What Kendall Jenner’s Makeup Artist Is Buying Right Now
Mary Phillips talks shopping, skincare, and sculpting supermodels.
Mary Phillips has the kind of résumé that reads like a Met Gala seating chart. Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Lopez, Kaia Gerber, Bella Hadid… her artistry has shaped the faces that define modern beauty.
Over two decades, Phillips has become synonymous with a style of makeup that’s at once sculpted and imperceptible, anchored by her now-viral “underpainting” technique: a backstage-born method of layering contour and highlight beneath foundation for dimension that reads as effortless in person and flawless on camera. This season, she distills that mastery into her first namesake beauty launch, m.ph.
The collection is a tight edit of four. The Underpainting Palette ($64) delivers correctors, highlighters, and contours in a cream formula that melts seamlessly into the complexion; the Dual-Ended Sculpting Brush ($38) translates her featherlight blending into muscle memory. For lips, the sheer, balmy Lip Ciggy Lipstick ($26) and precision Overliner Lip Pencil ($25) are both on offer in an array of neutral-to-bold shades.
“I’ve always believed makeup should enhance, not mask,” Phillips says. “When underpainting went viral, it was proof people were ready for a more nuanced, artistry-driven approach.” With m.ph, she’s offering the tools and techniques that have long been reserved for her celebrity kit, now reimagined for the vanities of those who crave the same elevated, camera-ready finish. Below, she tackles our Boxcutter Shopping Questionnaire.
You have prime access to everything in the industry. What’s the best money you ever spent on a beauty treatment?
PRP microneedling! It stimulates collagen production, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and improves skin texture and tone. I try to do it regularly, and it has completely changed the texture of my skin!
You’re flooded with products 24/7, but what do you find yourself reaching for over and over?
A beauty product I am always reaching for is Dr. Jason Diamond’s whole Metacine skincare line. He gave me lab samples that I was using daily. I didn’t realize what a difference it was making until I ran out of the samples and stopped using it. There was a significant difference in my skin when I started going without it! My skin feels smoother, brighter, and tighter.
Tell me about your best fashion investment.
My best fashion investment was my brown, wool The Row coat. When I had to evacuate during the L.A. fires earlier this year, that was the first thing I grabbed. It looks good over everything from a dress to just a t-shirt and jeans. I put it on and instantly feel cooler and more put-together. It’s so heavy and comforting, almost like a weighted blanket!
I have that coat too, and I love it. A girlfriend recommended I get it a few years ago, and I’m so glad I listened. Ever buy something memorable because a friend or client recommended it?
I take L-theanine in the evening before bed. Kendall [Jenner] recommended it to me when we were in Paris. It really helps with jet lag and sleep overall. It's super gentle and doesn’t leave me feeling groggy.
Pretend I’m in your chair. What’s something you’re recommending?
Sunscreen! It’s so important, I wish I had worn it more as a teen and in my early 20s. My grandma would always say, “Don’t even walk to your car without sunscreen!” I used to think she was crazy, but now I understand. I would love to see what my skin could look like if I had started wearing sunscreen earlier.
You sound like me! Sunscreen and water are the two simplest, most effective beauty truths there are, even though people online weirdly like to vilify both. Don’t sleep on the obvious, people! What, in your opinion, is something else everyone is sleeping on?
In my opinion, everyone is sleeping on tea over coffee! It’s made such a difference in my energy throughout the day. When I drank coffee, I had waves of exhaustion and anxiety. I reluctantly made the switch to tea, and now my energy lasts through the day, and my anxiety has completely reduced.
I’m slowly becoming a tea girl, too. I could spend all of my money at the Mariage Frères shop in Paris. What do you like to blow your budget on?
I would spend all my money traveling! I’ve had the opportunity to travel to many incredible places for work, but until recently, I hadn’t truly experienced them. Over the last couple of years, I’ve stayed extra days in the cities I’m working in and prioritized taking time off a couple of times a year to go on trips with my friends. I just love adventure, I want to keep seeing new places and collecting new experiences.
I’m very into redecorating my home right now. Anything you’ve bought for yours recently that you love?
A gorgeous Mermaid painting by Brittany Ferns. I’m obsessed with it, it’s so whimsical and feminine. It was one of the first art pieces that, when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that about art.
That is insane, I just bought a Brittany Ferns too! I guess I felt like I needed a siren in my life. Anyway, redirect: I’m a uniform dresser, and I know you are too. Break yours down for me.
I always find myself in some version of jeans and a t-shirt. I’ll do it with heels, flats, or sneakers and with a trench or a leather jacket during the colder months. I love a monochromatic look or the classic white tee and blue jeans. It’s my go-to for feeling comfortable but put together; comfort is so important to me, especially with what I do.
So that means you probably have staples you’re always re-purchasing.
I always re-purchase the Re/done tanks. I’m obsessed with the white and black ones. I’ve bought like five of them, and the cut is perfect; they don’t stretch out. You can never have too many white tanks, especially in summer! I wear them with a skirt, jeans, or slacks; they’re just the perfect essential in my closet.
Anything else you’re excited to wear this summer?
Tell me about something that’s sitting in your cart that you haven’t pulled the trigger on yet.
The Row Round Ballet flats in red are in my FWRD cart right now. I also have the cream, but I don’t think I can justify buying both. I just can’t decide what color to go with! The red feels like a fun pop, but the cream is classic…
Back to makeup for a second. What’s essential in your kit?
My m.ph Underpainting Palette is an absolute essential in my kit! I’ve started every makeup I’ve ever done with some sort of underpainting under it. This formula of my palette is so creamy and blendable, it melts in to give you that second skin effect.
Where do you like shopping in your hometown of L.A.?
I live within walking distance of my favorite shopping street. Melrose Place has all my favorites: The Row, Bottega, Maison Margiela, and Khaite, coming soon! And the most amazing Farmers Market on Sundays, so I can also get grocery shopping done.
Melrose is the best. What about L.A. beauty treatments? Anything you love that’s specific to your city?
My favorite beauty treatment in my home city is The Beauty Sandwich facial. I don’t even know what Iván does, but I always leave there looking like I just got a facelift! I try to go once a month, and he consistently makes my skin feel tighter and more lifted.
Is L.A. your favorite city to shop in?
No, in Paris, one of my favorite things to do is to walk and see what I can randomly find. I’ve found the most incredible hole-in-the-wall restaurants and stores. Whenever I’m in Paris, I make sure I always go to Bode on Rue de Valois: it’s right next to my favorite tea shop, Laïzé, which I also frequent. I grab my tea, then go to Bode to shop! That Bode store feels like a beautiful, cozy fishing cabin in the woods; the music, the vibes, it feels like you get transported into a different world inside of Paris.
What about your favorite place to shop online?
My favorite place to shop online is FWRD for sure. They have such a vast mix of items, from luxury high-end fashion to gorgeous charcuterie boards and candle holders to the perfect accessories and beauty products. It’s a one-stop shop for everything I need. I also love to shop for whatever my Instagram ads are feeding me!
Last question! Tell me about a brand you’re just in love with. Something that feels special, someone you love to support.
Dr. Augustinus Bader, because the brand feels both luxurious and truly results-driven. I use their products daily, and they are so generous to me, always keeping my skincare closet fully stocked. His innovations in skincare are consistently ahead of the curve!
Such a fun article!
So here for you two and this convo 🤎