When actress Cynthia Erivo, star of The Color Purple and winner of the Best Actress in a Musical stepped out on the red carpet this weekend, it wasn’t just her Roberto Cavalli dress that turned heads. Her makeup was on point, too!
Makeup artist Jessica Smalls (who’s also worked on Janelle Monae and Mary J Blige) shares how she created the look:
Start by hydrating your skin
“I spritzed rose water on Cynthia’s skin before applying Lancôme Advance Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate Serum. This gave her skin an immediate glow and smoother texture.”
Clean up your brows
“I sparingly filled in Cynthia’s brows with a brow pencil to create definition.”
Go smokey
“Using a deep brown, metallic shadow, I swept the shadow over her whole lid and under her bottom lashes. Then, using a black, waterproof liquid liner, I heavily rimmed her eyes to add intensity and drama. After, I pressed a black eyeshadow onto her lid up to the crease and blended the shade to meet her bottom lashes. Blending is important. Use a soft, small, dome-shaped brush and work the brown and black shades together. To finish, I curled her lashes and applied two coats of waterproof mascara before adding a pair of feathery false lashes.”
Perfect your complexion
“Once her skin had time to soak up all the benefits of the serum, I primed her face before dabbing on foundation with a damp sponge. A little concealer under her eyes adds brightness. Then, to sculpt her cheeks, I dabbed some orange to the apples of her cheeks and a little highlighter along her cheekbones. To ensure it lasts all night, I dusted on a pressed powder to her forehead under her cheekbone and along her jawline.”
Add a nude lip
“First, hydrate your lip with balm. Line your lips with a deep brown liner and dab on a dusty pink brown shade of lipstick.”
Want to try out more red carpet beauty looks? Here are 6 Cannes beauty looks to try on your next date night and the 3 best beauty looks from the Met Gala!
