Celebrity makeup artist, Bakeup Beauty founder.
Most makeup advice comes from people who've never worked a red carpet. Jo Baker isn't one of those people.
Baker is a London-born celebrity makeup artist with two decades of editorial, film, and red-carpet work behind her. Her clients include Vanessa Kirby, Kristen Wiig, and Lucy Boynton — people who show up to major events and actually get photographed. She started at 19, working fashion week shows in London and New York, and has since become one of the most sought-after makeup artists working today. In 2016, Rimmel London named her its official spokesartist, and her work has been featured in ELLE, InStyle, and W.
She also founded Bakeup Beauty, a vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics line built on one idea: take the formulas she actually uses on clients and make them available to everyone else. This isn't a breakdown of products with a celebrity face slapped on the packaging — these are the real techniques of someone who gets paid to make famous people look good on camera.
Who is Jo Baker?
Baker started working in makeup at 19, cutting her teeth on fashion week shows in both London and New York. From there she built a career in editorial, commercial, and red-carpet work — the kind where technique has to hold up under studio lighting, flash photography, and genuine scrutiny.
Her work has appeared in ELLE, InStyle, and W, and in 2016 she was named Rimmel London's official spokesartist — recognition that comes from technique holding up under real scrutiny, not marketing.
Every product in the Bakeup Beauty line was formulated by Jo, tested on real clients, and approved only when it cleared the bar she sets for professional work.
The philosophy behind the look
The core of Jo's approach: makeup should work for the person wearing it, not the other way around.
That sounds obvious. In practice, it runs against how most of us are taught to think about beauty — buy the right product, apply it correctly, and you'll look like the photo. Jo's philosophy flips that: the photo should look like you, just better. That shows up in a few ways.
She starts with skin, not coverage. Heavy, full-coverage foundation doesn't hold up in flash photography the way a more considered, skin-focused approach does. The same logic applies to everyday wear — skin that looks like skin reads as more polished than skin that looks like it has a filter on it.
She edits down. Professional artists work fast because they know which steps actually move the needle. A five-step routine done well beats a fifteen-step routine done inconsistently, every time.
She tests everything in real conditions. Nothing in the Bakeup Beauty line was developed in a lab and handed to a focus group. It was used on real people, on real shoots, under real lighting, and refined until it performed.
5 techniques Jo uses on every client
1. Skin prep is the foundation
Before any product touches the face, skin prep is non-negotiable. Clean, well-moisturized skin holds makeup better, photographs better, and lasts longer. Baker's Daily Meltdown ($34) fits here — a balm cleanser built to remove makeup fully without stripping the skin barrier.
2. She builds coverage gradually
Most people's instinct is a lot of foundation, then blend. Jo's instinct is the opposite: thin layers, built only where needed, blended before adding more. Full coverage from one thick layer looks heavy. Full coverage from three thin layers looks like nothing — which is the goal.
3. Eyes go last, when they're the focus
Counterintuitive, but the logic holds. Do eyes last and any eyeshadow fallout lands on clean skin and wipes away easily. Do foundation last and you're working around eye makeup that's already set. For a look built around the eyes — like anything featuring Tarantulash Mascara ($32) — save the eye step for last.
4. She uses color on purpose, not on instinct
The Micro Palm Palettes ($24) exist because of how Jo thinks about color. A small, curated palette forces intentionality. Hand someone twelve shades and the instinct is to use several. Hand them three or four and they get specific about what each one is doing.
5. She checks every look in natural light
Studio and indoor lighting lie. Natural light is unforgiving, and that's the point — if a look holds up in a window's worth of daylight, it holds up anywhere. Baker checks every finished look near a window before signing off on it.
The products that make the cut
Every product at Bakeup Beauty is one Jo would reach for on set. The full line is at bakeupbeauty.com, with free delivery on orders over $50. Three worth knowing: Daily Meltdown ($34) for skin prep, Micro Palm Palettes ($24) for intentional color, and Tarantulash Mascara ($32) as the step that finishes the look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Jo Baker?
Jo Baker is a London-born celebrity makeup artist with two decades of editorial, film, and red-carpet experience. Her clients include Vanessa Kirby, Kristen Wiig, and Lucy Boynton, and she was named Rimmel London's official spokesartist in 2016. She's the founder of Bakeup Beauty.
What is Bakeup Beauty?
Bakeup Beauty is a vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics line founded by Jo Baker, built around the formulas she uses on professional clients.
What's Jo Baker's core makeup philosophy?
That makeup should work for the person wearing it, not the other way around — skin-first, edited down to what actually matters, and tested in real conditions rather than a lab.
What real-life makeup actually looks like
The biggest thing Jo Baker's career teaches about makeup: the goal isn't perfection, it's confidence. A look you can apply in ten minutes, wear for twelve hours, and actually feel good in. That's the Bakeup Beauty premise — products formulated by a professional, for people who don't have one on call. Browse the full Bakeup Beauty line.
