Mary Greenwell is undoubtedly among the world’s most elite makeup artists. Born in London, she has worked in Paris, Los Angeles, and New York, developing a global reputation and exerting a powerful and long-lasting influence on the cosmetics industry. Among her most iconic clients are the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whose image Greenwell helped to redefine during the 1990s. Today, she is as in demand as she ever was, and she travels the world to work with her prestige client list, which includes the likes of Meghan Markle, Jennifer Lawrence, and Cate Blanchett, to name just three.

Greenwell’s career began in earnest when she moved to Los Angeles. There, she found a mentor in Ilana Harkavi, one of the most respected makeup artists of the time. By the middle of the decade, Greenwell had moved to Paris and become a jet-setting, high-profile MUA herself, working alongside the decade’s hottest photographers on shoots for various international editions of Vogue and many others.

By the 1990s, Greenwell was well established, but her influence soared to new heights when a meeting with Diana, Princess of Wales — who was then one of the most recognisable women on the planet — led to her becoming the makeup artist for some of her most iconic photoshoots, providing the look for images that still resonate today, more than 25 years since her tragic death. Greenwell’s recent work, particularly for Hollywood A-lister Cate Blanchett, is regularly shared on Greenwell’s popular Instagram account, which has more than 140,000 followers.