Issa Rae's Makeup Artist Joanna Simkin Breaks Down Her 2018 CFDA Awards Look
Save for the Met Gala, there are few nights in fashion as memorable and star-studded as the CFDA Awards. The glamour-filled evening, which historically takes place in early June, honors all things related to American design and attracts celebrities, journalists, and some of the most notable names in the industry. It's the kind of night no one forgets — and this year, it might just be the best one yet. Why? Because if you haven't heard, for the first time in several years, a woman will be running the show (aka hosting), and that lovely lady is none other than the inimitable — the hilarious! — Issa Rae.
It was first announced that the Insecure star would host the awards back in early March, and because Rae has been known to go bold with her makeup in the past, we've been wondering what she'll do for the big night. A sultry smoky eye, maybe? Or perhaps a rainbow lip? (It is Pride Month, after all.) Luckily we didn't have to keep guessing for long, as the multihyphenate's makeup artist, Joanna Simkin, kindly shared all the details with us.
Every great beauty look starts with solid skin-care prep, which is exactly what Simkin did. "I wanted to go for a really moist look, so I used a lot of hydration at first," she explains, adding that she applied Embryolisse's Concentrated Lait Cream (a makeup artist favorite) all over to impart a glow-y sheen. Then, to subtly diffuse the shine in spots like her T-zone, Simkin used CoverGirl's new TruBlend Matte Made Liquid Foundation, focusing the majority of the coverage on the center of Rae's face, which helped her tone down the areas that she didn't want to look too dewy. Skipping blush, Simkin went straight in with CoverGirl's Queen Collection Bronzer to warm up the skin, and then followed up with the brand's Vitalist Healthy Glow Highlighter in Sunkissed, which she applied to all the high points of her face. "I wanted to keep the skin really neutral and golden because the eye is so strong," she explains.
Speaking of the eyes, Simkin decided on an allover silver look inspired by the legendary Diana Ross. "I started by using the browns from the Chocoholic Palette to carve out the crease which is more exaggerated and darker on the inner corners rather than on the outer corners," she explains. "It kind of goes up above her natural crease and heads into her nose contour," she adds. As for the silver touch, Simkin says she wanted to mirror the look of Swavorski crystals. (Casual.) "I took a regular silver glitter and wet it with the CoverGirl Look Lock It Up Spray and then pressed it all over the lid until I hit the crease," she explains. As for Rae's lashes? She wanted them to really pop Diana Ross style, so she used a lash primer first followed by a few thick coats of the brand's new Flourish by Lash Blast Mascara.
To tie the whole look together, Simkin used one of CoverGirl's Exhibitionist Lipstick's in the shade Coffee Crave to give Rae a gorgeous '70s-inspired nude lip. "It's the perfect brownish nude and is the most gorgeous color," she says of the new formula. Instead of using lip liner, Simkin says they went for a more muted vibe, almost like a stain.
And that was that. A few spritzes of setting spray later and Rae was ready to rule the red carpet.
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