Lea Michele stepped out last night, December 4, to celebrate the holiday season at the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting. And to no one’s surprise, she looked absolutely beautiful while doing it.
Stylish got the inside scoop straight from her makeup artist, Meredith Baraf, on how she created the festive look, making it that much easier to copy for your next holiday party.
With the former Glee star in a monochrome ensemble made up of different red hues, Baraf focused on a color palette within the same family, just slightly off. “Instead of just matching with similar red shades, I sought out multi-dimensional colors that would be complimentary,” she told Us.
To begin, she created a flawless complexion using Dior Forever Foundation, Charlotte Tilbury’s Contour Wand, Dior Backstage Contour Palette and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder. She then mixed glitter strobe shades gold and peach from Dior’s highlighting palette, adding more color with Surratt Beauty blush in La vie en Rose.
“I loved how the red, magenta coral and golden colors uniquely, yet beautifully blended together to create a stunning eye that I then draped into the cheek.”
To get this cohesive effect, she swept the berry and coral colors from Natasha Denona Metropolis Palette — the same shades she used on the lids — overtop the blush. To give the eyes a bit more oomph, she blended it up into the crease with a camel color, before finishing them off with individual lashes from Ardell and put on a layer of L’Oréal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black.
The final touch was her eye-catching burgundy lip, which was “French-inspired to ensure a less contrived or sometimes harsh red lip.” She used Surratt Beauty La Baton Rouge Margaux, filling in the lip complete with the pencil side before dabbing a bit of the powder to the middle of the lip. “It has an incredibly strong yet understated finish to complete the look.”
As for the polish waves, hairstylist Sarah Potempa developed the look. She started by parting Michele’s hair down the middle (making a line from her nose and back to measure it), she blow-dried it straight and then sprayed a bit of the Beachwaver Co. Great Barrier Heat Protectant Hairspray all over. Using the Beachwaver Pro 1, the pro curled the star’s strands by moving away from the face and smoothing down pieces around the face.
Top it off with some smoothing cream from the roots to the ears and a bit of hairspray and viola! You have an A-list worthy look.
