The Daytime Emmy winner also worked with Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Whitney Houston, Halle Berry and Diahann Carroll.
Reggie Wells, who served as Oprah Winfrey’s personal makeup artist for nearly 3 decades, passed away on Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Baltimore, The Baltimore Banner reported. He was 76 year old.
Wells’ clients also added Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, Joan Rivers, Whitney Houston, Halle Berry, Diahann Carroll, Robin Givens and Lauryn Hill.

Wells received 5 Daytime Emmy nominations for his work on The Oprah Winfrey Show, winning in 1995. He also starred on her talk show and travelled all around the world with her, additionally to South Africa when she opened a school for girls.
“Reggie Wells was an artist who used his palette of talent to create beauty no matter the canvas,” Winfrey said in a statement. “For many years he was my makeup artist. He called me and everyone he considered a friend ‘Mary.’ He always made me feel beautiful. Ooh my, how we’d laugh and laugh during the process. He was an astute observer of human nature and could see humor in the most unlikely experiences.”

One of 7 children, Wells was born on Dec. 2, 1947. His father, John, was a bus driver and his mom, Ada, a nurse. He graduated from Baltimore City College and Maryland Institute College of Art and taught art before moving to New York City in 1976.
He worked at makeup counters in department store before landing magazine gigs at Glamour, Life, Harper’s Bazaar and Essence, where he did Winfrey’s makeup for a cover shoot. It wasn’t long before she relocated him to Chicago to be her full-time makeup artist in 1990.
Wells created his own makeup, including lipstick and eye shadow, for Black women from foundations and powders made for white skin tones, and he worked with lighting technicians to make sure his clients would look the best they could be.