Emmy Awards Makeup - Stepping Out Of The Comfort Zone

October 11, 2011 by Makeup Artist

Three looks that made Jennifer Lopez step out of her cosmetic comfort zone. From left: Look #1, Look #2 and Look #3 as described below

Photo: Getty Images

Every year, we beauty editors breathlessly await the Emmy Awards' red carpet, to see who's wearing the best blush and has the prettiest pout.

And every year, we're totally disappointed.

You see, stars only wear three looks to awards shows. They go with classic red lips and bare eyes, smoky eyes with pale lips, or that natural, I'm-just-this-gorgeous-without-cosmetics look.

Yes, they look pretty, but their makeup is kind of a snore.

So we asked Scott Barnes, the mastermind behind the looks of Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and many others, to explain why. "Hollywood is a different animal than New York. In LA it's not about wearing a trend. It's about being stunning." We get it, nobody wants to take a risk lest they be lambasted by the press.

But he did agree with us that stars could pump it up a bit, or as Barnes put it "move out of their comfort zone." And he gave us three examples of when he got Lopez to move out of her comfort zone, to gorgeous results. "They're the ones she'll bring up years later," he said.

1. Update the no-makeup look with pinky nudes: "I love pink nudes," said Barnes. "It's monochromatic and fresh." He chooses flesh-tone shades for the eyes, cheeks and lips, so you can't see where the color starts and stops. Barnes did this look most recently on Lopez at the MTV Video Music Awards. "Look at where I put the blush on Jennifer. It was higher up than usual, but looked really cool, he said. "It was out of her comfort zone but it worked."

2. Do a colorful, messy smoky eye: Instead of going for a straight forward smoky eye, make it a little unfinished and add a dash of color that enhances your outfit. "I recently did Jennifer for an event in Washington D.C.," said Barnes. "We did a really black smudgy eye, and I pushed her to let me make it messy. Then, we dusted green shimmer dust over the black shadow to tie into her earrings."

3. Pair red lips with bronzed skin: On the red carpet, red lips are usually done with pale, matte skin for a very Marilyn Monroe look. Barnes suggests updating this look with bronzed skin. "Italian Elle does that all the time in an
exaggerated way," he says. "Red lips, tan skin and big eyes with a few individual lashes at the corners."

As you can see, the results are gorgeous.

So celebrities, we beseech you: As you're getting ready tonight, consider the advice of Barnes and move out of your makeup comfort zone.

Your look will be anything but a snore.