
By Elizabeth Blasi — Written on Apr 17, 2018
Photo: Instagram

Let’s be real. We all wish we lived like Kim Kardashian West. One of the main reasons (aside from having daughters as completely adorable as North West and newborn Chi West), is because she's best friends with one of the best — if not THEE best — makeup artist in the world, @makeupbymario Mario Dedivanovic.
Mario X KKW (which is also the name of their new beauty collab) go everywhere together, have been each other’s best cheerleaders, and even started their own makeup line together! To make the jealousy even more real, according to Time, their makeup line sold all 300,000 kits in less than three hours, bringing in 14.4 million dollars. Gulp. Yep, sounds like a nice (and lucrative!) friendship to have.
Plus, Kim always looks flawless, thanks to Mario. But besides the makeup, the money, and the social events, what’s the scoop on Mario Dedivanonic, Kim Kardashian's makeup artist? Here we’ve listed 15 glamorous fun facts about Mario you probably didn't know unless you're a Keeping Up With The Kardashians superfan.
1. Mario did the makeup for Fergie’s music video, M.I.L.F.
While everyone couldn't stop talking about Kim’s new blonde-do as Fergie’s M.I.L.F $ video premiered, it was the on-fleek makeup that had us in real awe. Mario crushed it again by giving Kim, who makes a cameo appearance in the video, long-ass lashes, beautifully contoured skin, and her signature nude lip. We salute you for your pristine work, Mario. Check it out for yourself:
2. He was the man behind the makeup for Kim's wedding to Kanye West.
According to The Cut, Kim's completed look only cost $180 and was primarily made using Urban Decay products. While it’s inspiring to know you can get porcelain wedding skin for under $200, there’s still little chance we can hire Mario to actually apply said makeup (or have Kim's flawless skin to begin with), so it sort of ruins the fantasy. Womp, womp.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Mar 23, 2018 at 10:04am PDT
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on May 24, 2017 at 12:40pm PDT
3. Mario’s a mama's boy.
Mario bought his mother — a woman who ironically never wears a stitch a makeup — a Cartier love bracelet for Mother’s Day that cost $6,300. In an Instagram post, he goes on to say he will never stop spoiling her. He even teases giving her a glam mom makeover one of these days. He recently shared a post saying, "How is it possible to love a human being so much?! She’s so honest. She’s never worn makeup in her 72 years of life LOL. Should I do a tutorial of me doing her makeup using the #KKWxMARIO collab?"
Answer: YES. Now that's a tutorial we'd like to see.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Apr 6, 2018 at 1:13am PDT
4. Mario won Best Celebrity Makeup Artist at the 2017 American Influencer Awards.
We're not even surprised. He launched one of the highest grossing makeup brands in 2017 and had us in awe with the myriad looks he did on Kim.
RELATED: 15 Glamorously Fun Facts About Ariel Tejada, Kylie Jenner's Makeup Artist
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Apr 3, 2018 at 8:33am PDT
5. Mario’s first job was at 12 years old.
And guess what he bought with his first paycheck? Air Jordan shoes! According to Mario’s Instagram, he was so happy to have done the makeup for Michael Jordan’s beautiful bride, model Yvette Prieto, because all he wanted to buy as a 12-year old boy were MJ kicks.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Feb 11, 2018 at 8:50am PST
6. He has his own Kimoji bitmoji.
If you’re a part of Kim’s posse, you get a Kimoji, that's just how it works. And you also get a featured on Kim’s app in caricature form. Meet bitmoji Mario:
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Apr 5, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT
7. Mario's bedroom has suede walls.
Mario has jazzed up his bachelor pad with swanky suede walls, saying, “Everyone touches the suede walls when they walk in." Looks like his great taste expands beyond his makeup artistry.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Sep 30, 2017 at 11:15am PDT
8. He's close enough to make fun of Kim.
In one of Mario’s Instagram videos debuting his and Kim's KKW x Mario new shadow palette launch, he says he has to keep Kim from getting too big-headed so he throws some shade her way every once in awhile in the makeup chair to keep her humble. That's how we know for sure they're BFFs — they tease each other!
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Jan 10, 2018 at 6:48pm PST
9. Mario is a judge on the reality beauty competition show, Glam Masters.
9. Mario is a judge on the reality beauty competition show, Glam Masters.
Glam Masters, which was created and executively produced by Kim Kardashian West (and hosted by the fabulous Laverne Cox!) pits aspiring MUAs against each other to see who can come up with the most glam looks. Each show starts with four artists then slowly whittles down to one. The winners of each show then compete for the title of Glam Master — and the prize? A beauty collab with Kim! Watch the trailer for yourself:
10. There's only only person that comes between Kim and Mario.
Kim and Mario are as thick as thieves and nobody comes between them. Except that is: Kim’s daughter, North. And we mean she comes between them not only metaphorically but physically. Mario often says it’s an extra layer of difficulty to precisely apply Kim's makeup when North is on her lap wriggling around.
A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Mar 30, 2018 at 7:25am PDT
11. Mario did Kim’s makeup for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
And the highlight is on point. Mario was way ahead of his time.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Feb 20, 2018 at 7:03am PST
12. Speaking of early millennia Kim, he also helped turn her into Jasmine for Halloween.
In 2009, Mario helped turn the Armenian reality princess into a Disney princess. If anyone can find a way to get a genie and magic flying carpet, that person is Kim Kardashian. Also, can we talk about Mario’s Instagram and Kim’s hips via 2009? Either Photoshop has been having a heavy hand in recent years, or we really need to get on the waist trainer bandwagon.
A post shared by Kris Jenner (@krisjenner) on Nov 11, 2016 at 6:57pm PST
13. Mario created the Master Class, where he teaches us regular folk all his glam secrets.
People fly in from all over the country and pay anywhere from $500 to $1,500 a seat to see Mario apply makeup on his protege, Kim. And the way the Master Class started is actually really sweet: Mario learned of an elderly couple in which the husband was taking makeup classes at Benefit to help his wife, who was going blind, put on her makeup. He flew them both out from Ireland to make sure they both got a seat at his Masterclass. Heart of gold, that Mario.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Oct 3, 2017 at 1:39pm PDT
14. He's worked magic on all of the KarJenner sisters.
Since the pair became inseparable in 2008, Kim has been sharing Mario with the KarJenner sisters ever since. Whether it’s for solo press events or big family photo shoots like the family Calvin Klein ads, Mario is ready and on duty.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Nov 17, 2017 at 12:13pm PST
15. He's also done other A-lister makeup.
When he's not on Kim duty, of course. Being one of the most talented makeup artist in gang means you have a long list of clientele. Other Mario clients include Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Emily Ratajkowski, Kate Bosworth, and Chrissy Teigen. Heard of any of them? *wink*
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Jan 3, 2018 at 6:16am PST
16. Like Kim, he's a selfie addict.
Kim isn't the only one in her social circle with a strong selfie game. Mario has plenty of smokin' fine selfies of himself on his gram and hey, we're not complaining. Boyfriend looks good!
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Dec 25, 2017 at 2:54pm PST
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17. He loves being an uncle.
He share lots of photos of his nieces and nephews on his Instagram, calling himself a family man. Free makeovers for his family is enough to want to marry in to the Dedivanovic family. Kidding...or are we?
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Nov 26, 2017 at 1:15pm PST
18. He loves to travel back home to Montenegro.
He enjoys talking about his father's hometown and it's beautiful scenery. He even bought a piece of land there to build a family lakehouse in the Balkan country. So sentimental and sweet.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Oct 9, 2017 at 10:48am PDT
19. He's a beach bro.
But who wouldn't be when you get to travel all around the world with access to all the most pristine beaches? Maybe he's on Kim K photo duty? Either way, consider us jelly.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Aug 9, 2017 at 12:35pm PDT
20. He's a total goofball.
Mario definitely has a great sense of humor and his clients seem to love to goof around with him, especially on social media. He also posts a lot of hilarious memes, quotes, and GIFs that give you the sense he's not that serious of a guy.
A post shared by MAKEUP BY MARIO (@makeupbymario) on Mar 15, 2018 at 8:28am PDT
So what have we learned, class? Mario is sooooo much more than just a makeup artis. He's a top-notch creative genius that gives us glam-spiration every day. Him and Kim are true #bffgoals and clearly a match made in makeup heaven. We're all hoping these two stay together forever and continue to collaborate on KKW Beauty products because they are KILLING the glam game.
RELATED: I Tried Kim Kardashian's Vampire Facial That Injects Blood Into Your Face
Elizabeth Blasi is a New Yorker, who is often seen with a suitcase in hand, jet-setting to her next location. But as a true digital nomad, and her love of writing and romance novels, she always has her laptop right beside her.