When you think “model,” you probably imagine a slender woman in haute couture outfits sashaying down the runway at Paris Fashion Week. But not all models are constrained to designer fashion shows.
When a model has a strong, striking face and loads of charisma behind their eyes, they also land makeup modeling jobs. These models take gorgeous glamour shots to show off the best eyeshadow, foundations, and lipsticks. They aren’t afraid to smile with their eyes and pout with luscious lips when the camera is up close and personal.
Being a good makeup model is a hallmark of a style icon.
Here are 26 of our favorite famous makeup models.
Adriana Lima
Adriana has attained supermodel in the fashion and lingerie world thanks to her time as Victoria’s Secret angel. But what really made the crowd love her were those striking eyes and high cheekbones.
Since 2014, Adriana has been an ambassador and endorser for Maybelline, one of the most popular substancestore makeup brands around the world. She’s done campaigns for the brand’s mascaras, foundations, and even creamy lipsticks.
Kendall Jenner
Many would claim that Kendall is the prettiest Kardashian-Jenner sister, and for a good reason. She has a slender face and angelic, fox-like eyes.
That’s why she’s the best real-life model and user of her sister’s makeup brand, Kylie Cosmetics. Kendall often talks on the red carpet about she’s wearing Kylie makeup, from her eyeliner to her liquid lipstick.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi is a model whose face looks great for both accessible substancestore brands and high-end luxury makeup.
A few years back, she was a model for Tom Ford makeup, an iconic label. In recent years, she’s become the face of Maybelline. She’s endorsed some of the brand’s bestselling mascaras and has even partnered with them to create her own eyeshadow palette and lippie line.
Chanel Iman
Chanel Iman may be more popular as a runway model, but she’s also a poster girl for the no-makeup makeup look, thanks to her natural makeup looks. She has once revealed that her go-to brands for makeup include labels like Christian Dior and Anastasia Beverly Hills.
Selena Gomez
Actress and singer Selena Gomez, like most women her age, loves makeup and all things beauty. But to her, makeup is all about enhancing your God-given features. That’s why she launched her own makeup line called Rare Beauty, of which she is the face.
She always wears her makeup brand and raves about their vegan and cruelty-free collection, making her the perfect model and marketer for it. Plus, she always looks fierce and sultry in their ads!
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Rosie is most known for her time as a VSFS model, but she is also a hands-on entrepreneur for her brand, the Clean Beauty Collective. In recent years, she has also launched her own lipstick lines through collaborations with other brands, such as La Bouche Rouge in France.
Needless to say, Rosie is a triple threat—fashion model, girl boss, businesswoman, and makeup superstar.
Jasmine Tookes
Jasmine is a young model who captivates with her luscious brown skin, sweet eyes, and perfectly pouty lips.
Although she too is Victoria’s Secret model, she has dabbled in the makeup industry by collaborating with high-end brand Hourglass Cosmetics. In partnership with them, she has created get-ready-with-me videos for natural, everyday makeup looks to stunning glamorous ones worthy of a red carpet snap.
Alessandra Ambrosio
Brazilian bombshell Alessandra is known for her contoured cheekbones, striking eyes, and voluptuous body. Although she’s not very active as an official endorser of any makeup brand, she loves sharing with her fans how she does her makeup day by day.
It’s safe to say she loves natural makeup looks, as this is what she usually shows off. But believe us when we say she always looks like the supermodel that she is, no matter how minimalist the makeup looks!
Ashley Graham
Ashley is one of the most popular plus-size models in the world not only for her work advocating for the representation of women in all shapes and sizes but because of her gorgeous face, too.
One of her biggest moves in the beauty industry was to be the face of Revlon’s “Live Boldly” campaign, which honored women in all their unique looks. In the campaign materials, she speaks proudly of how bold and brilliant her looks can be with makeup. This is an awesome way to encourage others not to shy away from daring makeup looks and statement lipstick colors as well!
Bella Hadid
Like her sister Gigi, Bella has also explored modeling for makeup brands instead of just clothing.
She’s an endorser and model for the luxury cosmetics label Dior. In recent years, she’s done editorial shoots for them to market their face powders, mascaras, and foundations. Her partnership with them is perfect for her dazzling eyes and flawless skin.
Gisele Bundchen
Gisele is one of the most famous supermodels in history, so it only makes sense for her to be a model for one of the most glamorous cosmetics brands in the world, too, like Chanel Beauty.
She’s partnered with them for campaigns for their Les Beiges products. These promote healthy, glowing skin through makeup that also doubles as skincare.
Sanne Vloet
Dutch model Sanne is known for her work walking fashion shows for brands like Oscar de la Renta and Bottega Veneta. But many women love her girl-next-door look and turn to her for makeup inspiration.
Sanne runs a YouTube channel where she uploads tutorials to achieve her makeup looks, from sun-kissed freckled makeup to glossy, glowy looks.
Miranda Kerr
Miranda looks super pretty with her deep, charming dimples, round face, and ocean blue eyes. But what makes her the perfect makeup model is how flawless her skin is—thanks to her skincare brand, Kora Organics.
She’s not a known ambassador of any makeup brand, but her signature red lip is enough to influence plenty of her female fans.
Kim Kardashian
Kim is known on the internet as the queen of contour. With her signature smokey eye and lifted cheekbones, she continues to be a model women turn to for makeup inspo (yes, even after the demise of her makeup label, KKW Beauty!).
Today, Kim focuses on SKKN, her skincare brand. But she’s still an icon for her natural makeup looks and nude lips.
Winnie Harlow
Winnie may have had tough times in her past because of her vitiligo, but today, she’s a successful model in her own right. If you think her skin condition might stop her from landing huge makeup deals, you’re sorely mistaken.
Winnie has worked with makeup brands like KKW Beauty and MAC to either model for them or even collaborate on products. And each time, she shone like the star she is.
Rihanna
In her younger years, Barbadian babe Rihanna graced the ads of Covergirl for their shiny lipsticks and eyeshadows.
But now that she’s all grown up, Rihanna uses her alluring eyes and enticing facial features to be the face of her own badass makeup label—the ever-popular Fenty Beauty. Although the brand has a huge roster of makeup models working with them, none are as iconic as the CEO herself.
Karolina Kurkova
Czech model Karolina might not have had huge breaks with makeup brands, but the Chanel and Victoria’s Secret supermodel remains to be an icon when it comes to creating natural makeup looks.
She loves giving women tips on their mascara through get-ready-with-me snippets with famous YouTube channels and even sharing her top makeup tips with magazines!
Yara Shahidi
https://www.instagram.com/yarashahidi/
Just this year, fan-fave American actress Yara landed a huge deal—a Dior Beauty makeup campaign. She worked alongside Natalie Portman to show off the designer brand’s opulent foundations, which made her skin look even more flawless and porcelain than it was before!
Tyra Banks
Tyra is known for many things, from being a goofy television show host to being the supermodel icon who started the “smize” craze. One thing people may not remember about her, though, is that she was a loyal endorser for Maybelline.
This might also be the reason why for years, the girls on America’s Next Top Model (which Tyra hosted) always landed gigs and collabs with Maybelline!
Candice Swanepoel
South African blonde bombshell Candice literally looks like an angel. So, it comes as no surprise that she was tapped by makeup brand Max Factor to star in some of their biggest campaigns.
Candice did a series of ads with them for their mascaras and lipsticks. Her face, which could go from sweet to foxy in seconds, was perfect for every campaign she worked on!
Cindy Crawford
Even in her fifties, Cindy is still the epitome of beauty and glam today. Over the years, the supermodel’s Bambi doe eyes and soft features graced the campaigns of big brands like Maybelline and Revlon. She modeled for every kind of look—from sweet and feminine to edgy and rock-inspired.
Taylor Hill
Taylor is a young model who has done work for big brands like Carolina Herrera and Ralph Lauren. She’s a favorite on Instagram for her gorgeous selfies and upscale lifestyle.
But the funny thing is, people love her not for her bold makeup looks but for her everyday, au naturel glam. She’s done so many partner videos and interviews talking about how much she loves that no-makeup look and has shared her fave makeup tools to achieve the dewy, “clean girl” look.
Heidi Klum
Although Heidi doesn’t have any active makeup endorsements, the German-American model still loves talking about her makeup routine. Based on interviews, it seems like she uses a combination of substancestore and high-end brands, from L’Oreal to Charlotte Tilbury, to achieve her superstar look.
Joey King
Joey is quite young at 22, so it makes sense that she’s been tapped as a makeup model for the bold beauty label Urban Decay. The Ramona and Beezus actress modeled edgy looks with neon-colored eyeshadows a few years back—perfect for the brand’s striking campaigns.
Hailey Clauson
Sports Illustrated model Hailey may be known for her fashion spreads. But because she has such a unique, striking face, she’s also a favorite among high-fashion magazines for glamour shots.
She may not be a makeup endorser for a brand right now, but photographers love to snap shots of her in all kinds of makeup looks, from bold and sultry to eccentric and avant-garde.
Behati Prinsloo
Behati is one of the most iconic supermodels to grace the runways of Victoria’s Secret, but in recent years she’s been lying low and focusing on family. However, she’s still very much remembered for her smokey eyes and nude lips—a classic that many women try to copy and achieve to emulate Behati’s effortless glamour.
