Lupita Nyong’o turned heads at the Toronto Film Festival, embracing summer vibes with a stunning futuristic mermaid-inspired makeup look. Her makeup artist, Nick Barose, gave us the inside scoop on how they achieved the mesmerizing effect.
On September 8, Nyong’o graced the red carpet for the premiere of her animated film The Wild Robot, in which she voices the titular character. Matching her seafoam green dress, Nyong’o’s makeup was an ode to the ocean, featuring metallic tones that evoked a futuristic under-the-sea aesthetic.
“I wanted the makeup to be futuristic,” Barose explained, opting for “sheer, opalescent” hues on the eyes, including shades of metallic green, silver, and blue. The eyes were the focal point, with Barose balancing the bold eye look with glowing skin and subtle berry lips.
Barose began by prepping Nyong’o’s skin with Beau Domaine’s The Fluid Cream and G.M. Collin’s Diamond Eye Contour for a radiant base. He applied foundation and concealer before adding a shimmery raspberry blush to her cheeks. A bronzy glow was achieved with La Bomme Beauty Flare Liquid Light Highlighter in Limelight.
The pastel eye look was a fresh twist on soft hues without veering into overly sweet territory. Barose applied mint green eyeshadow to Nyong’o’s lids and inner corners, followed by a blue shadow on the outer lids. He blended in a metallic silver shade and finished with a baby winged eyeliner using Le Rouge Français Natural Eyeliner in 510 Le Noir Céphée. For a final bold pop, he added cobalt blue mascara (Le Rouge Français Mascara in Le Bleu Bérénice #420) to blend the shades seamlessly.
Barose kept the lips understated yet chic, applying La Bomme Beauty Madame Matte Liquid Lipstick in Dark Angel for a stained effect, topped with Le Rouge Française Pasiphaé Lip Oil for a touch of gloss. “Pastels can be wearable and sophisticated when you’re focusing it in small doses,” Barose noted, explaining why he contrasted the pastel eyes with berry-toned lips to avoid an overly saccharine look.
Complementing the makeup, hairstylist Vernon François created a twisted updo for the 41-year-old actress, giving off a modern prom queen vibe. Nyong’o completed her vibrant look with a mint green Del Core dress and sparkling DeBeers jewels.