Back in the day, “contour” was largely used as a noun to describe something’s shape or outline. A relatively obscure makeup artist named Mario Dedivanovic — who worked with Kim Kardashian, then freshly renowned, in 2008 — then came along and transformed cosmetics forever. Born and reared in the Bronx, Dedivanovic now counts celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen and Chanel Iman among his clients.
He applied Chanel’s makeup on Naomie Harris at the Golden Globes. Contouring was born as a result of his pioneering work, which showed us that even if you didn’t have naturally perfect bone structure, you could fake it with the correct makeup and equipment. Despite our extensive knowledge of cheekbone sculpting, we know virtually little about Dedivanovic. Here’s something you don’t know about the current go-to makeup artist.
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Mario’s first love wasn’t makeup.
Toss off the Anastasia palettes that went viral, and forget about making your own brush cleanser like he did. Dior Fahrenheit is Dedivanovic’s holy grail. In an interview with Allure, he admits, “I’ve used scent a lot since I was a kid—probably more than I should.” “Back then, I was a complete rascal.” It’s no surprise that his first position at Sephora was in the fragrance department. It wasn’t for long, though. When Dedivanovic was hired, a woman approached him and asked for his assistance in selecting a lipstick. “Following that, I became a complete makeup freak.”
Prior to working with Kim K, he was a freelancer for…Fox News.
Did you have to re-read that, by any chance? We had the same startled reaction, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere. As a freelancer for the news station in 2008, Dedivanovic helped get their anchors camera-ready. Occasionally, you’d catch him doing makeup for celebrities like Megyn Kelly and Julie Banderas, who would come to him on a weekly basis. Although he was young and the sole male makeup artist at the time, things got off to a rough start. At first, some of the women didn’t have faith in him when it came to applying their makeup. There was also a period when Dedivanovic got to work with Julie Bandera for the first time. ‘Holy sh*t this is insane.’ she said once I finished her makeup. Who is this kid?’
He came up with the concept for the now-famous Makeup Master Class, and he still enjoys teaching it.
With only 20 attendees in the beginning, Dedivanovic’s Master Class has grown to draw over a thousand people. When we spoke with him, he had just gotten off a plane from Dubai, where he had been teaching a master class. It’s a huge hit with him. His inbox was inundated with requests for help from artists, who sent him emails and messaged him on Facebook. It was my idea to hold classes so that students could learn all the nuances of the business for a day. Even though the audiences have grown exponentially since he began, he is unconcerned. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” Dedivanovic says. For me, it was an opportunity to combine my passions for art, beauty, and education all in one place.
He had no idea who the f Kim was either.
It should be noted that this was published in 2008. As Dedivanovic puts it, “I had no idea who she was other than the fact that she was on a reality show. “When she walked in, I thought, ‘Oh my god, she’s the most beautiful girl ever.’ ” Karashian requested him to take her shopping so she could acquire all of her beauty supplies after the shoot for a magazine called Social Life. After that, they headed to Henri Bendel, where they’ve been collaborating ever since. We couldn’t have come up with a finer meet cute story than this one on our own.
His go-to beauty product, one he says he can’t live without, isn’t anything you’d find in the makeup aisle.
Even when pressed on the one product he’d take with him on an island, Dedivanovic outsmarted us: it has nothing to do with bronzer and isn’t for him or his client. So we don’t get burned, he says. Even if we were trapped, no one would notice us.
Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Broad Spectrum SPF 35 is his go-to sunscreen. In addition, new research from Johnson & Johnson shows that sunscreen alone can reverse the signs of aging, making it a total miracle must-have product for you, Mario. Johnson & Johnson’s (and verifying his desert-island pick, too).
He’s over a lipstick trend that’s everywhere right now.
It’s not as though Dedivanovic is anti-matte lipsticks in the traditional sense. It’s not so much that he believes creamy and satin-finish lipsticks should make a comeback as it is that they should. He wonders aloud, “Can we bring traditional lipsticks back?” Meanwhile, he thinks glossy lips will have a moment in the near future (and while we wait, we’ll apply yet another lip kit or liquid lipstick). When it comes to Lancôme Le Metallique Lipstick, we think it’s an excellent balance.
He’s not swayed by the attention and notoriety.
It’s impressive that Dedivanovic isn’t channeling Mariah Carey on us, given that she has more Instagram followers than the city of Chicago as a whole (which is 2,720,546). (Mimi, we’re still in love.) He doesn’t even think of himself as a celebrity. “I don’t call [my fans] fans since I’m simply a make-up artist,” he explains about his non-fan status. “My customers have a following,” I say. Instead of calling them “friends,” he calls them “followers” on his social media platforms. You can always tell when he’s out and about in his New York City neighborhood or at a beauty supply store because no matter what you name them, they all recognize him. ‘Their eyes enlarge or light up,’ adds Dedivanovic, if they notice me. This, in my opinion, is a wonderful idea. They usually greet him with a smile and ask for a selfie, which he always obliges.
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He unwinds in the best way—at home with his parents. (Adorable, right?)
Working for a celebrity may be extremely demanding and stressful. It’s also had to be stressful to make sure their faces are pristine, their brows defined, and their lips precisely lined. With the PRIV app, Dedivanovic schedules an at-home massage at least twice a month. Other services like blowouts and workout classes can also be scheduled through the app. After pressing “BOOK” on the app, he double-checks the address to make sure it’s—you guessed it—his parents’ house in New York. He says, “I’m quite relaxed there.” “It has a soothing effect on me.” When he’s with his family, he speaks Albanian, his first language, which he learned as a child in Albania. As far as work is concerned, it’s the same: His sister Marina plans his Master Classes, and his mother frequently joins him to assist.