Honoring Mama Makeup

Sharon Gault, the legendary celebrity makeup artist affectionately known throughout the beauty and fashion worlds as “Mama Makeup,” died on September 16, 2026. She was 61.

Born January 2, 1965, in Santa Monica, California, Sharon built an extraordinary career spanning more than three decades, leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of beauty, fashion, photography, music and popular culture.

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But to the generations of artists who knew and loved her, Sharon was much more than the remarkable list of names and images associated with her career. She was a mentor, teacher, mother, friend, original and unmistakable presence.

She was generous with her knowledge, endlessly enthusiastic about creativity and deeply beloved within the arts community. Sharon was always ready to do the next art project!

Sharon’s path into beauty began somewhat unexpectedly. Fascinated by photography and fashion from a young age, she initially pursued photography before finding her way to Vidal Sassoon.

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She became a hair model and later trained at the Vidal Sassoon Academy, developing her skills as a hairstylist before discovering the medium that would ultimately become her calling… makeup.

Her career took a defining turn when she joined Madonna’s groundbreaking Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990, working on hair for the tour’s dancers and singers and becoming part of the intimate world captured in the landmark documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.

It was during this period that Sharon acquired the affectionate nickname that would follow her throughout her life… Mama Makeup.

Not long afterward, Sharon worked with Michael Jackson during his Dangerous World Tour. These experiences placed her at the center of some of the era’s defining moments in popular culture and helped establish a career that would ultimately span generations.

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Sharon became one of the most sought after makeup artists of her time, collaborating with an extraordinary roster of performers, actors and cultural figures.

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Her clients and collaborators included Madonna, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Pamela Anderson, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Gwen Stefani, Johnny Depp, Charlize Theron, Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Garner, Renée Zellweger, Cindy Crawford, Uma Thurman, Hilary Swank and countless others.

Her artistry appeared in Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview, i D, Rolling Stone, Elle, GQ, Glamour, Allure, Marie Claire and other influential publications, as well as in music videos, advertising campaigns, live performances and some of the most memorable celebrity photographs of their era.

Among the most important creative relationships of Sharon’s life was her decades long friendship and collaboration with photographer David LaChapelle.

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The two met on a photo shoot in New York and immediately recognized something in one another. Their friendship quickly developed into an extraordinary creative partnership. Sharon became one of LaChapelle’s closest collaborators and, uniquely, one of his muses as well.

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She worked behind the camera helping create many of his fantastical images while also stepping in front of it herself, becoming an unforgettable part of the visual world they created together.

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Their relationship extended far beyond work. It was a profound friendship built on humor, imagination, loyalty and a shared belief in the transformative possibilities of art.

Sharon once described their connection simply as two people who seemed meant to find one another.

Throughout an extraordinary professional life, however, Sharon’s proudest role was that of mother to her daughter, Adelaide Gault.

Sharon raised Adelaide as a proud and devoted single mother while simultaneously building an international career.

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The worlds of motherhood and artistry were never separate for Sharon. From a young age, Adelaide accompanied her mother to work, growing up on sets and alongside the extraordinary creative community that surrounded her.

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Sharon was immensely proud of Adelaide, and their bond remained one of the great constants of her life.

Most recently, Adelaide welcomed a son, Leo, giving Sharon the profound joy of becoming a grandmother.

Within the makeup community, Sharon was known simply and affectionately as Mama, and the name could hardly have been more fitting.

Mentorship was one of the defining parts of Sharon’s life and legacy. Throughout her career, she took countless young and aspiring makeup artists under her wing, generously sharing her knowledge, experience and access to an industry that could often be difficult to enter.

She had an extraordinary instinct for recognizing young talent and took genuine pride in helping it grow.

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Many of the young artists Sharon mentored went on to build successful and distinguished careers of their own within the beauty, fashion and entertainment industries. 

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Her influence therefore extended far beyond her own remarkable body of work. It lives on through generations of artists who learned from her, assisted her and carried what she taught them into their own careers.

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Sharon believed knowledge was meant to be shared, not guarded. She opened doors and created opportunities. She did not simply teach young artists how to apply makeup. She helped them understand how to become working artists.

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Sharon was also a passionate advocate for pet adoption and had an enormous love for animals. 

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She believed deeply in giving animals in need a loving home, and the dogs she welcomed into her life were truly part of her family. Her compassion for animals was another reflection of the generosity and love that defined her.

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Sharon was also a passionate seeker of spirituality. Throughout her life, she searched openly for greater meaning, exploring different traditions, teachers and philosophies. Her spiritual journey carried her from the Hare Krishna movement to the teachings of Marianne Williamson and beyond.

Ultimately, the philosophy she returned to was remarkably simple.

For the last decades of her life, Sharon repeated two words that became her mantra…

Be Love.

Her enormous personality, irreverent humor, compassion and unmistakable individuality made her impossible to forget.

She could be glamorous and outrageous, maternal and mischievous, vulnerable and fiercely encouraging… sometimes all at once.

In an industry that could take itself very seriously, Sharon brought warmth, humanity and joy.

Sharon is survived by her beloved daughter, Adelaide Gault; her grandson, Leo; her nephews Tommy and Jared; her brother, Ted; and her sister, Patty.

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Her influence lives on in her family, in the artists she taught, in the careers she helped begin, in the friendships she nurtured and in the unforgettable images she helped bring into the world.

Be Love.

Forever Mama Makeup.

We will continue to update this tribute page as we gather more thoughts and memories to honor our incredible friend!