Laura Harrier's Secret Weapon? Her Makeup Artist, Nina Park
Laura Harrier’s plump pout and full eyebrows give the actress an enviable edge in front of the camera. But she would argue her best beauty asset is Nina Park, her makeup artist. “Whenever she does my makeup, it doesn’t look as if I have any on,” explains Harrier. “It’s like, ‘I just woke up like this,’ which, I’ll make very clear, I did not.”
Louis Vuitton jumpsuit and earrings. Photo: Phil Poynter
Park, who studied fine arts in college, credits a background in painting for her restrained approach to layering products. “Back then I was using a variety of tones to create depth in a portrait,” she says. “I have the same approach when it comes to makeup. I love simplicity — but with thought-out attention to detail and execution.” Now an official Chanel makeup artist, Park has earned a reputation for subtly playing up young Hollywood’s most striking features, from Zoë Kravitz’s piercing feline stare to Brie Larson’s extra-long lashes and bronzy glow.
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Bottega Veneta jacket. Repossi ear cuff. Statement Paris earring. Photo: Phil Poynter
“I think Nina understands that, at the end of the day, we all just want to look pretty,” says Harrier. “She gives me the best version of my face, but I still look like myself.”
Nina Ricci dress. Louis Vuitton earrings. Photo: Phil Poynter
It helps that Park takes the time to foster deep friendships with whoever sits in her chair. “I really care about the girls I work with,” she says. “Because we spend so much time together, I’ve been fortunate enough to share in some of the incredible moments in their careers.”
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Alexandre Vauthier dress. Vanrycke earring. Photo: Phil Poynter
And soon Park will be seeing Harrier through another professional milestone: getting the star red-carpet-ready to promote her role in Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix series, Hollywood, out May 1, a drama centered on the film industry post-WWII. With the show’s press tour around the corner, Park has been mining some of the era’s most glamorous icons — think Eartha Kitt, Dorothy Dandridge, and Josephine Baker — for inspiration. And Harrier’s game plan? “I’ll just show up,” she says with a laugh. “I trust Nina so much that I’ll let her do what she wants.”
Photography: Phil Poynter. Styling: Melanie Huynh. Hair: Nikki Nelms for Impaq Beauty. Makeup: Nina Park for Forward Artists. Manicure: Marieke Bouillette for Callisté. Production: Octopix.
For more stories like this, pick up the May issue of InStyle, available on newsstands, on Amazon, and for digital download April 17.
