A lesson in speedy, grown-up make-up, as seen on Emily Blunt last night
At the premiere of Mary Poppins Returns last night in London, Emily Blunt sparkled with a very different approach to red carpet make-up. Instead of the usual red lipstick and black liner combo, Emily's make-up artist Jenn Streicher opted for a very tonal beauty look. The same shade of coral was used on the eyes, cheeks and lips, a lesson in how a relatively simple approach to make-up can look modern and sophisticated. "I wanted to create a warm monochromatic look across the eyes, lips and cheeks," Streicher tells us, "and the key really was in making sure it was just a wash of colour over each feature, rather than anything too punchy."
To recreate the look, start with a semi-matte base that evens out the complexion without caking it with too much coverage. Streicher used the Future Skin Foundation by the French beauty brand Chantecaille on Blunt last night. It comes in at ￡63 a pot, so definitely isn't cheap, but just a little of the gel-cream texture goes a long way. For a budget alternative, you could try the Healthy Mix Foundation by Bourjois, ￡7.95, which leaves a glowing, fresh finish. Apply the foundation with a damp Beauty Blender make-up sponge which helps to even out the complexion where you need it.
For the tonal coral make-up look, Streicher used a pink-coral lipstick dabbed on Blunt's eyelids instead of a traditional eyeshadow, which helped to create a soft, diffused shadow. The shade Honey Pot, in the Lip Veil Collection by Chantecaille was used. When using a lipstick on the lids the trick is to go for a very highly-pigmented shade that has a soft, semi-matte finish (and importantly, nothing completely matte). And then to anchor the colour and lift the eyes, two coats of black mascara is a must.
Make-up artists have been using lipstick as blusher for years and it's no different here: the slight sheen from lipstick allows a more natural blusher effect, that gives a gorgeous rosy glow. Again, dab on the same colour with your fingers on the apples of the cheeks and finally finish with the lipstick used as intended, straight from the bullet on the lips. But don't worry about a lip liner for this look - the key is a soft, diffused and natural finish that doesn't look too 'perfect'. A new way to approach party make-up for this festive season, perhaps? Here are our three favourite coral lipsticks to use three ways.
Three of the best coral lipsticks
Lip Veil in Honey Pot by Chantecaille, ￡38
The exact shade used on Blunt last night, this flattering pinky coral suits most complexions and softly warms the skin.
Lipstick in Breaking Free by Nars, ￡21
If you prefer a punchier hue, try this beautiful shade by Nars. It would look great on deeper skin tones and is still easy to blend on the skin and lips.
Rouge Edition Lipstick in Peche Cosy by Bourjois, ￡7.99
A great budget option for a pinky coral lipstick, this is easy to blend on the lips, cheeks and eyes and has a long-lasting finish.