending than doing anything else. It takes patience that most people don't really have."

Natasha Bedingfield, for one, loves dramatic-looking eyes. "So we play with that," Duquesne muses. "I use big, thick lashes on her. But at the end of the day, I want people to say: Natasha's hot," not "I love her makeup." Only then do I know that I did my job. I believe in bringing out a woman's beauty, not covering it up."