The make-up artist behind Margot Robbie’s looks vouches for classic, natural beauty

Famed celebrity make-up artist Pati Dubroff chats with us about her three-decade-long journey and the lessons she wants to share with emerging artists 

Over 30 years in the beauty business, her big break assisting François Nars, having Margot Robbie on speed dial, countless red-carpet and runway shows to her name, and artist Sofia Richie’s choice for her wedding day—it’s safe to say that Pati Dubroff has earned the title of a make-up legend, and rightly so. She’s also the woman behind Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ look for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding; Chopra Jonas was her first Indian client. Despite the many incredible associations, Dubroff’s presence in a room only feels warm and grounded. She made her way to India earlier this month, after two decades since her last trip, for the first edition of Masters of Makeup, a two-day workshop where make-up artists and enthusiasts had the opportunity to learn the art from experts like Dubroff, Bianca Louzado, Amit Thakur and Preetisheel D’Souza. 

Over two days, Dubroff taught the signature Barbie make-up look that she created in multiple variations for Margot Robbie throughout the press tour for the film Barbie (2023), along with a Hollywood red-carpet look, featuring bits from Sofia Richie’s wedding make-up as well. Dubroff has a sense of ease about her work, creates a relaxed atmosphere, and invites any and every question from budding make-up artists. We caught up with her after the masterclass to chat about all things beauty in a trend-driven world. 

On being a part of iconic beauty moments

“Sofia Richie’s wedding was a fairytale wedding. It was [held] at one of the most beautiful hotels in the world and had a really calm vibe. She’s also a very calm person and I learned what it meant to become viral on TikTok because of her. I’ve been working with Margot [Robbie] for about eight years now, and she still amazes me everyday. She’s one of the most hard-working, well-rounded humans I’ve ever met. When we were on the press tour, we really just wanted to celebrate and honour the spirit of Barbie, yet keep things modern, fresh, and appropriate for Margot. We knew that there’d be a lot of eyes on it. But we had no idea that it was going to be as virally important as it eventually became. So the fact that people really resonated with it and fell in love with it was the icing on the cake.”

On what beauty trends mean today

“There’s a new trend everyday—pumpkin-spice latte make-up yesterday and chocolate latte today. However, it’s what we’ve been doing earlier. I’ve used orange-toned make-up in the past and will use chocolate-toned make-up again. So to fall into that as the be-all-end-all trend is a bit dangerous. Of course, the colour story is relevant; it’s been there all this while and it will come back. But elements like baking and over-contouring have been around for a long time. And for them to be blown up into this trend status is worrying as it may not suit everybody. I like to stay true to what feels true and classic; to be aware of what’s happening out there, but also understand that while trends come and go, there is something to be said for timeless, classic, and natural beauty.”

On how “easy” it is to be a celebrity make-up artist

“I’ve had to do people’s make-up on private planes where all I get is half an hour. We’ve had to change someone’s look in the rear seat of a car. Doing a complete hair, make-up, and wardrobe change in the backseat of a car—it's not for the faint of heart for sure.”

On how budding make-up artists can stand out today

“I guess it revolves around social media. I wish that it didn't but I think that’s kind of the name of the game. However, for artists to really find what makes them unique is very important for longevity. I think that there’s much more awareness about make-up artistry today, and that it's a real career. When I started out, I didn’t know it was a career; I just thought I had to work at a make-up counter and that was the right way to become a make-up artist. But now there’s so many different ways to be a make-up artist. I think that’s so interesting—it’s not just the path of working with celebrities or brides or a brand. There’s so many ways you can pursue this.”

On what she wishes she knew when she started

“I wish I knew to be authentically myself—that’s important—and not to compare my craft to other people’s craft, and lastly, not to take rejection personally.”

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