Olivia Culpo's 3 Favorite Beauty Looks
by Olivia Culpo
Photo: Kat Borchart
Hi, Byrdie beauties! Last time I shared with you my shower, hair, and makeup routine for a night out. This month, I was able to get into the Byrdie studios and re-create a few of my all-time favorite looks. I always love experimenting with makeup and trying new hairstyles, but these are the looks I rely on for daytime, nighttime, and special occasions again and again.
My Go-To Daytime Look
Photo: Kat Borchart
Truth be told, my real everyday beauty look consists of a little tinted moisturizer, brow pencil, mascara, and maybe a little bronzer or lip color. But if I’ve got something going on during the day and I need to look a little more polished, I’ll pull out a look like this—I love a clean blowout with fresh skin and a soft lip for day. It’s super easy to put together when you’re rushing out the door. I like to start with a light SPF moisturizer as a base for the face so I have protection all day. Next, I like to use a very hydrating and light foundation or tinted moisturizer. My current obsession is Dior Hydra Life Skin Tint. Dewy skin is perfect for daytime because powder can become really cakey over time. To keep this fresh, dewy look going all day, I use a hydration mist or even an Evian Mineral Water Spray to keep my skin glowing.
Now, for lashes you need one key ingredient—the eyelash curler! Since I’m going for an effortless look, I don’t want to load on a ton of dark mascara. The eyelash curler does most of the work, and I usually just stick to a single coat of mascara. My favorite is Charlotte TilburyFull Fat Lashes. Lips are usually a sheer, pinkish nude that I’ll dab on with my finger—nothing fancy! I’ve always been a big believer in “less is more,” and a natural look like this is perfect for daytime.
Makeup Notes: Makeup artist Tracey Levy mixed Laura Mercier’s Radiance Primer with tinted moisturizer for Culpo’s highlight spots, and then dusted highlight powder along her brow bones. On the eyes, Levy used the warmest, darkest brown out of Charlotte Tilbury’s Luxury Palette in The Sophisticate on the lid, and a bit of bronzer in her crease to create a soft, slight contour. Levy filled the brows in lightly with MAC’s Eye Brows in Lingering and a mix of Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Perfect Brow Pencil in Blonde and Soft Brown. For the lips, Levy used Nars’s Satin Lip Pencil in Torres del Paine.
Hair Notes: Hairstylist Christian Marc sprayed John Masters Organics’ Sea Mist Sea Salt Spray into the hair for volume, and blow-dried with a round brush. Then, he used a two-inch big-barrel curling iron just on the tips and to smooth halfway up the lengths, for movement and bend. To finish, Marc mixed Leonor Greyl Eclat Naturel Styling Cream with René Furterer Matte Styling Wax. (Using just the styling cream can make it too greasy—the matte wax breaks it up a bit.)
Wardrobe Credits: 3.1 Phillip Lim Pre-Fall 15 Cascading Ruffle Front Stripe Silk Blouse; Sandro Jasmina Denim Button Skirt in Blue.
Related: My Shower, Hair, and Makeup Routine for a Night Out, by Olivia Culpo
My Favorite Date-Night Look
Photo: Kat Borchart
I love this look because you can transition your day look into this strong eye-and-lip combo quickly and without a lot of extra products. I’ll add a little foundation (my favorite is Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk,) for more coverage and a lighter under-eye concealer. For contour, I love Marc Jacobs Beauty Light Filtering Contour Powder. I use the contour portion for under my cheekbones and along my temples and jawline. Then, I use the highlight powder for under my eyes to set the concealer. Bold brows are essential for this look—I LOVE Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. To finish the eyes, simply add more mascara, or wipe off the old and start from scratch—sometimes I prefer to start with fresh lashes. For lips, it’s important to line before applying lipstick to get that deep, saturated color. Blot it on a tissue to get that amazing matte look and to help avoid any transfer (on your glass or your date)!
Hair on this one is also super easy. The slicked-back look is especially great for days when I’ve been running around all day and my hair is looking a little flat. Just spray some hair spray, and use a bobby pin to hold back the pieces behind your ears. When I want a really sleek look, I’ll flatiron it.
Makeup Notes: Levy added Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow to contour the cheeks. Then, she mixed Make’s Face Gloss and RMS’s Living Luminizer and added just a dab to the eyelids. On the lips, she used Giorgio Armani’s Lip Maestro in 201.
Hair Notes: Before straightening, Marc applied Leonor Greyl Hair Gloss to give the hair a silky coating and to make it super smooth and shiny. Then, he created a straight middle part and flatironed the hair from root to tip.
Wardrobe Credits: Self-Portrait Fall Lace Trimmed Shell Top; Sandro Joeline Leather Skirt With Button Detail in Black.
Related: The Best Date Night Makeup, According to Real Men
My Never-Fail GNO Look
Photo: Kat Borchart
For me, girls’ night out is all about eyes and tousled hair. I love this classic “undone” feel with a smudged smoky eye and messy, swept-back hair. And the best part is it is super easy to put together. For the eyes, I use brown, charcoal, or black liner along both the bottom and top lash lines (I love Bobbi Brown eyeliner). My trick for creating a smudged eye look is to dampen the eye shadow brush and use a palette that has smoky gray tones (Charlotte Tilbury makes an amazing one). For the lip, I’m all about nudes. I am a huge fan of combining your favorites until you achieve the perfect nude. My favorite combo lately is Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Natural Lips and Sheer Lip Color in Bare Lips.
For the hair, all you need is dry shampoo or texturized spray. I use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray on the roots and tease my hair just a little. Then, I just pull it back in a loose bun with a hair tie. I like to wrap a strand of hair around the hair tie (to hide it)—just use a bobby pin to hold it in place.
Makeup Notes: Levy started with the lightest shade in the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Nude Dip along the outer corners of the eyes and into the crease. Then, she deepened the color and defined the shape with the darkest, coolest shade in Charlotte Tilbury’s Luxury Palette in The Sophisticate, and also carried the color down along the lower lash line. To complete the eyes, Levy lined the waterline Mineral Fusion’s Eye Pencil in Rough. On the lips, she used Yves Saint Laurent’s Volupté Sheer Candy in Dewy Papaya.
Hair Notes: Marc teased the roots to give the hair a little more height and put it all into a bun, pulling out a few little wispy hairs. He applied a little matte wax to the loose pieces and sprayed the whole head with hair spray for added hold.
Wardrobe Cedits: Jonathan Simkhai Ink Crop Tank; Self-Portrait Fall Tailored Crepe Trousers.
Related: How L.A. vs. New York Girls Do First-Date Makeup
Photographer: Kat Borchart. Hair: Christian Marc. Makeup: Tracey Levy. Styling: Dani + Emma.
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