Reggie Wells was Oprah Winfrey’s personal makeup artist for more than 25 years, and he also worked with many other notable women.
- Died: January 8, 2024 (Who else died on January 8?)
- Details of death: Died in Baltimore of natural causes at the age of 76.
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Reggie Wells’ legacy
Wells began working with Winfrey after doing her makeup for an Essence magazine cover shoot. She was impressed with his work and brought him to her organization in 1990. He continued working with Winfrey until 2016, when he returned to his hometown of Baltimore to be close to family. Wells was nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards, winning one in 1995, and he sometimes appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
In addition to his decades of work with Winfrey, Wells also did makeup for such celebrities as Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin (1942–2018), Whitney Houston (1963–2012), Joan Rivers (1933–2014), and many more. He created a makeup line for Black women and wrote the book “Face Painting: African American Beauty Techniques from an Emmy-Winning Makeup Artist.” Wells was also known for his work for magazine covers, including over 100 covers of Essence and covers for Glamour, Life, Harper’s Bazaar, and others.
Notable quote
“[T]here’s no name you can come up with back in the ‘70s and ‘80s that I haven’t touched. Halle Berry, Beyoncé Knowles, Michelle Obama…” —from a 2014 interview for Get Out!
Tributes to Reggie Wells
Full obituary: The Hollywood Reporter
