We are all about that hair — and makeup too! Here at Stylish, we’ve never seen a hairstyle or makeup trend we couldn’t talk about for days on end, so we started a podcast to dish on all the latest beauty news — from hits and misses on the red carpet to celebrity hair and makeup gurus’ dos and don’ts. Each week, Us Weekly executive editor of beauty and style Gwen Flamberg talks with some of the best in the biz about what’s new in hair, makeup and style in our Get Tressed With Us podcast. Listen above!
This week, Gwen and Us Weekly senior reporter Travis Cronin welcomed makeup artist extraordinaire Romy Soleimani (the pro behind the preternatural glowing looks of Bella Hadid, Christy Turlington and, of course, Alicia Keys, who she worked with for the Grammys.) Soleimani, very aptly known as @romyglow on Instagram, specializes in that gorgeous you-only-better makeup look, so it’s no surprise that she collaborates with the Girl on Fire singer, who is known for going without makeup or wearing minimal makeup. Keys brought a slightly elevated take on her usual style as the host of the 2020 Grammys, where she soothed the entire audience (and viewers around the world) as she opened the show with a moving tribute to Kobe Bryant. Listen to Soleimani describe that moment, relaying that Keys is “such a light” who has “healing vibes.”
Speaking of light, Keys’ first of five fabulous looks for the night had a unique element — Swarovski crystals affixed to the inner corner of each eye. As Soleimani explains, it was an elevated interpretation of the Euphoria makeup trend, and a way to bring luminosity and interest to the eye without a lot of makeup. Listen to the episode and hear the other surprising details about Keys’ eye makeup!
But before the eyes came the most important aspect of any no-makeup makeup look, according to Soleimani — the skin. “Massage is the most important step to getting glowy, natural makeup,” the pro reveals. Hear her steps to set up perfectly glowing skin for a long night! As for moisturizer, Soleimani says that every no-makeup makeup look is specific to the moment, and since Keys was on high definition television and doesn’t have dry skin, she chose to skip moisturizer and simply apply the Victoria Beckham x Augustinus Bader Primer as a base for makeup.
To let your skin shine through and get a dewy but not shiny finish, Soleimani recommends layering skincare products with makeup to get a glowy highlight, rather than painting on a heavy contour. For Keys on Grammys night, she pressed concealer in with a beauty blender spritzed in a spray-on serum by Korean beauty brand Whal Myung. But the wildest trick that blew our minds was how Soleimani spot-sets the look using her favorite finely milled powder (by La Mer, naturally) and… wait for it… an eyeshadow brush! You’ve got to hear her technique!
Follow the episode to hear exactly how the makeup pro changed up Keys’ lip color, including the base color of that amazing lilac pout! (Hint: it’s by Shiseido!) She also let Us in on exactly what happens backstage on a night like the Grammys and how she and Keys’ hair pro, Nai’vasha, had about five minutes to change the beauty look with each wardrobe change — wow!
And it’s not all about makeup! Soleimani’s top tip for anyone who wants to pull off a no-makeup makeup look more than just skin deep: “It’s all about what you put inside your body,” says the pro, who advises eating avocado and staying hydrated.
For more of the week’s beauty and style news — including everything you need to know about the 2020 Bafta Awards and Jennifer Lopez’s Super Bowl halftime show — make sure to listen to the full podcast above and subscribe!