Stepping backstage at Ulta Beauty World’s inaugural Masterclass Day felt like entering a sanctuary of industry secrets. With rare access to the visionaries behind powerhouses like CÉCRED, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and JVN Hair, it became clear that some of the most transformative beauty advice comes from breaking the traditional rules we have all been taught. For instance, makeup mogul Natasha Denona challenged the notion that every eye look requires a harsh black liner. Instead, she suggests keeping the lash line homogenous by simply blending eyeshadow into the roots for a softer appearance. To speed things up, she recommends ditching brushes entirely and slapping shadow on with your fingers for a ten minute transformation.
Hair care expertise often defies common sense, as demonstrated by Jonathan Van Ness. Despite years of conventional wisdom suggesting towel-dried hair is the ideal canvas, the JVN founder insists that air-dry creams must be applied to soaking wet strands. According to him, waiting until hair is partially dry causes it to absorb too much product, resulting in a crunchy texture rather than an even finish. Similarly, Tina Knowles emphasized that skipping heat protectant is a gamble not worth taking. Her focus remains on sealing the cuticle against humidity while shielding hair from temperatures reaching 450 degrees to maintain long term health.
Precision in makeup is often more about the cleanup than the initial application. Donni Davy, the creative force behind Half Magic and the aesthetic lead for Euphoria, encourages enthusiasts to stop fearing winged eyeliner. She views a correction tool as an insurance policy, arguing that any botched wing can be snapped into place after the fact provided you have a reliable eraser handy. On the other end of the spectrum, Anastasia Soare of Anastasia Beverly Hills advocates for extreme delicacy when framing the face. She notes that filling in brows requires a nearly weightless touch and feather-like pressure to achieve authentic looking hair strokes.
Finally, some of the most critical takeaways involved safety and corrective techniques. Celebrity artist Sir John warned users of high-tech skincare devices to avoid applying them directly over the thyroid area in the lower center of the neck to prevent interfering with glandular function. When tackling tired eyes, Denona suggested utilizing orange toned correctors specifically in the socketes to cancel out bluish tones before adding brightness. By combining these strategic shortcuts with mindful safety precautions, these founders proved that achieving a professional glow is less about perfect execution and more about knowing exactly which tricks actually work_