This year’s Grammy nominees hold their own on a red carpet just as well as they do on a stage. From cat eyes to bold brows, here’s how to get their signature beauty looks.
“B is a huge fan of the 1970s ‘golden girl’ skin right now,” says her go-to beauty guru Sir John, L’Oréal Paris’ celebrity makeup artist, of the 35-year-old “Lemonade” singer, who’s nominated for nine awards, including Record of the Year. “That’s really her aesthetic.” He suggests pairing bronzed skin with bright lips for maximum impact.
Start by lining your pout with a nude pencil to prevent bleeding, then reach for two shades of lipstick in the same color family, such as L’Oréal Paris’ “Infallible” lip paints in “Fearless Fuchsia” and “Wild Rose” ($9.99 each at LorealParisUSA.com).
“I call it PB & J lips,” Sir John says. “I’ll do a color on top and then another on the bottom and smack them together” — just don’t rub, or the colors will smear together.
Finish off the look by mixing a golden liquid luminizer, such as L’Oréal Paris’ illuminator in “Golden” ($12.99 at LorealParisUSA.com), with foundation (try Giorgio Armani’s “Luminous Silk” foundation, $42 at Sephora.com) for extra glow.
Rihanna’s eyes always bring the drama, according to the singer’s go-to makeup artist, Mylah Morales. (The “Anti” singer, 28, is nominated for eight awards, including Record of the Year.)
For a subtle smoky eye, swipe a shimmery shadow, such as Urban Decay’s “Moondust” eye shadow in “Midnight Blast” ($19 at Urbandecay.com), from the lashes to the brow bone. Apply black liner (Morales uses MAC’s eye kohl in “Smolder,” $17 at MACCosmetics.com) along the lower lash line and just below the upper lash line, and run over it with a flat, angled brush.
“You have to really blend it out,” Morales says.
A swipe of highlighter under the brow bone will “punch up the drama,” says Morales — find your shade in an Anastasia Beverly Hills “Glow Kit” in “Ultimate Glow” ($45 at Ulta.com).
Finish with false lashes and a thick swipe of a volumizing mascara, such as Dior’s “Diorshow” mascara ($28.50 at Sephora.com).
It’s no secret the “Hello” singer, 28 and nominated for five awards, loves a good cat eye — you’d be hard-pressed to find her without a feline flick. What is surprising is how easy it is to replicate.
Sir John says to use a pen liner, such as L’Oréal Paris’ “Voluminous Liner Noir” ($9.99 at LorealParisUSA.com), or a thin eyeliner brush dipped in gel. Start by lining your bottom lashes before moving to the outer edge of your lid.
“Give yourself a dot where you want the wings to end, so you have a guide, and the symmetry will happen more easily,” he says — for Adele’s look, aim for a centimeter up and out from the corner of your eye. Line just above your top lashes, winging your liner up to the dot to create a subtle flick. Clean up any mistakes with a cotton swab dipped in micellar water, and finish with a generous swipe of mascara (try Shiseido’s “Full Lash Multi-Dimension” mascara, $27 at Shiseido.com).
Want Solange-level cool? Bulk up your eyebrows.
“Brows are her jam,” says Sir John, who has done the 30-year-old Best R&B Performance nominee’s makeup. He likes layering textures: Use a pencil, such as Anastasia Beverly Hills’ “Brow Wiz” ($21 at Sephora.com), to create “hair-like strokes,” and a wax, like L’Oréal Paris’ “Brow Stylist Prep & Shape Pro-Kit” ($14.99 at LorealParisUSA.com), to “mat the brows down.”
Start adding pigment above your pupils before moving to the outer edges, filling in sparse patches and emphasizing your natural arch. Swipe a clean mascara brush through your brows to add extra definition.
Once your brows are boosted, get creative with the rest of your makeup, as the “Don’t Touch My Hair” singer does.
“Solange leans toward the future,” Sir John says. “There’s an unorthodox thing that happens with her — it speaks to the artist.”
The 23-year-old Best New Artist nominee recently made a name for herself both for her country music and her beachy, blond waves.
For similar hair, start by conditioning with Aussie’s “3 Minute Miracle Moist” ($2.97 at Aussie.com) in the shower, says Aussie celebrity hairstylist Laura Polko. “If you don’t use the right conditioner, it shows,” she says. “Your ends will look messy.”
After towel-drying your hair, massage a golf-ball-size dollop of mousse — try Aussie’s “Headstrong Volume” mousse ($3.43 at Aussie.com) — into your roots, starting at the crown of your head and moving forward. Blast your ’do with a blow-dryer until it’s mostly dry, then part your hair down the middle and clip it into six sections. (For added volume, lift each section up and away from your face with a paddle brush as you dry.)
Starting at the nape of your neck, wrap 2-inch sections of hair around a curling iron, twisting away from your face. Hold the ends with your fingers, rather than curling them around the iron, to avoid Shirley Temple-like ringlets. Give each strand of hair a tug once it’s curled.
Give your hair a final spritz of hairspray once it’s all styled — try Matrix’s “Style Fixer” hair spray ($18 at Matrix.com) — and use your fingers to break up any remaining curls and “bring back the volume,” says Polko.
The 23-year-old Grande, who’s nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance, rocks a ponytail nearly every time she graces a red carpet.
For a similar ’do, Polko says to work a sculpting gel into wet tresses from roots to ends to tame flyaways and add shine — try Julien Farel’s sculpting gel ($25 at QVC.com). Squeeze out any water from your hair, then finish the job with a paddle brush and blow-dryer, working them together to blow hair straight back from your face. Gather your dried strands into a ponytail right at the end of your natural part.
“When you’re looking in the mirror, you’ll want to be able to see the ponytail — it’s always going to feel higher than normal,” says Polko.
Secure the pony with a strong elastic, brushing out any bumps and flyaways. Blast the look with a strong-hold spray, such as Aussie’s “Instant Freeze” hair spray ($3.43 at Aussie.com), before wrapping a small section of hair around the elastic, tucking the end under the pony.
Run a flat iron over the ends for extra shine.
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