How To Give Your Skin Red-Carpet Radiance, According To Carey Mulligan’s Makeup Artist
As clients Carey Mulligan, Greta Lee, Zoë Kravitz, Camila Morrone and Laura Harrier repeatedly make clear, Hollywood makeup pro NINA PARK crafts a fresh-yet-flawless complexion like no other. Here, Park tells MALENA HARBERS how spending time on the details, strategic layering and the right product placement are key for achieving an ultra-polished skin finish
Focus on a healthy canvas
“I really take my time to do skin prep,” says Park. “Lately, I’ve been using the NuFace Mini or Ziip device, taking at least six to eight minutes gliding it up the contours of the face for a quick sculpting lift to define the jawline and cheekbones. If I’m working with a client who may need some ‘depuffing’ on the face, I’ll gently glide ice cubes around the eye bone and down to the jawline. Afterwards, I apply Chanel’s Le Lift eye patches and place a sheet mask – such as 111Skin Sub-Zero Depuffing Energy Facial Mask or Bioeffect Imprinting Hydrogel Mask – over the top and leave this on for five minutes. At this point, the skin will be glowing and hydrated, and I love to lock it all in with a moisturizer that melts into the skin. It takes a lot of time and effort to create a fresh-yet-flawless complexion, but by doing these steps, I’ve found that I don’t need to use as much product when it comes to base or concealer because the skin becomes the statement.”
Highlight and mattify before applying foundation
When and where you apply certain products is the key to keeping skin looking natural and avoiding product overload. “After skincare but before applying base, I like to prime areas of the face with different solution products,” says Park. “For example, I use an anti-shine blurring primer for the T-zone. Applying this under the base softens shine, and I don’t need to use as much powder afterwards. I also smooth a liquid highlighting fluid along the cheekbones and high points of the face – something very watery and thin in texture, so it won’t sit on the skin. My favorites are Westman Atelier’s Liquid Super Loaded and Chanel’s Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid.”
Mix and match formulas for good glow
“Most of the time I apply a light liquid foundation on the face down to the chest to even out the skin overall. Then I go in with a cream concealer, as this grips onto the skin well, but only on areas that need more coverage. Skin that catches light in certain areas but is softly matte in others is how I create skin that glows. Plus, the texture of the product being used and the placement on the skin is what creates a truly modern complexion.”
Sculpt believable contours with the right textures
“To make contour or highlights look real, use more than one type of product,” says Park. “When I apply contour, I use a liquid or gel texture from the ear to the jaw to add subtle shading. Then, I go over with a stick contour, such as Westman Atelier’s Face Trace, but I use a skinny, flat brush to apply it instead of smoothing it directly onto the face. This way, you have more control and can really concentrate on shaping out the cheekbone. The final step is to use a powder contour with a tapered-detail cheek brush, to softly set the contour, while adding another layer of depth. For a believable luminosity, I love a clear balmy highlight, like Chanel Baume Essentiel in Transparent.”
Add a healthy flush
The one eyeliner hack that works for everyone
Eye makeup is essential when it comes to highlighting your polished complexion. “I love ‘tightlining’ the eyes,” says Park. “It works with all skin tones and eye shapes, so is a universal hack. Sometimes, the winged-liner look is too strong, or feels dated, if you’re going for a no-makeup effect. I often like to cheat and create a ‘lifted’ eye by applying individual lashes to the outer corners only. This feels modern and effortless and doesn’t take away from the whole look.”
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