By: UFIRST Production
Dana Lekus is a renowned celebrity makeup artist and hairstylist, winner of prestigious international awards including Top Makeup Trainer, Beauty Community Leader – The Winner of International Beauty Awards XXIII (IBA). She is the lead beauty expert at global fashion weeks, an official sponsor of major international beauty pageants, and a respected judge at world beauty championships.
Q: What are the challenges of working with celebrities?
A: Working with celebrities is always about balance — balancing creativity with the utmost delicacy. Many believe that being a celebrity makeup artist is simply about applying makeup to technical skills matter, but also emotional sensitivity and discretion.
Q: What specific requirements do they have compared to regular clients?
A: Sometimes it can be challenging, but I love the thrill of it. Every encounter is a chance to tell a story through makeup, to create a visual accent that reflects the person’s inner light. And if you know how to listen, feel, and act from the heart, even the most demanding shoots turn into inspiring artistic collaborations. There are times when a celebrity’s schedule is so packed that they show up for makeup half-asleep. I’ve done hairstyles while the client was literally dozing off in the chair. Or sometimes, all the attention is on the phone — and that’s totally understandable in today’s digital world. In such conditions, you have just seconds to make sure the eyeliner is flawless, the symmetry is perfect, and the look is polished. Only years of practice, a trained eye, and confidence backed by experience can help in such moments. Of course, every celebrity has their own style, facial features, and insecurities. Often, they come with a history of past makeup disappointments — maybe someone once “overdid” them or didn’t listen to their needs. My task is to see their beauty, reveal it, and make them feel stylish, authentic, and alive. It’s essential to me that when they look in the mirror after my work, they smile with joy.
Q: How did you start working with celebrities?
A: Celebrities almost never contact you directly. Usually, it’s their PR agents, managers, tour directors, or agencies who reach out. Often, you have no idea who the client is until the very last minute. You just get a brief: location, type of shoot, makeup style — and that’s it. The name might be revealed an hour before, or when you’re already standing there with your brush in hand.
Q: Did they find you, or did you reach out to them yourself? Share a few unusual experiences with star clients.
A: Stars choose me not because of a loud name, but for my style, approach, and the ability to listen. I often hear: “You were highly recommended to me” — and that means the world to me.
When makeup becomes more than makeup:
- Inspiring moments on the journey to beauty
- There are moments in life you could never predict — and they stay with you forever.
Not long ago, I received an urgent message from acquaintances in New York: “Dana, we need you right now. Makeup artist. In an hour. Downtown Miami. Help us out.” I literally jumped in the car, not knowing what the event was. Within an hour, I was standing in the apartment of Lucía Ugarte — media icon, TV host, actress, and founder of Chicas Guapas TV. She was preparing for a major event. Lucía had just been featured on Forbes Founders — Top Women to Follow in 2025, alongside icons like Jessica Alba and Whitney Wolfe Herd.
Lucía had a packed day: right after an interview, she was heading straight to the red carpet at a Miami fashion show. And we had just one hour to create her evening look.
Makeup and hairstyling for Lucía Ugarte by Dana Lekus.
When you’re preparing a woman who inspires thousands of others — you’re not just applying makeup. You’re channeling energy, confidence, and power. It’s a moment when your work becomes a mission.
That’s when the magic happens. I simply “read” her essence: natural, powerful, radiant. We focused on the skin and the eyes — soft contouring, delicate glow, and expressive eyes. I styled her hair in a sleek bun. The entire look took us just 50 minutes. When Lucía looked in the mirror, she smiled and said: “You saved my day.”
Similar moments happened at other significant events as well. At Fashion Designers of Latin America (FDLA) in New York, I had the honor of working with another incredible woman — Fernanda Arriaga, also listed among Top Women to Follow in 2025 by Forbes Founders.
Dana Lekus served as a volunteer makeup artist at New York Fashion Week, working in partnership with Good Look to create runway-ready looks for the shows
Fernanda is an international entrepreneur, marketing expert, and the founder of Good Look, a global digital platform connecting users with top-tier makeup artists. I prepared her for a key appearance at FDLA — and this task was completely different: the look had to suit the runway, cameras, and official meetings. Confidence, style, and intelligence — all had to be conveyed through the makeup.
I adore these kinds of challenges — when makeup becomes a visual signature of personality. Soft yet precise. Stylish yet not overpowering. Feminine yet professional. Beauty begins with confidence.
Working with incredible women like Lucía Ugarte and Fernanda Arriaga reminds me that makeup is not just cosmetics. It’s the art of highlighting personality, amplifying inner strength, and helping someone feel like they own the room. Beauty begins with confidence — and makeup is simply a tool to help express it.
As part of creative projects and cultural events, I had the opportunity to collaborate and create looks for a number of well-known personalities. Among them are Latin American singer Lady Yuliana, TV host Stephanie Carrillo (Univision Vix, Premio Lo Nuestro Red Carpet), influencer and TV presenter Alexandra Olavarría, as well as Disney actress Amanda Mirus.
I also had the privilege to act as a sponsor of Miss Peru USA 2025, where my team of volunteer makeup artists and hairstylists supported the contestants and winners by creating their beauty looks. Such creative collaborations and participation in significant cultural projects are always a source of inspiration for me and contribute to my ongoing growth as a beauty expert.
