Ella Morgan, who recently found love on Celebs Go Dating, has shared the contents of her makeup bag that she wears to all the red carpet events
Celebs Go Dating favourite, Ella Morgan, made history when she became the first trans contestant on Married At First Sight UK last autumn. In a whirlwind of a year, she’s attended star-studded events and red carpets and has become known for her glowing complexion and go-to nude lip.
Growing up, as Ella puts it, ‘as a little boy’, makeup has played a major role in her life. We sat down with Ella to uncover the products that make her feel her best and why she swears by a mix of high-end and affordable beauty brands.
Prior to finding fame on Married At First Sight UK, Ella worked as a makeup artist for Yves Saint Laurent – and she still uses some of their iconic products as part of her daily makeup routine. “ Touche Éclat is such a classic,” she said, “I love the foundation and the concealer and discovered them when I first transitioned.”
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The Touche Éclat pen is a radiant concealer that brightens dark circles, highlights features, and blends seamlessly into the skin, coming in at £30.50. “I use shade number 1 in both the concealer and the foundation. They just work so beautifully together, giving me a natural, dewy finish.”
While one concealer pen will last Ella around six months, she makes her £40 foundation last longer by blending it with a more affordable option, which allows her to get the perfect skin tone match throughout the year. “I often mix the YSL foundation with one from MUA , because I’m often different shades depending on whether I’ve had a spray tan or been on holiday. The MUA foundation gives me the coverage I need, while the YSL foundation adds that glow.”
The MUA Pro/Base Matte Finish Foundation comes in at £6 and is available in 24 shades. And like Ella, shoppers seem to love it for its coverage, commenting: “I liked the product, it covered my skin well and I didn’t even have to use much of the concealer I got,” and “Nice texture, not too thick just nice coverage,” though some have been less impressed, adding: “Worth a try but it looks a bit heavy on my skin.”
MUA is a brand that holds a special place in Ella’s beauty routine, having been one of the first she used when she initially transitioned. Affordable yet effective, she’s even been ‘cheating’ on more premium brands with MUA’s Pro Base Glow Illuminating Primer . Speaking with me on Zoom from sunny Spain in her bikini, she said: “People always ask me what gives me that glow and I’ve been cheating on Refy with this from MUA. It’s literally £3, and I’ve got it on today. It gives me the most gorgeous highlight, which is perfect when I’m on holiday and want to wear minimal makeup.”
When it comes to lip products, Ella is committed to the perfect nude and is married to one duo in particular. She said: “Everyone always asks what nude lip I wear because I only ever wear a nude lip—I daren’t try any other colours. It’s the MUA Intense Colour Lip Liner in ‘Obsession’ paired with MUA’s Glazed Tinted Lip Gloss. It’s the best pinky nude ever. I wore it to the NTAs, and Laura Anderson said she loved it so I let her borrow it.”
Ella’s makeup bag boasts a mix of premium and drugstore picks, but she has a real soft spot for affordable brands like MUA, Collection, and Revolution, having relied on them when she first began her transition. “I still think some of their products outperform high-end ones.
“When I was transitioning, I didn’t know much about makeup, so I turned to YouTube. I watched Gigi Gorgeous and shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race to learn tips. RuPaul’s Drag Race has probably influenced me the most in terms of beauty standards.
“Using makeup made me feel so free, and now I’m in a place where I’m comfortable enough in my own skin that I can wear minimal makeup. It took me so long to get here and I’d wear full coverage every day as I was so self-conscious. But now, I’m so comfortable with who I am on the inside that I’m happy to walk around with no makeup on and I never thought I’d get to this point.”
Earlier this year, we spoke to Ella’s fellow Married At First Sight Jay Howard about her top beauty picks, which include a MAC foundation she’s used since high school, while Celebs Go Dating co-star and relationship coach Anna Williamson recently shared her go-to skincare favourites from Tatcha, Murad and more, which you can read here.
