6 Beauty Pros Who are BFFs with Their Celebrity Clients

Yahoo Beauty

Updated September 1, 2015 at 7:00 PM

By Cat Quinn

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY.

Makeup artists, hairstylists, and manicurists get physically closer to celebrities than most people on the planet. After all, they’re the ones who hold their hands (literally), massage their scalps, even lean in close to catch a stray eyelash — often right before some pretty high-profile moments.

So it’s no wonder that after years of primping, polishing, and traveling the world together, the “glam squad” turns into the actual squad. “We’ve shared in each other’s lives through marriages, kids, Bar Mitzvah’s — all the milestones, and all the difficulties,” says Sonia Kashuk, who has been best friends with supermodel Cindy Crawford for over 30 years.

We asked 12 beauty all-stars to dish about their famous friendships. Click through to find out the perks, the funniest moments (“I had to spoon-feed her on set”), and the bond that holds them together — not excluding Cartier friendship rings. #Goals much?

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY; PHOTO COURTESY OF @HARRYJOSHHAIR.

Hairstylist Harry Josh and Gisele

Meet Cute: “She was a fit model for Richard Tyler during London Fashion Week and I was a casting director at the time — only aspiring hairstylist,” says Josh.

Bonding Moment: “It was pretty much instantly. We exchanged numbers and spent a lot of hours together during that particular fashion week. Later she said she was moving to NYC to give modeling a full shot. I told her to reach out and she did — the rest is history.”

Their “Spot”: “We both love Extra Virgin in the West Village. When she is in town, we try our best to squeeze in French toast, it’s the best!”

Best Trip: “We have been [to] a ton of places together, but I would have to say a particular trip we took one summer to Vancouver, Canada was a standout. [We] stayed in a cabin, went on a hike, boating, etc.”

Gift Exchange: “I made her a really funny home video with all of her friends for her 19th birthday that still makes us laugh. [She’s given me] constant wisdom and sage advice.”

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY; PHOTO COURTESY OF @BEAUTYBYDCHINCHILLA.

Makeup Artist Daniel Chinchilla and Ariana Grande

Meet Cute: “One of her best friends for years was my neighbor. Eventually, [Grande] was looking for a makeup artist and he said to her, ‘You have to try him out.’ And we just kind of clicked,” says Chinchilla.

Bonding Moment: “When we started to make each other laugh, we became friends. She’s loves being funny and making funny videos. Once I let loose, it wasn’t a hard transition over from makeup artist to friend. It happened early.”

Inner Circle: “She always wants to have fun. It’s always, ‘What are we doing tonight? Lets do games.’ Or ‘It’s my birthday, let’s go eat here, then let’s go see a show.’ It doesn’t feel like just work — it feels like hanging out with a bunch of friends all the time.”

Best gift: “For Christmas, she gave me a suitcase with a bunch of travel goodies like PJ’s and a Mophie for my phone. She’s really thoughtful and she wants to make everyone around her comfortable.”

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY; PHOTO COURTESY OF RITA RAZAN.

Colorist Rita Hazan and Jessica Simpson

Meet Cute: “In the late ‘90s, right when her career was starting, she came to me to fix her blond. She said, ‘I want to be blond, but not like this,’ so I got her vibe and we made her a glam beachy blond.”

Bonding Moment: “When I opened my first salon, we were out at [Diddy’s] party or something. She said, ‘I want to get my hair done,’ and I said, ‘Oh my God, I have my own place and I have the keys.’ We left the party and went and colored her hair. I was a little tipsy and she knew it. She says, ‘The best color you ever did was the night you were drunk in New York City.’"

Gift Exchange: “We have the same taste. I walk into her closet and I’ll be like, ‘I just got this bag in black.’ She’ll be like, ‘Do you like this bag? This necklace? Here, take it.’”

Wildest Beauty Treatment: “She was recording an album and she wanted to have her roots done. We went into the bathroom and it just had cold water. My hands were numb but she did not complain at all. We still laugh about that day.”

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY; PHOTO COURTESY OF SONIA KASHUK.

Makeup Artist Sonia Kashuk and Cindy Crawford

Meet Cute: “I was living in Minneapolis at the time and I went to Chicago do to some test shoots for [modeling agency] Elite Management,” says Kashuk. “The woman booking the appointments said, ‘There’s this new girl, Cindy Crawford, and I think she’s gonna be big.’ We had an instant connection.”

Bonding Moment: “I moved to New York and got a phone call saying Cindy was living in the model’s apartment. I called and said, ‘Get out of there,’ and she actually moved into my little studio. We were each other’s one friend in New York. We went to movies together, joined the gym together… We were partners in crime.”

Best Trip: “Cindy was working on an amazing project in Peru with Omega and Orbus, the flying eye hospital. We both had [Machu Picchu] on the bucket list, so we thought, “Should we go early?” I think she actually stamped that trip as one of her favorites ever.”

Gift Exchange: “She’s given me so many beautiful watches over the years. She’s incredibly generous. I gave her a necklace one year that said ‘“love’” and that was special.”

ILLUSTRATED BY MARY GALLOWAY; PHOTO COURTESY OF JEN ATKIN.

Hairstylist Jen Atkin and Khloe Kardashian

Meet Cute: “I was working with Kim, and [Khloe and I] had never met before. She was preparing for X-Factor and wrote me the sweetest email: "I don’t know if you’d be interested, but I’d love if you’d do my look for X-Factor.” I was so flattered.

Bonding Moment: “Because they film their show every day, I see a lot of Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe. We start the day off together. They are really great about treating you like family. It’s so fun to hang out with them and that makes work so fun.”

Gift Exchange: “They’re so good at giving gifts and they’re the Kardashians — they have the best taste. Anything they’ve ever given me is just the chicest. For Khloe’s birthday, I reached out to Donald Robertson to do a gorgeous print painting of Khloe for her new house. That’s fun to have.”

Biggest Beauty Risk: “Khloe and I were just laughing about how I did a crown braid on her three years ago. She’ll bring it up like, ‘It’s the crown braid incident,’ and we’ll laugh about it.”

Hairstylist Andy LeCompte and Nicole Richie

Meet Cute: “Nicole and I first met at Las Palmas night club in Hollywood,” says LeCompte.

Wildest Moment: “One of the most memorable trips was her bachelorette party in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. She didn’t know I was going to make it… I surprised her on the plane. That flight was crazy — we lost cabin pressure and the flight attendant panicked when the oxygen masks came down. But we landed safely and had an amazing trip. Almost going down with 15 of your best friends is a bonding experience, I would say.”

Gift Exchange: “I once gave her a photo of Liz Taylor flipping off the paparazzi. But the biggest gift I’ve given her is a ton of good hair days. And the biggest gift she has given me is laughter. The girl can really brighten someone’s day and life.”

Their “Spot”: “Mr. Chow back in the day. But now we just have Postmates deliver Chow’s.”

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6 Beauty Pros Who are BFFs with Their Celebrity Clients