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What’s the opposite of gatekeeping? Welcome to “Payment Processing,” in which we ask stylish, generally cool people who’ve tried it all about their favorite fashion and beauty buys.
In the beauty industry, Hung Vanngo has achieved legend status. The New York-based makeup artist is the mastermind behind Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez’s luminous complexions. He has painted the faces of nearly every major celebrity, including Jennifer Lawrence, Scarlett Johansson, Cindy Crawford and Halle Berry, among many others. His work has graced magazine covers from Vogue to Harper’s Bazaar, as well as countless advertising campaigns across fashion’s heavy hitters like Prada, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. In 2025, he launched his namesake makeup line as an ode to his storied career. Put simply, Vanngo has done it all.
Now, Vanngo is one of the experts highlighted in Sephora’s recent MUA founder-focused campaign, starring alongside Mary Phillips, Danessa Myricks, Patrick Ta and others. “We are people who eat and breathe makeup like many people, but we actually have the experience [from] all the years that we work on [clients] and we want to bring amazing products that we learn over the years to the consumer,” Vanngo tells Fashionista, reflecting on how this campaign further solidifies makeup artists-turned-founders’ position as experts in the beauty industry.
Photo: Courtesy of Sephora
As a behind-the-scenes creative, Vanngo’s personal style is consistent and comfortable. He typically adheres to his tried-and-true uniform: a crew-neck T-shirt paired with a coordinating snapback hat. The avid hat collector buys new styles all the time, he says, paying anywhere from $5 to $500 for a cap.
On the beauty front, Vanngo has tried all the latest and greatest launches, but what actually makes the cut for his personal stash? He regularly reaches for Sephora Collection‘s makeup brushes (which range in price from $11 to $36), and he combats hyperpigmentation with Cyspera, a $180 rinse-off cream to reduce the appearance of dark spots.
Ahead, Vanngo shares the luxury beauty treatment he indulges in, the work-from-home accessory he wants to splurge on, his go-to complexion product (although he may be slightly biased) and more.
What’s a luxury beauty item you’re into right now?
Right now the most luxury thing that I treat myself [to is] really getting [a] massage because I think it’s really good for indulging yourself and it’s a good reward for you when you [are] working hard for everything.
What’s a budget beauty product at Sephora that you’re loving?
I love Sephora Collection brushes because [they’re] great brushes and they’re very affordable.
What’s a beauty staple you love so much you’ve bought multiples?
The product I buy a lot is the product called Cyspera. I have a lot of pigmentation and it does help to lighten up the pigmentation I have. And so I usually buy a lot, especially when they have a special sale, I buy quite a bit of them.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Violet Grey
What’s an accessory you’re eyeing right now?
Right now I would love to buy the Equinox bike for my home I work out a lot, but I don’t do enough cardio. So for me, having a bike at home and I can do some work at the same time would be great.
What’s an affordable fashion item on your wishlist?
For me, I’m a hat collector, so I keep buying hats all the time. So it doesn’t matter, it’s like a $5 hat to [an] expensive one. I love collecting hats.
What’s one piece of beauty advice we could all use?
You can find a great foundation that you can use [as] concealer or you can wear it sheer or you can wear [it] full coverage. Complexion is so important that people forget that if your skin looks flawless, you’re going to feel really good.
Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for InStyle
Is there a complexion product that stands out to you?
Hung Vanngo Beauty Foundation… It’s exactly everything I just said.
