Every year without fail, dark lips dominate the red carpet during fall and winter. So when we spotted the surprising summery shade Zoe Saldana wore with taupe eyeshadow and coral blush to the LACMA Art + Film Gala on October 29, we did a double take. It was bold, refreshing and totally had Us digging deep into the pockets of our bags to fish out the last remnants of a similar pinkish-red hue we wore back in July. It didn’t have the same effect, so we asked the star’s makeup artist, Vera Steimberg, for all the details.
From left: Gucci Magnetic Color Shadow Mono in Starlight ($37, saksfifthavenue.com), Gucci Sensuous Deep Matte Lipstick in Iconic Red ($40, saksfifthavenue.com), Gucci Sheer Blushing Powder in Cherry Nectar ($49, saksfifthavenue.com)
First, Steimberg applied creamy highlighter on eyelids, cheeks and lips to create a radiant base. She pressed a shimmery taupe powder on lids, then layered a dab of moisturizer on top. After applying two layers of blush over cheekbones — powder over cream — Steimberg, who also works with Cara Delevingne, tapped lipstick on the mouth with fingertips. The technique works, she says, because it “allows the formula to warm up, which makes for smoother blending into the skin.”
