Inside Gugu Mbatha-Raw's 'Undercovers' Makeup Look

It’s no surprise that NBC’s new show, “Undercovers,” is a hit. The CIA agents-in-love drama is produced by “Lost” guru J.J. Abrams. It stars super-sexy Boris Kodjoe, and it introduced us to the gorgeousness that is British It-girl Gugu Mbatha-Raw! Not only is she fabulous as one-half of the sexy spy duo, her makeup is always flawless. Inspired, we asked “Undercovers” makeup department head Autumn Butler to spill her secrets behind Mbatha-Raw’s hot beauty look. ESSENCE.COM: What’s the inspiration behind Mbatha-Raw’s character Samantha’s makeup on the show? AUTUMN BUTLER: When she’s home with Steven or working at the catering office, I like to give her a natural, approachable look. That way, we have limitless makeup options for when she goes undercover. ESSENCE.COM: We love seeing Samantha switch up her look when she goes on assigment! What’s been the most fun makeup look so far? BUTLER: We have a fun look coming up on tonight’s episode! She’s scaling the side of a building, so I gave her a smokey eye to bring out a darker, more Catwoman-esque side to her personality. In one episode we did a fun banker look, where Samantha wore an Audrey Hepbrun eye and a berry-stained lip. ESSENCE.COM: What are some of your makeup staples you use on the show? BUTLER: I love Kiss Me Eyeliner by Blink! It goes on as a blendable liquid, but when it dries, it stays put forever. We’ve had scenes where she’s sweaty or in the water, and this liner doesn’t budge. I’m also a huge fan of Nars Calliope Lip Crayon; it’s Gugu’s signature lip shade as Samantha. In terms of skin, I always use Kohgendo Foundtion — it’s sweatproof, waterproof and made with high-grade botanicals so it doesn’t clog pores. It just makes Gugu’s skin look really smooth and poreless.   For an exciting peek inside “Undercovers” click here.