We can all agree that Andra Day is having a well-deserved moment. We discovered that powerful, soulful voice with her acclaimed 2016 Cheers To The Fall album and we’ve been captivated by her award-winning acting debut in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Our fingers are triple crossed for an Oscar!
In addition to being such a creative force of nature, Andra is a real glamour girl. “Glamour flows though her veins,” says her Porsche Cooper, Day’s makeup artist of eight years. “And she loves makeup,” she adds. “Andra loves, A LOOK––so as an artist, it’s so much fun to dream up these makeup moments for her.” We’ve all come to appreciate Day’s retro style nods to the 50s and 60s… the winged eye liner, the headscarves, the teased updos. But Cooper shares that tonight’s glam is a slight departure. “Andra is multi-faceted,” she declares. The glam presented for Andra as a singer, is different from what’s being presented, now, as an actress. “Andra wants people to see more of her. So, we’ve paired down the makeup.” Make no mistake, the glamour is still very much there, it’s just different.
Tonight’s look is a nod to the 70s. Andra is rocking a fro, so Cooper wanted the makeup to compliment the hair, delivering a clean, 70s, glowy vibe. “I wanted her to look super fresh, super youthful.”
Tonight’s Beauty Bites:
-CHANEL beauty delivered this evening. Cooper used her absolute favorites from the line to achieve Andra’s gorgeous look.
-Before makeup, Cooper stresses that “the skin has to be cleansed and well hydrated, that helps the foundation glide on like a second skin.”
-As for the foundation, Cooper applied the base with a brush. “I just start where Andra needs the most coverage, and I kind of skip the areas where she doesn’t.” This method is key to achieving a fresh-face look. Cooper then goes in with concealer, just around the eyes and nose area. “Concealer is makeup’s magic. It packs the final punch to flawless skin. After the concealer dries down a bit, I set it with loose powder.”
CHANEL 2-in-1 Foundation Brush No. 101
CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in BD31 and BD41
CHANEL Le Correcteur Longwear Concealer in 30 and 40
CHANEL Natural Finish Loose Powder
“After concealer application I go straight for the eyebrows,” says Cooper. “They’re so important, they frame your face and make everything else look more beautiful.” Cooper prefers wispy, brushed up brows. “I just fill in where she needs it, the key is to use a light hand. You don’t want a sharpee, heavy look.” Cooper completes the look with brow gel for staying power.
As for the color on the eyes, Cooper started with a metallic champagne liquid shadow, followed by three hues from one of her favorite bronzy eye shadow quads. “I applied a thin layer of the liquid shadow, which also serves as a great base for the powder to follow. This step also helps with saturation and wearability, and it helps to prevent creasing.” “After I apply each product to the eyes, I like to buff it out. I use a flat brush to apply color and a fluffy one for blending.” As for mascara, Cooper skipped the faux lashes tonight but went for several coats of mascara, top lashes only. “No liner at all, that’s not tonight’s look,” she adds.
- CHANEL Crayon Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil in Brun Naturel
- CHANEL Le Gel Sourcils Eyebrow Gel in Transparent
- CHANEL Ombre Première Laque Liquid Eyeshadow in Rayon
- CHANEL Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Codes Eìleìgants
- CHANEL Inimitable Mascara in Noir Black
- CHANEL Retractable Dual-Ended Eyeshadow Brush N°200
After the eyes “comes the fun part,” says Cooper, referring to the highlighting and contouring. “I didn’t want a lot of color on the cheeks, just a sun-kissed glow, soft and bronzy.” Cooper is obsessed with CHANEL’s latest glow sticks. She started with a light dusting of their luminating
powder, along the cheek bones, followed by a little bit of bronzer to contour the cheekbones.
“I love to use the Multi Glow Stick on top of the bronzer. It delivers a glossy, balmy finish. I also put a dab on the tip of her nose and the tiniest amount in the corners of the eyes.”
- CHANEL Exclusive Creation Perles de Lumière Illuminating Blush Powder
- CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
- CHANEL Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Golden Light
Last, but certainly not least, the focal point of the look: the lips. “To complete Andra’s 70s vibe I went for a gorgeous berry lip. If a beautiful strawberry and raspberry had a baby, this would be the color,” says Cooper. “I used two different lip pencils for starters, one to contour and one to deliver a gradation of color with the lipstick.” These creamy lip pencils are great because they are not drying, and they help to keep the lipstick in place. Finally, Cooper applied the glossy, high-pigmented lipstick. One of her favorite formulas because “it’s super pigmented, with great shine.”