All the Details Behind Lupita Nyong’o's Vampy Makeup and Glowing Skin at the 2023 LACMA Gala

Makeup artist Nick Barose breaks it down.

With the Met Gala far behind us and awards season still months away, it's been a while since we've gotten a full-on red carpet. But on Saturday, November 4, Hollywood's A-list brought their all to the annual LACMA Art and Film Gala, honoring artist Judy Baca. The looks were as eye-catching as you would expect from an event celebrating the art world, and one of our favorite looks was Lupita Nyong’o's colorful gothic glam.

The actor attended the event wearing a Gucci gown that perfectly matched the red carpet. The barely-there dress featured lace detailing, delicate straps, a plunging neckline, and a sheer skirt. The dress made a statement, but it was her black cherry eye makeup that really took our breath away. Luckily, we were able to chat with her makeup artist, Nick Barose, for all the details of Nyong’o's beauty look.

Nyong’o's gown reminded Barose of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula, so he used the film's gorgeously gothic vampires as inspiration for the look. "The vampires all looked so glamorous and dangerous in Bram Stroker’s Dracula, so I wanted to play up the eyes with a red tone as a fun detail to play off the look,” he tells Byrdie exclusively. The result was a glowing base, monochromatic cheeks and lips, and a red and black smoky eye.

In order to keep the look from feeling too costumey, Barose created a glowing, dewy base with Le Domaine’s The Cream ($242). "In colder weather, I love prepping the skin with this first to ensure extra hydration so that the makeup doesn’t look dry or powdery,” he says. “I massage a small amount with my fingers all over her face, let it absorb for a few minutes, then blot away excess with a tissue, focusing on the T-zone before applying makeup.” He suggests applying less of the cream to areas prone to shine if you're going to be wearing makeup after.

Barose paid extra care to Nyong’o's under-eyes, as he wanted to ensure her eyes looked fresh since she would be wearing red eyeshadow. He used the Byroe Rose Tea Eye Cream ($76), which he says is "super-hydrating," and he loves it under makeup.

The makeup artist used all Gucci Beaty for the actress's glam, starting with the Éternité de Beauté Foundation ($69) in shade 510. Then, he applied Blush de Beauté ($49) in shade 06, which is a warm berry, high on the actor's cheeks for an '80s Grace Jones vibe. Of course, the focus was on Nyong’o's bold eye lok, which he created by applying the red accent before the black base. “When you add a bright color on top of black, it doesn’t pop as much,” Barose explains. He used the red shade from the Palette De Beauté Quatuor ($69) in Wild Bouquet in the center of the lid, then built around it with the Stylo Contour des Yeux Ink Liner ($41) and finished it off with the L’Obscur mascara ($36).

Barose went subtle with the lips. using the Soft and Velvety Matte Lipstick ($47) in 509 Janie Scarlet. "It’s a berry tone that ties into the dress and the eyes without making the lips too dark,” says Barose. “It’s a pretty vampy color, but then I blot it so you have a hint of it. And the Byroe Lip Mask ($55) [on top] gives it a little bit of a shine that’s not a gloss.”

To keep Nyong’o glowing—but not greasy—all night long, Barose used the Payot Pâte Grise Emergency Anti-shine sheets ($10) to dab away any excess shine on her forehead and along her nose. "The key to working with glowy skin is making sure it glows in the right places,” he says. “It’s about controlling oil without always having to reach for the powder. We always make sure not to over-powder as the night goes by, but for the red carpet, you do need more powder and to be more matte because of the flash. But, too much powder or mattifying products can dull down your glow, so I tell my clients to alternate with oil blotting sheets.”

He finished off her complexion with a spritz of Payot’s My Payot Brume Éclat ($24) and then applied Hume Supernatural Dry Body Oil ($25) to Nyong’o's body for a glowy finish. “People talk a lot about the foundation not matching the neck perfectly, but sometimes forget about when the body doesn’t match the texture of your face,” says Barose.

Up Next: Cailee Spaeny Wore Blushed Lips and Berry Cheeks to the 'Priscilla' Premiere

Read the original article on Byrdie.