Patrick Ta is one of the many makeup artists today that have become celebrities in their own right.
The 26-years-old Ta is the go-to makeup artist for model Gigi Hadid, whodiscovered him on Instagram, where he has over 832,000 followers. He also works regularly with stars like Emily Ratajkowski, Karlie Kloss, the Kardashians and Kate Bosworth.
This summer, Ta launched an app called Flawless, where users can follow step-by-step tutorials to recreate stars’ looks, read product reviews and watch behind-the-scenes clips. Most features on the app are free, though there is a $5.99 charge to access all content.
Ta has come a long way in a few short years.
Patrick Ta with Gigi and Bella Hadid
He began his career at 19, opening a tanning salon in his hometown of San Diego that never took off. When it closed, he grew enamored with online beauty bloggers and decided to teach himself the tricks of the trade, using their tutorials as a guide. Within months, he landed a job as a freelance makeup artist at MAC Cosmetics that, combined with his growing buzz on social media, propelled him to move to LA.
Now, with the help of his clients’ star power, Ta has become known for what he calls the “selfie look,” which focuses on drawing light to certain areas of the face and rendering skin flawless, even under the harshest of lights.
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We asked Ta to detail a recent day in his life, which saw him taking press calls, gearing up for the American Music Awards with Jenna Dewan Tatum and meeting friends for shrimp tacos at Soho House.
8:00 a.m.: My alarm goes off, but I snooze it for ages and doze for a little. On my day off, 8:00 a.m. is sleeping in. I got home from New York City last night, after a full week of press meetings, so I’m exhausted. This is nothing new, though: I’m usually so exhausted from traveling to fashion weeks, award shows, press days and premieres.
I wake up to a ton of Instagram activity — likes, comments and direct messages — so I scroll through and start the day by responding to them all. I’ve always used Instagram as a tool for inspiration, so I like to communicate with my followers and give them makeup tips when they ask.
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9:30 a.m.: I’m not much of a breakfast person, so I usually just grab an iced chai latte on my way to Equinox in West Hollywood — or, like today, I’ll grab a green juice there. There’s an amazing juice bar inside. I live in the neighborhood, so it’s a quick drive for me. As I sip my juice, I post my first Instagram photo of the day — this time, it’s of a look I did on Gigi Hadid for her Stuart Weitzman press day and appearance on Jimmy Fallon in New York a few days ago. I’m obsessed with the rust-colored eye I put on her, so I make it a close-up shot.
The look Ta created for Gigi Hadid’s recent press day
11:00 a.m.: After working out for about an hour, followed by a half hour in the sauna, I jump in my car and make my way back home. I hop in the shower, then brush my teeth and put on my favorite Hermès deodorant. I also lather on some La Mer concentrate, which is honestly like no other product. It does everything: It reduces redness and fine lines, and leaves your complexion plump, dewy and amazing.
11:30 a.m.: I always have trouble deciding what to wear. As a makeup artist, I need to be comfortable enough to run around, but also chic and well put together. My whole wardrobe is basically black, which makes life a lot easier. My uniform is a black long-sleeve T-shirt, a black cap, black ripped jeans and my favorite Balenciaga Speed stretch-knit high-top sneakers.
12:00 p.m.: It’s time to check and respond to my emails and WhatsApp messages. I have people I need to respond to in all different time zones, so it’s important that I stay on top of things, whether they’re press requests, appointment requests or notes on partnership coordination. WhatsApp is my preferred method of communication, since it’s a lot easier to respond quickly, no matter where you are.
I call my manager, Marissa, to help with scheduling. I couldn’t do this job without her. Today, I’m answering questions for a winter-themed makeup story. It still blows my mind that I’m considered for these stories among some of the greats like Hung Vanngo, Pat McGrath and Mario Dedivanovic.
2:00 p.m.: At this point, I’m starving, but before I leave the house, I make sure my makeup kit is fully stocked. I’ll be heading to [the professional beauty store] Naimie’s Beauty Center after lunch to get some more supplies for the week ahead.
But first, I head to Soho House West Hollywood to meet some friends for lunch. I love anything raw (like sushi) for lunch, so I order the tuna poke and some shrimp tacos. The dining room there has such an amazing view of the hills and great natural light.
4:00 p.m.: I part ways with my friends and make my way to Naimie’s. It is heaven on earth for makeup artists and has every product you can think of. Traffic, of course, is always terrible in LA – especially at this time – so I’m wishing I had gone earlier.
Once I arrive, I scope out the latest products. I’m doing a glam look on Jenna Dewan Tatum for the American Music Awards tomorrow, so I make sure to pick up some Kiss lashes and a new Morphe eye shadow palette — it has every color you need and great pigmentation that shows up really well in photos, which is important on the red carpet. Every time I’m here, I stock up on Beauty Blenders, too — I use them at every stage of the makeup process, so I need a lot.
Jenna Dewan Tatum’s final look at the AMA’s, with makeup by Ta
5:30 p.m.: After browsing forever and chatting with some of the girls who work there, I finally choose all of my products, check out and head home.
7:00 p.m.: I finally arrive home after sitting in traffic. I post my second Instagram of the day, which features Gigi again! I’m so lucky to have worked with her for so many years; it’s been great to watch her grow and be a part of her journey.
After, I unpack all of my products from Naimie’s and make sure everything is correctly packaged in my kit. I use a Rimowa suitcase as my makeup case — it’s so sturdy, but lighter than most, so it makes for the perfect vessel to carry all of my things. For Jenna’s look tomorrow, I make a list of the main items I’ll need so I can double check that they’re all there: eye shadow, lashes, mascara, nude lipstick, dewy foundation and, most importantly, highlighter. My favorite highlighter at the moment is the Fenty Killawatt in soft champagne sheen and supercharged peachy champagne shimmer. They deliver a youthful glow and shine. I recently started applying highlighter to the highest but flattest point of the cheekbone, instead of the curve, which shows even better in photos.
8:00 p.m.: I order and eat a quick sushi dinner before I unwind. Before I go to sleep, I wash my face and apply the La Mer Concentrate again. It just leaves you feeling so refreshed when you wake up. I like to get an early night before an award show appointment. It’s generally a long day, and I need to be on my A game.
8:30 p.m.: I hop into bed. Normally I’ll watch some Netflix or TV, but tonight, I’m scrolling through my looks on Instagram to see what I’ve done in the past for the AMAs. I love to push myself and constantly create new looks, so I fall asleep thinking about how to do this tomorrow.
