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Mario Dedivanovic is a world-renowned makeup artist known for his innovative techniques and designs, who became an online influence after becoming Kim Kardashian's makeup artist and close friend.
As an immigrant from Montenegro, Dedivanovic and his family moved to New York City when he was a child. To make ends meet, he got a job at the makeup hub Sephora and found his passion early. He placed his favorite makeup items in an old shoe box and carried it to bookings at the beginning of his career. Years down the road, Dedivanovic would have the chance to swap that shoe box for palettes and kits he designed himself.
Dedivanovic has been working in makeup and skincare for over 20 years, and has his own company, Makeup by Mario. On top of selling his own line, he also shares his skills and techniques with the public through a globally available class, The Masterclass. Fans of Dedivanovic can follow him on social media where he shares the ins and outs of his brand, along with some of the looks he's done for Kardashian and other celebrities and brands.
The Real Story Of How Mario & Kim Met
In an interview on the podcast Overnight Success (via Page Six), Dedivanovic shared how he first became acquainted with Kim Kardashian. Considering the pair have been working together since 2008, it's a monumental partnership and friendship in the celebrity world. He explained he got a call to do Kim's makeup around the time Keeping Up With the Kardashians was about to be released. Dedivanovic intially was unsure he could accept the job due to time constraints -- but he eventually made it work, and drove to do her makeup on that fateful day.
"She walked in, she was so sweet and I fell in love with her face. Aesthetically, for me, she's like the idea of beauty," he said of their first encounter.
Dedivanovic shared on Instagram that around that time, his agents told him to avoid working with a reality star like Kardashian because it would limit his career. At the time, his dream was to land a Vogue magazine cover, and his agents warned that as long as he was doing Kardashian's makeup, that was never going to happen. (And Kim Kardashian appeared on the cover of Vogue for the third time in 2022.)
However, Kardashian became more and more popular, and as she started booking more interviews and appearances, she continued working with Dedivanovic. Dedivanovic fired that agency, and the two started a real partnership in makeup and friendship.
He Charges How Much For Makeup?!
Dedivanovic has worked with Kardashian for over a decade (as well as countless looks for other celebrities), and he is now a household name. With his own makeup line (Makeup by Mario) and his presence in the press, Dedivanovic's skilled services don't come cheap.
As reported by The Jut, in July 2023, TikTok influencer Mikayla Nogueira chose Dedivanovic to do her makeup on her wedding day. Once the day was done, Nogueira shared how much Dedivanovic charged (along with screenshots of emails for proof). In 2017, his daily rate was a whopping $30,000.
Considering Nogueira's wedding was back in 2017, it's more than likely his fees have gone up. In 2023, Hypebae Beauty reported that his rate had jumped to $60,000 a day. With a list of high-profile clients, Dedivanovic is most likely on a retainer for regulars like Kim Kardashian.
He Came Out Of The Closet At 35
At the 2019 American Influencer Awards, Dedivanovic was awarded the Artistic Achievement Award for his work and devotion to the craft. In his humble acceptance speech, Dedivanovic shared a little about his past and what made him the man he is today. And for the first time ever, he opened up about a part of his life that fans didn’t know about — his sexuality.
Distractify shared that while on stage, Dedivanovic told a story about a conversation he had with his mother. He recalled:
"I told her, finally, that I had spent my entire life and childhood suppressing my thoughts, suppressing my dreams, my feelings, my creativity, and trying to be invisible so that no one would know how I am feeling inside, and so no one would see how I walk, how I talk ..."
He continued, and said of coming out:
"Right now, I finally feel that bright light that I've been dreaming of my whole life."
Despite his popularity, Mario hasn’t been photographed with a love interest as of this article's publishing. He also hasn’t shared much of his personal life in interviews or social media, leaving much to speculation.
Sources: Makeup by Mario, Instagram, Pop Sugar