For beauty fanatics, there's nothing quite as exciting as getting a backstage look at your favorite celebrity glam moments. Slip on your Artist Pass as we take you behind the scenes of the beauty looks that live rent-free in our minds from our favorite tastemakers, and the talented artists they have on speed dial. Discover their best-kept product secrets, niche tricks of the trade, and their hot takes on buzzy pop culture beauty moments.
Beauty and fashion overlap in numerous ways, but backstage at runway shows is undeniably the most glamorous convergence. With fashion week nearly here, Who What Wear fashion editor ChiChi Offor and I teamed up with makeup artist Matthew Taylor to share two model-off-duty makeup looks you'll want to copy.
"I always loved playing with makeup and making social media accounts to do my own photoshoots, trying to look like the models I saw in magazines," Taylor shares. "Model-off-duty makeup is quick, easy, and enhances what you already have."
When it came time for our glam session, I peeked into Taylor's kit and found it stocked with affordable gems from SHEGLAM. "I love SHEGLAM for Fashion Week specifically because it works for everyone, whether you want minimal makeup or full glam. The formulas are lightweight but they actually last, which is important when you're running around all day. The colors are also fun, highly-pigmented, and easy to play with, so you can switch up your look for every show."
Keep reading for a behind-the-scenes look at Taylor's camera-ready makeup looks that'll last you from the first show to the last after-party.
Bold lips were the focal point of Offor's look, but Taylor fully prepped her skin before any makeup even touched her face. "Moisturize first, always," he advises. "I also prepped her skin with the Good Grip Ultra-Blur Primer ($11) on the T-zone so her complexion stayed fresh all day. I love it because it's grippy, but gives a soft-focus finish. It even has niacinamide for a flawless mattifying effect."
After applying the base and a little flick of the Pro Precision Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner ($5) to elongate the eyes, it was time for the lips. "Every product needs to last, and the Line to Shine Peel-Off Lip Stain & Gloss Duo ($6) does exactly that," Taylor gushes. He used the Cherry Cola shade to create a contoured, cherry-toned lip moment that embodies that effortless model-off-duty vibe.
"I love a fun lip, and this one has bold, vivid color payoff as well," Offor adds. "For the lip duo, make sure to wait for the chocolate-toned stain to dry so you get all the vibrancy from the cherry-red gloss."
"For Emma, we kept it simple: a flush of pink and a little sparkle on the eye," Taylor says of the ultra-flattering look he created on me. "After applying the base, I used the Squeeze & Dot Matte Blush Paint ($6) in Love Cake, a highly-pigmented medium-toned pink, on her cheeks. It's so easy to use: just squeeze, dot, and blend with your finger, and it gives you a seamless flush in seconds. No time to sit there blending with tools when you're a model off duty!" From the moment Taylor applied this blush, I knew it would be my new must-have. I legit want it in every color, from mauve peony to bronzy terracotta to peachy coral.
"For the sparkle I used the Lunar Jelly Frosty Eyeshadow Stick ($8) in Snow Cone, which has a smooth, milky white base and an icy silver sparkle to create just a little twinkle," Taylor says. I love to highlight my eyes, so this step was my favorite. One swipe is all you need for an alluring, doe-eye look. All that was left to do was spritz on the Blurring Setting Spray ($6) and swipe on a natural, my-lips-but-better lip combo, and I was ready for my close-up.
