This article originally appeared on InStyle.
While a bold, matte lip may be synonymous with red carpet glamour, a subtler, edgier look can also be major enough to steal the spotlight. Such is the approach Ruth Negga, the star of Loving took for the film’s N.Y.C. premiere last night.
“The dress is always the starting point for creating a red carpet look,” says celebrity makeup artist Melanie Inglessis who created Negga’s beauty look for the night. “After seeing Ruth’s dress, which was flirty and feminine, I created a look that was soft yet defined with an overall balance. I was loosely inspired by the feminine Pre-Raphaelite idea of beauty.”
First Inglessis prepped Negga’s skin with a trio of Chanel Hydra Beauty Flash Instantly Hydrating Perfecting Balm ($55; chanel.com), Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Gel Yeux Intense Smoothing Eye Gel ($68; chanel.com), and Chanel Hydra Beauty Nourishing Lip Care ($50; chanel.com).
To create Negga’s even base, Inglessis applied Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Foundation ($60; chanel.com) using a BeautyBlender spritzed with rosewater to leave a hydrated, dewy finish, and added Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base ($50; chanel.com) to the areas of the actress’ face where the sun would normally hit and accentuated her cheekbones. Next she used a big brush to dust Chanel Infiniment Highlighting Powder ($65; chanel.com) all over for a fresh glow, and added a touch of Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in Blush No. 22 ($45; chanel.com) for a bit of freshness.
Negga’s gold and brown eye makeup was the perfect way to make the actress’ big, brown eyes look even brighter. Inglessis used the two shades as the base for a subtle smoky eye. She started by sweeping Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Convoitise ($36; chanel.com) all over Negga’s eyelids and used Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow ($61; chanel.com) in the creases, the outer corners, and lash lines to create definition.
The pro used Chanel Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer in Brun-Cuivré ($30; chanel.com), a soft, blendable pencil to draw a line along the lash lines and winged it out, and finished up with a coat of Chanel Imitable Intense Mascara ($32; chanel.com) Negga’s top and bottom lashes.
As for the lips, Inglessis felt a buzz-worthy movie premiere called for a cooler red carpet beauty statement. “What I really like about this look is that I used a gloss on the lips, which I personally haven’t used for the red carpet in a while,” Inglessis says. “This was the perfect opportunity to have a statement on the lips but in a subtle way.” She dabbed Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in Distinction ($37; chanel.com) on Negga’s lips for a perfectly gloss-stained pout.