Oprah Winfrey remembers former makeup artist Reggie Wells: 'Rest In Peace'

Oprah Winfrey is honouring Reggie Wells, her 30-year-long longtime makeup artist, who passed away on January 8 at the age of 76.

Wells was honoured by Winfrey on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Thursday when she shared a touching Instagram picture of the two of them. She wrote a long caption as well.

“Dear Reggie,” she began. “Rest in Peace knowing you brought a lot of joy and so much laughter. You made every face you touched feel more beautiful. I imagine you’re holding court with St. Peter, Gabriel, and all the real Marys— bringing a lot of humour to Heaven.”

Following a "long illness," Wells passed away in his birthplace of Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Banner.

A tribute to Wells on Winfrey's website featured a message from Adam Glassman, creative director of Oprah Daily, who was also acquainted with the late makeup artist.

“Reggie was a tremendous makeup artist. I was in awe when I first met him—his work preceded him and I knew I was in the presence of a creative legend,” Glassman said. “He really could ‘beat a face,’ as he would say, but he was also such a comedian. On a photo shoot, or backstage at The Oprah Winfrey Show, he’d keep spirits up and get the energy going—and, boy, did he have great stories from his years working with the greats.”

The website claims that Wells worked on some of the most cherished covers of The Oprah Magazine, including the cover for the publication's inaugural May–June 2000 issue and its tenth anniversary in May 2010.

Other well-known clients of Wells' included Michelle Obama, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Diahann Carroll, and Halle Berry.