Celebrity makeup artist Hung Vanngo has always shared his beauty secrets. Now he has his own brand

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Before major makeup artists became accustomed to sharing beauty tips on social media, there was Hung Vanngo.

In a move that was ahead of its time for a professional of his calibre, the makeup artist took his years of experience – usually reserved for A-list clients such as Halle Berry and Jennifer Lawrence – to the masses on YouTube starting in 2020. He became a social media success, growing his fan base to more than four million Instagram followers and nearly 600,000 YouTube subscribers.

Now, with the launch of his eponymous makeup line, Vanngo, who is based in New York but grew up in Canada, is embarking on a new chapter as a brand founder.

“I eat and breathe makeup,” he said.

How makeup artist Hung Vanngo became a red carpet power player

Vanngo’s signature look is a luminous complexion with the eyes and lips brought into dazzling yet soft focus (picture Scarlett Johansson from almost any red-carpet appearance), but his approach to each client is far from uniform.

“[It] doesn’t matter if it’s a lot of makeup or very little, I want people to still look like themselves. I don’t want to transform anyone. I love their beauty the way it is, I just enhance it.”

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After emigrating to Calgary from Vietnam as a child, Vanngo fell in love with sketching and became enamoured with the ‘90s supermodels who dominated fashion magazines at the time. Upon finishing high school, he worked as a hairstylist at a salon that offered cosmetics services.

“I never had official training. ... I just started grabbing things at the makeup station and playing around, and that’s when I realized, okay, this is my passion,” he said.

A move to Toronto in 2003 to work on editorial shoots helped solidify his career as a hair stylist and makeup artist. Three years later, he made the leap to the U.S. to focus solely on makeup.

Once in New York, through sheer hard work, talent and good timing, Vanngo’s star began to rise. While racking up celebrity covers for major fashion titles such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Allure, he became a glam squad go-to for A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore and even Cindy Crawford – one of his original inspirations. He also developed a long-standing relationship with Selena Gomez.

Through his YouTube channel, he wanted to show the art of makeup as he’d always seen it – glamorous, beautiful and enhancing – while also sharing practical advice such as how much bronzer to use and how to stop blush from looking patchy.

“I didn’t want the new generation to think pouring foundation all over your face was makeup,” he said. “That’s why my videos are educational, no gatekeeping. I share everything I’ve learned over the years.”

Featuring fast-cut clips accompanied by his soft-spoken delivery, Vanngo’s long-form videos hit the sweet spot between instructional and inspiring. He encourages personalization, reminding viewers to stop or keep going as they see fit. “Makeup is an art. Everyone should do what feels comfortable,” he said, “not just one ‘right’ way.”

Hung Vanngo Beauty, which launched Sept. 8 at Sephora, is another way to help non-celebs attain the looks he demonstrates, from nineties supermodel makeup to statement red lips for women over 40.

“Working in a salon taught me to understand real consumers,” he said. “I don’t want to just create products from an artist’s bubble – they should be approachable, things people can use at home.”

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The line features cheek, eye and lip products, all vegan, in shades suited for a range of skin tones. But it’s the bold colours – including the bright red packaging and some of the shades found in the eight colour-themed eyeshadow palettes – that really set the brand apart.

“Colour is life,” Vanngo said. “I feel like the market has less and less of it, especially [in] eyeshadow. I wanted to bring that back, but in a way that doesn’t intimidate consumers.”

The creamy matte lipsticks are also intensely pigmented, and the signature Vanngo Red has already made a red-carpet splash, with Johansson sporting the vivid shade at the Toronto International Film Festival last week.

With his new set of tools, Vanngo is excited to continue doing what he loves while channelling his creativity in fresh ways. “For me, the brand is a playground,” he said. “I get to create products I’m passionate about, things people will hopefully call their cult favourites.”