Courtesy of subject; Courtesy of Hung Vanngo BeautySave this storySave this story
Hung Vanngo could have launched a makeup brand long ago. The celebrated artist has created some of the most regrammed beauty looks of the past decade (Cara Delevingne’s smoky eyes at the 2023 Met Gala, Bella Hadid’s red lips on the Cannes carpet in 2019, and Selena Gomez’s… pretty much everything). But Vanngo didn’t get this far by hurrying: “If you ever see me working, you’ll notice that I never rush,” he says. “You can ask my clients. I like to take my time.”
That’s not to say that making a line of his own hasn’t always been in the back of Vanngo’s mind. “Of course, every makeup artist would love to have a brand,” he says. “But I never felt like I had to come out with one just because. I knew it would have to be the right time, and I would have to feel great about everything [I brought to market].”
Lucky for those of us who zoom in on every cheekbone he bronzes and hang on every word of his YouTube tutorials, the right time is right now: Hung Vanngo Beauty is coming to Sephora on September 8. We at Allure were lucky enough to get our hands on early samples—and we loved them so much, we’ve named the brand in its entirety a One to Watch honoree. Scroll for everything you need to know about Vanngo’s delightfully colorful, artistry-driven products.
About the Brand
Before we get into it, a little background on the man behind the brand. Vanngo was born in Vietnam but, as a young boy, escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand with his brother and sister. After three years, they were able to move to Canada—specifically Calgary, where Vanngo spent most of his childhood. Just days after graduating high school, Vanngo enrolled in a hairdressing program and began working at a salon in his hometown.
But Vanngo was always intrigued by makeup, eventually moving to Toronto so he could work on photoshoots and campaigns as both hairstylist and makeup artist. In 2006, armed with a 0-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary ability or achievement, he moved to New York City—and the rest is history. Along the way, glowing, luminous skin—often accented with a flash of color on the eyes or lips—became Vanngo’s signature. “I’ve never been afraid of color,” he says. “Because for me, color gives life.”
Vanngo demonstrates his new eye shadow palette.
Courtesy of Hung Vanngo Beauty
With that philosophy in mind, there’s a whole lot of life in Hung Vanngo Beauty, both inside and out: The striking red packaging is a nod to the brand’s signature shade of lipstick, Vanngo Red. It has mostly orange undertones, says Vanngo, but also a bit of blue. “It looks different on everyone, and it looks good on everyone,” he says, adding that “this was the first color I created—I’ve been using it since 2021.”
Vanngo Red is one of 18 shades of the brand’s Creamy Matte Lipstick ($29), which can be paired with its Accentuating Longwear Lip Liner ($24). Speaking of long wear, Vanngo is also proud of his Longwear Eyeliner ($24), which he says glides on with zero friction and stays put all day. Soft Velvet Kohl Eyeliner ($22) is more blendable; it’s Vanngo’s go-to for smoky eyes. Very Beautiful Velvet Blush ($32) and Soft Blurring Bronzer ($38) are both made with finely milled powders that offer a subtle blurring effect.
The crown jewels of the collection, however, are its Color Story Eyeshadow Palettes ($49). Each of the eight palettes is an ode to a different color family, and contains eight complementary tones in four distinct finishes: creamy matte, matte, satin, and metallic. “I wanted to lay out everything in a way that is not so intimidating,” says Vanngo, citing the gradation of shades versus the one or two random brights that often find their way into otherwise neutral palettes.
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Though the palettes are almost (almost!) too pretty to use, we Allure editors managed to put them—and several of the line’s other standout products—to the test.
I Tried It
Courtesy of subject
My complexion is so fair that some brands don’t make a foundation that’s light enough for me. I say this not to complain, but to give some context as to why I’m a little bit suspicious of any product that promises to flatter everyone. But as soon as I swiped on Hung Vanngo Creamy Matte Lipstick in Vanngo Red, my fears went away: Just as Vanngo had told me, there was something about the balance of orange and blue undertones that just worked—both for myself and my fellow Allure editors who tried it.
In terms of the finish, “creamy matte” is a perfect descriptor: The formula has some sheen, but it isn’t glossy. The texture is fluffy and lightweight, so much so that I might’ve forgotten I was wearing it… if not for the kind compliments I received from colleagues and strangers alike.
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Sarah Han, commerce editor
Courtesy of subject
"I’ve quickly fallen in love with Hung Vanngo’s palette in Rebellious Red & Pink, which has a curation of pinks, rose golds, burgundies, and browns. They blend, pack, and layer onto my eyelids like a dream without any fallout, and with the help of an angled brush, double as eyeliner (I’m wearing the burgundy shade!) for a romantic but very wearable vibe. If I’m in a rush, my go-to is sweeping the lightest shimmery shade on my inner corners to brighten and look more awake."
Briana Rengifo, designer
Courtesy of subject
“I’m a big eyeliner person: I usually use either a liquid liner or, when I want a diffused look, a black eye shadow. I tried the Longwear Eyeliner in Soften the Edge, which is a dark brown. I traced it along my top and bottom lids, then went in with a brush to gently diffuse it to make a smoky liner look.
Since it set quickly, I had to work fast to blend the edges. Even after doing that, the overall color stayed rich and bright, which usually isn’t the case with my other pencil liners.
I did notice it faded a bit more quickly when I had cream eye shadow underneath, so I would set my liner with a shadow next time I use both. But without the eye shadow, it lasted all day, and came off easily with an oil cleanser when I was ready to remove it.”
Where to Buy
The full Hung Vanngo lineup—Color Story Eyeshadow Palettes ($49), Longwear Eyeliner ($24), Soft Velvet Kohl Eyeliner ($22), Creamy Matte Lipstick ($29), Accentuating Longwear Lip Liner ($24), Very Beautiful Velvet Blush ($32), and Soft Blurring Bronzer ($38)—will be available in-store and online at Sephora and hungvanngobeauty.com beginning September 8.