Celebrity Make-up Review and How-To: The 2011 Tony Awards

The 2011 Tony Awards took place last night at the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York City. One of the reasons this is my favorite event to write about is because I’m actually involved in the festivities by making up my clients for the red carpet. This year marks my third Tony Awards show. Jennifer Damiano plays Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway which officially opens on Tuesday, June 14th. Bono and The Edge are the musical forces behind the score, and with Reeve Carney playing her opposite as Peter Parker, this show is getting more attention than anyone has ever anticipated.

Damiano is young, talented and absolutely beautiful. She is also no stranger to the Tonys as she was nominated in 2009 for Best Performance by a Featured Actress for Next to Normal. I’ve been working with Jennifer for over three years now, which allows me the creative freedom when coming up with her looks for the red carpet. She knows exactly what she wants and completely trusts me, which is the ideal client/artist relationship. This look started out with the dress. She was luminescent in her canary yellow Reem Acra Resort 2011 number. The first thing I suggested to her was a bold yet classic red lip. That in itself was quite a risk for her, however I assured her that it will compliment the yellow of her gown and pop beautifully against her porcelain skin. And it sure did. She was glamorous and radiant with a hint of sophistication. I’m not only monumentally proud of myself, but I am so very proud of her.

Get this Look:

Face: The key to Jennifer’s foundation is the application. Begin by prepping the skin with Face Primer. This ensures that your make-up will last and look flawless for a long time. Stipple layers of Cream Foundation in YG1 (or a shade that matches your skin tone) with the #940 Foundation Brush all over. Then, to set the foundation, apply Loose Powder in Buttercream with the #510 Duster Brush.

Eyes: Since the lips are the focal point of this particular look, balance out the eyes with classic black winged out eyeliner and soft neutral eye colors. To do this, apply Bone Eye Color as the base all over the lid with the #800 Crease Brush. Contour ever so softly with Sienna Eye Color in the crease using the #810 Smudger Brush and apply Honeysuckle Eye Color to the brow bone. As a drop shadow add a small amount of Espresso Eye Color along the lower lashline with the #210 Angle Liner Brush. You can also use this combination to lightly fill in the brows. Next, apply Black Cake Eyeliner with the #100 Round Liner Brush to execute clean sharp definition along the upper lashline, winging it out slightly at the outer corner. To complete these gorgeous eyes, drench top and bottom lashes in Volumizing Mascara.

Cheeks: For just a hint of color on the cheeks, use Rose Petal Cheek Color and the #710 Powder Blush Brush and apply to the apples of the cheeks while smiling.

Lips: Line lips with Red Lip Pencil and fill in with Lady Bug Lipstick.

This look is classic and will look absolutely stunning on anyone who wants to try to pull off something sophisticated yet sexy!