The Simple Eyeliner Trick That Julia Roberts’s Makeup Artist Swears By

Her longtime pro, Genevieve Herr, reveals the secret behind her glam at last night's "Leave the World Behind" premiere.

Makeup artist Genevieve Herr has spent over 20 years glamming Julia Roberts. So she knows exactly what the star loves and what will make her look and feel her best on the red carpet. The most important element of the Lancôme ambassador's signature makeup look? Keeping her eyes defined and illuminated, says Herr.

Last night, to get Roberts glammed for the New York premiere of her latest film, Leave the World Behind, Herr leaned on her signature eyeliner technique — tactfully using two different shades for an eye-brightening effect.

"Julia loves a well-defined top lash line and a good mascara," says Herr. "On the top, I used a black eyeliner, and then on the bottom, I used a soft gray color. I always like to use black on the top because it defines the eyes really well. On the bottom of the lash line, I always use a lighter color so it's not as severe as the black."

This method supplies great definition while making the eye appear more open. "Black, especially under your eyes, [can be] severe for my taste," says Herr. "Adding a softer shade under the eye defines the eyes a little bit better than just using a liner on the top, and it opens the eyes."

To create the makeup look, Herr used Lancôme's Le Stylo in Noir Intense along the top lid, Le Crayon Khôl in Gris Noir on the bottom lash line, and the Hypnôse Drama Mascara on the lashes. "The Stylo is a little bit softer, and it stays on the eye and doesn't really smudge much," says Herr. "If it's a red carpet or some kind of event that is going to last for a while, I like to use it on the top of the eye because it stays there and doesn't move. For the bottom, I love the Khôl eye pencils from Lancôme because I can smudge them with a brush and get the shape that I want."

To keep the look light, Herr focused the Khôl on the outer edge of the under-eye. "I don't go all the way to the inner corner," she says. "I leave a little bit of opening there, so that opens the eyes more." She adds a bit of concealer in that space for added brightness and also connects the bottom liner to the top liner "in an upward motion so it lifts the eyes." However, this upward motion is subtle, stopping short of a dramatic cat eye so that the crease of the star's eye doesn't intersect with the line. "Winged eyeliner is very tricky depending on the eye shape," says Herr.

The softly flicked eye look perfectly complemented Roberts's Ralph Lauren black dress and her hair, which had a distinct Old Hollywood vibe à la Veronica Lake. Crafted by her go-to hairstylist, Serge Normant, he left the ends relaxed for a fresh interpretation of the throwback style in perfect harmony with her modern liner look.

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