Honoring 25 of Hollywood's Best Artists On International Makeup Day

Hollywood wouldn’t look the same without the makeup artistry happening behind the scenes. International Makeup Day, celebrated on September 10th, is the perfect time to honor these professionals, the ones whose brushes, prosthetics, and excellent eyes have transformed actors for generations, often in ways CGI still can't accomplish.

247 Tempo brings you 25 of the most acclaimed names in Hollywood's cosmetics industry. While some of these greats are masters of special effects, creating creatures for horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films, others have redefined beauty makeup, setting standards in glamour and authenticity. Together, their work has spanned decades, leaving a legacy in both film and television; you likely just don't realize it yet.

We drew on Academy Awards records, interviews, industry profiles, and production notes to gather these names. We made sure to mention the years they were active in Hollywood, the films that have their best works represented, and if they've ever won any awards for their makeup. These are Hollywood’s makeup legends in honor of International Makeup Day.

Rick Baker

Makeup Specialty: Special Effects, Creature Makeup
Years Active: 1971–2015
Films/TV: An American Werewolf in London, Men in Black, The Nutty Professor
Awards: 7 Academy Awards for Best Makeup/Best Hairstyling categories

Ve Neill

Makeup Specialty: Beauty, Character Makeup, Fantasy Effects
Years Active: 1977–present
Films/TV: Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Hunger Games
Awards: 3 Academy Awards, multiple nominations

Stan Winston

Makeup Specialty: Special Effects, Creature Design
Years Active: 1972–2008
Films/TV: The Terminator, Jurassic Park, Aliens
Awards: 4 Academy Awards, Emmy Award

Greg Nicotero

Makeup Specialty: Special Effects, Prosthetics, Gore
Years Active: 1985–present
Films/TV: The Walking Dead, Day of the Dead, Inglourious Basterds
Awards: Multiple Emmy Awards

Dick Smith

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Character Transformations
Years Active: 1945–1999
Films/TV: The Exorcist, Amadeus, The Godfather
Awards: 1 Academy Award, Honorary Academy Award

Kazu Hiro

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Aging Makeup, Transformations
Years Active: 1990–present
Films/TV: Darkest Hour, Bombshell, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Awards: 2 Academy Awards

Rob Bottin

Makeup Specialty: Creature Effects, Special Effects Makeup
Years Active: 1977–2002
Films/TV: The Thing, RoboCop, Total Recall
Awards: Saturn Award, Academy Award nomination

Michèle Burke

Makeup Specialty: Beauty, Period Makeup, Prosthetics
Years Active: 1980–present
Films/TV: Quest for Fire, Dracula, Austin Powers
Awards: 2 Academy Awards

Howard Berger

Makeup Specialty: Special Effects Makeup, Prosthetics
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Chronicles of Narnia, Kill Bill, The Orville
Awards: 1 Academy Award, multiple Emmy Awards

Christien Tinsley

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Tattoo Transfers, Special Effects
Years Active: 1990s–present
Films/TV: American Horror Story, The Passion of the Christ, Westworld
Awards: Academy Award for Technical Achievement, Emmy Award

Eryn Krueger Mekash

Makeup Specialty: Beauty and Special Effects
Years Active: 1990s–present
Films/TV: Feud, American Crime Story, Nip/Tuck
Awards: Multiple Primetime Emmy Awards

Allan Apone

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Special Effects Makeup
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers
Awards: Emmy Award nomination

Steve Johnson

Makeup Specialty: Creature Effects, Prosthetics
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Ghostbusters, Species, Big Trouble in Little China
Awards: Emmy Award

Peter King

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Character Makeup
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean
Awards: 1 Academy Award

Lois Burwell

Makeup Specialty: Beauty and Character Makeup
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Braveheart, Lincoln, Saving Private Ryan
Awards: 1 Academy Award

Joel Harlow

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Creature Makeup, Special Effects
Years Active: 1990s–present
Films/TV: Star Trek (2009), Black Panther, Alice in Wonderland
Awards: 1 Academy Award

Matthew W. Mungle

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Aging Makeup
Years Active: 1981–present
Films/TV: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Schindler’s List, The X-Files
Awards: 1 Academy Award

Christina Smith

Makeup Specialty: Beauty, Character Makeup
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Schindler’s List, Hook, Jurassic Park
Awards: 3 Academy Award nominations

John Chambers

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Character Transformations
Years Active: 1953–1982
Films/TV: Planet of the Apes, The Munsters, Star Trek (TV)
Awards: Academy Award, Honorary recognition for CIA contributions

Paul Gooch

Makeup Specialty: Prosthetics, Character Makeup, Fantasy
Years Active: 1980s–present
Films/TV: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Batman Returns, The Matrix Reloaded
Awards: Academy Award nomination