Patrick Ta Wants You to Stop Making This Makeup Mistake

Plus, the TikTok fave fragrance he's loving.

By

Updated on 12/22/22

Close up of the makeup artist Patrick Ta in a black jacket — @patrickta / Byrdie

There are celebrity makeup artists and then there are celebrity makeup auteurs—the people whose work you can identify right away, who create the trends you see everywhere six months later.

Patrick Ta is certainly the latter. Whether it's his work for Camila Cabello as she serves as a judge on The Voice or red carpet looks for Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, or Alexandra Daddario (just to name a few), Ta’s signature radiant bases and perfectly flushed cheeks are immediately identifiable. Not that his work lacks versatility—be it EmRata’s sultry smoky eye or Daddario’s signature vintage movie star red lips, each of his clients looks positively themselves. Just a bit more glam. And with the launch of his eponymous makeup line in 2019, that “yourself but glam-er” look can be achieved by beauty lovers who don’t have their own entourage, too.

We got a chance to chat with Ta during Rakuten’s Sleigh Your Shopping Pop-Up event in New York City, where he was promoting his edit which offers consumers cash back on purchases from his makeup gift list. Read on for what he had to say about his favorite makeup trends, the products that he can’t live without, and more.

The One Product That Makes Him Feel Most Himself

Well, the one product from my collection would probably be our Major Headlines Cream and Powder Blushes. They are honestly the best of both worlds: You get to choose if you're feeling cream one day, powder one day, or if you want both. The one thing I cannot let my clients walk out without is blush because I feel like it really just like it awakens the face. And you can use blush on your eyes, lips, and cheeks, to create a really beautiful monochromatic look.

The One Current Makeup Trend That He’s Loving

Right now I'm honestly loving the fact that people are really showcasing their skin. Really effortless, lightweight foundation like the Major Skin Foundation ($52) that we just launched allows you to not mask your natural beauty if you just want to take away a little bit of redness or cover problem areas. I think the trend of having just fresh, beautiful skin—I want that to stay.

The One Skincare Product He Can’t Live Without

I love the La Mer Renewal Face Oil ($270). I love when you can just plump the skin up with oils, even if your skin is oily. Putting the oils on the high points [of the face] like your cheekbones and on your forehead really creates a beautiful shine underneath your foundation.

The One Thing Everyone Should Know When They’re Shopping for Makeup

You can honestly use makeup in so many different ways; there’s never a right or wrong way to apply makeup. Experiment! If it doesn’t work, try it in a different way, create different looks.

The One Thing He Always Does Before Bed

Honestly, I shop! I always shop before I go to bed and honestly if anyone hasn't heard of Rakuten—I got into it because of my brand—you can shop from literally over 3,500 brands and get cashback. And if you’re already shopping these products and brands, why not get actual cashback?

The One Makeup Mistake Everyone Seems to Make

I always say start off less and eventually build up. It’s harder to take away than it is to add on.

The One Product He Always Has in His Bag

My Foundation. When I was creating it I made it more so for myself, because I wanted a foundation that I could use to touch up and just make myself feel a bit more confident. Sometimes when you have a long work day and you have, like, redness around your mouth or nose, you just want to feel confident walking into whatever situation you’re going into.