3 Celebrity Red Carpet Makeup Looks You Can Recreate at Home

For beauty lovers, there’s nothing quite as exciting as awards show season. Between the incredible ensembles, intricate updos, and—most importantly—the showstopping red carpet makeup, each new event brings with it ample opportunity to get inspired. While you may not be planning on heading to Hollywood anytime soon, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull out all of the stops in your own makeup routine. In fact, some of our favorite red carpet makeup looks from this past season are versatile enough to recreate any time you feel like getting a little glam. Here, we’ll reveal how three L’Oréal Paris Global Ambassadors achieved their recent red carpet makeup looks and share tips on how to ensure your makeup stays flawless all night long—even if you’re just heading to dinner with friends.

Kendall Jenner’s Glowy Glam

Famous family aside, L’Oréal Paris Global Ambassador Kendall Jenner is perhaps best known for her approach to beauty. She has a knack for looking glam and elegant, yet fresh at the same time—and no look exemplifies this quite as well as her Oscars makeup look. Here’s a quick breakdown of how to get the look:

1. Start with underpainting

To get the softly-sculpted look, Jenner’s makeup artist employed underpainting, a technique that involves applying your contour and highlighter underneath your foundation. We suggest using the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer for this step. You can use a concealer two shades darker than your skin to contour your cheekbones and jawline. Then, brighten up the center of your face with a concealer slightly lighter than your natural skin tone. After applying your underpainting makeup, follow the pro’s footsteps and apply a thin layer of the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glow Skin Tint to your entire face to help even out your complexion and add a soft, luminous finish.

2. Add blush and bronzer

Next, add color back to your cheeks with the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush—Jenner’s artist used Dewy Bright Pink for her red carpet makeup look, but we suggest opting for whichever shade suits your skin best. For added staying powder, set your liquid blush with a powder formula, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Blush. Jenner’s artist dusted a bit onto the bridge of her nose, too, for a softly sunkissed look. Enhance the effect by lightly buffing the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer onto the cheekbones and around the perimeter of your face.

3. Highlight the high points of your face

Kendall’s look is distinctly glowy, but it’s not shimmery or glittery. To achieve the flattering effect, Jenner’s artist dabbed the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick in Glowy Golden Couture onto the high points of the model’s face. Don’t forget to add a bit to the bridge of your nose—it may seem odd, but this highlighter placement helps catch the light and creates a natural lit-from-within effect.

4. Create a soft nude eye

For this red carpet makeup look, Jenner’s artist opted to use cool-toned shadows for a subtly sultry effect. Apply a medium-toned cool or neutral brown shade to your lid, bringing just a bit of pigment beneath your lash line. Then, create a crisp wing along your upper lash line with the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner in Black. Fill in your brows, if needed, with a brow pen (Jenner’s artist used the L’Oréal Paris Faux Brow Hair-Like Brow Filling Pen) and set your arches with the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Brow Lamination. Don’t forget to accentuate your lashes—to achieve Jenner’s signature fanned-out lash look, her makeup artist coated her lashes with the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama Washable Mascara.

5. Finish with a pinky-nude lip

Since glowy skin and fanned-out lashes were the focus of this red carpet makeup look, Jenner’s makeup artist opted to keep her lips simple. They created a natural plump look by lining Jenner’s pout with the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lip Liner in Worth It, then swiping the coordinating L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Worth It on top.

Reneé Rapp’s Soft Smokey Eye

L’Oréal Paris’ newest global ambassador tends to favor a sleek siren eye, but for her latest red carpet, she opted for a softer take on her go-to look. Here’s a breakdown of how to replicate her soft, smokey glam.

1. Begin with a glowy base

This year’s red carpet makeup looks prove that glowy skin is in. Achieve a dewy, fresh-faced finish by applying the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glow Skin Tint to clean, moisturized skin, adding additional coverage to problem areas as needed with a full-coverage concealer (Rapp’s makeup artist opted for the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Full Wear Concealer). Then, give your skin a glassy glow by tapping the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick in Glassy Pink Ballet onto the tops of your cheekbones and along the bridge of your nose. You can also apply a bit of highlighter to your collarbones, too—this celebrity makeup tip can help tie your glowy look together.

2. Add a natural-looking flush

To create Rapp’s just-pinched flush, her makeup artist applied the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush in Dewy Worth It to the apples of her cheeks, blending the pigment out well for a seamless finish. Then, they added dimension by dusting a small amount of the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Bronzer onto the perimeter of her face. When applying yours, be sure to blend the bronzer up to your temples for a natural-looking sun-kissed flush.

3. Fill in your brows

Eyebrows can make (or break) a red carpet makeup look, which is why Rapp’s makeup artist spent extra care ensuring hers looked flawless. First, they filled in the singer’s brows with the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer Mechanical Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde. It boasts an ultra-fine tip and comes with a built-in spoolie brush for blending away harsh, obvious lines. After filling in her brows, they brushed them into place with the clear L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Brow Lamination, which provides up to 24 hours of hold without a sticky texture or residue.

4. Line your upper and lower lash lines

Rapp’s deep blue eyes are striking all on their own, but a little bit of eyeliner helps them pop in the most flattering way. To emphasize her baby blues, Rapp’s makeup artist lined her upper lash line and lower waterline with the L’Oréal Paris Grip Mechanical Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black (if you’re not sure how to apply waterline eyeliner, we’ve got you covered). They then further accentuated her eyes by tracing her upper lash line with the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Grip Precision Felt Waterproof Eyeliner in Black. As for her lashes, Rapp’s artist used the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Big Deal Buildable Washable Mascara in Blackest Black. We love this formula because it’s buildable, so you can make your lashes as subtle or intense as you like—without having to contend with clumping.

Elle Fanning’s Classic Cat Eye

If there’s anyone who knows how to do Old Hollywood glam, it’s L’Oréal Paris Global Ambassador Elle Fanning. During this awards show season, the beloved actress was seen sporting a classic black cat eye for a touch of ‘50s glam. Here’s how her makeup artist created the timeless red carpet makeup look.

1. Apply a natural-finish foundation

Fanning’s makeup artist wanted to keep her skin looking natural, so they started by applying a thin veil of the L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation. The lightweight formula provides medium coverage, blends like a dream, and boasts a stunning skin-like finish. If needed, you can also lightly dot concealer onto areas that need additional coverage.

2. Add blush and highlighter

After blending out her foundation, Fanning’s makeup artist gave her cheeks a youthful, just-pinched flush with the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush in Dewy Bright Pink. To recreate the flushed effect, apply one dot to the apple of each cheek and blend the pigment out with a sponge. You can go back in and add more, if desired, for a more intense flush. When you’re satisfied with your blush, follow in Fanning’s makeup artist’s footsteps and dab the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick in Glowy Crème Chic onto the tops of your cheekbones.

3. Create a thick wing

A bold, retro wing is the focal point of this red carpet makeup look. To create it, Fanning’s makeup artist lined just her upper lash line with the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner in Black, extending the line past the outer corner to create a distinct upturned wing shape. If you’re not well-practiced in wings, we suggest checking out our article How To Create the Perfect Winged Eyeliner for Each Eye Shape to brush up on beauty makeup tips that’ll help you nail the look.

From there, Fanning’s artist emphasized her lashes by applying several coats of the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama Washable Mascara in All Night Black. Add a light coat to your lower lashes, too, to help tie the look together.

4. Finish with a pink lip

You can rock any lipstick with a classic wing, but for this red carpet makeup look, Fanning’s artist decided to opt for a demure pink lip. They defined and filled in the actress’ pout with the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Ballerina Shoes, a soft, barely-there pink perfect for the star’s fair complexion. For an added pop of color, consider topping your lipstick with a deeper pink or red gloss to make your pout pop (we’re told Fanning reached for the L’Oréal Paris Plump Ambition Hyaluron Lip Oil in Rouge in Love before walking the afterparty red carpet on Oscar’s night).

3 Tips for a Red Carpet-Worthy Glam

The reason our favorite stars’ makeup looks always appear so flawless: proper skin prep—and the right setting technique. Here are three things that you can do to help keep your makeup looking fresh all night long.

Prep your skin well

Even a flawless makeup application won’t hold up well if you don’t prep your skin appropriately. The makeup artists for all three stars mentioned above prepped their clients’ skin with the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives Micro Hyaluronic Acid + Ceramides Line-Plumping Water Cream. The former instantly plumps the skin and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, while the latter helps lock in moisture for smooth, plump-looking skin. If you have dark circles or puffy eyes after a restless night’s sleep, add the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Eye Serum to the mix, too—it visibly re-plumps and helps brighten tired-looking eyes.

Set your T-zone

Setting your liquid makeup products with a powder can help enhance longevity and give your skin a smooth finish—and contrary to what you may think, it won’t make your skin look dry or flat (so long as you use it properly). We suggest opting for a loose setting powder, like the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Blur-Fection Longwear Loose Setting Powder, and lightly dusting it over areas prone to unwanted shine (like the forehead, nose, and chin). You can also use the brightening pink version of the powder to “bake” your under-eye area and help prevent creasing. When you’re done applying your powder, use a clean brush to dust off all of the excess product—your skin should look smooth and blurred, not dry.

Finish with setting spray

Whether you’re walking the red carpet or simply heading to work, it’s always a good idea to set your makeup with setting spray. This essential makeup product helps lock both powder and liquid makeup products in place while protecting against smudging, transferring, and fading. To set our Global Ambassadors’ looks for the red carpet, their makeup artists used the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist, and we’d recommend opting for the same. The quick-drying formula applies evenly, provides a natural glowy finish, and helps makeup resist cracking, flaking, and caking for up to 36 (!) hours.

Next Up: What Order Should You Apply Your Makeup Products In?

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris