I'm Swooning—Kaia Gerber's Latest Beauty Look Is Giving Gothic Audrey Hepburn
This year's Academy Museum Gala was overflowing with makeup inspiration, so it's only fair we share the beauty look we haven't gotten over since it first glided onto the red carpet on actress and model Kaia Gerber. For a while, we wondered what it was about Gerber's effortlessly elegant look that felt so familiar, and then it hit us—the F/W 97 Givenchy dress recalled Audrey Hepburn's iconic appearance as Natasha in King Vidor's film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, penned in 1869.
However, there was also something dark and alluring about the makeup look—what Gerber herself referred to as "gothic Hollywood glam" via Instagram. The celebrity makeup artist behind the creation, Nina Park, used products by Addiction Tokyo to bring the beauty vision to life. “For Kaia Gerber at the Academy Gala, I wanted the makeup to elegantly modernize her Regency-inspired Givenchy dress. I focused on a glowing palette with blush hues to enhance her features, highlighting her natural radiance and bringing her inner light to the forefront," she explained.
Keep reading for a breakdown of the modern take on Regency makeup (with a touch of classic Hollywood) worn by Gerber at the start-studded event.
First, Park prepped Gerber's skin using Addiction Tokyo's Makeup Fix Micro Mist for a fresh, hydrated base. The spray's ultrafine, water-resistant formula minimizes transferring and fading while also repelling moisture, sweat, oil, and airborne particles of dust and dirt. Shake the mist first to disperse the bi-phase formula, and then mist seven to eight times about eight inches from the face before letting it dry.
To set the skin while keeping Gerber's complexion looking soft and natural, Park opted for the brand's translucent powder. It melts into the skin for a silky-smooth finish, enhancing the complexion. To use, simply roll the included powder puff over the mesh liner lid to pick up the product, and then press the puff onto the skin.
For the luminous highlight that gives Gerber's makeup an ethereal glow, Park used Addiction Tokyo's Glow Stick in the shade Above the Moon (a pink-beige color that adds natural-looking shimmer to the skin). The glide-on stick formula comes in two textures that can be applied directly to skin wherever you'd like some extra glow. Park applied the product on the high points of Gerber's face.
For extended wear time and an added flush of color to the cheeks, Park used the Cheek Tint in a gorgeous terra-cotta shade, On Vacay, for a fresh and healthy glow. What's unique about this formula is that it blends and builds seamlessly while also being extremely long-lasting. To use, tap the cheek tint onto the skin with the doe-foot applicator and blend out with fingers or a brush.
Park followed the Addiction Tokyo Cheek Tint with the brand's matte-finish blush in Rose Latte, a neutral rose shade, which blended seamlessly to create the natural, radiant finish we're obsessed with. Because the velvety-smooth product adds dimension to the face, it looks just like Gerber reached up and pinched her cheeks! To re-create, swirl a blush brush into the compact, tap off excess, and apply to the cheeks.
To pull off a flawless eyelash look, preparation is key. That's why Park used The Mascara Primer Curl Fixer to help hold the curl while adding volume. It's a sheer lash primer with an ultrafine brush that coats every lash from root to tip, delivering 24 hours of waterproof hold. For flawless application, start by using the brush to apply the product to the root of the lashes and wiggle upward.
Next up—mascara time. To create Gerber's feather-like lashes, Park used The Mascara Color Nuance WP in Black River (described the brand as "a dramatic jet black with an intense shine"). The mascara separates the lashes, coating them with vibrant colors and a translucent finish. The formula is lightweight, buildable, and waterproof. For the same look, curl your eyelashes first for extra lift and then wiggle the formula-covered brush from root to tip.
Park used the Addiction Tokyo Eyeshadow Palette in Vintage Tutu, a pink-brown palette inspired by a dancer's tutu. First, Park blended a warm taupe shade into the crease to create depth and then placed some light-catching shimmer on the lid. We're obsessed with the finished look.
Gerber's brows are legendary, and they were made even more so when Park used Addiction Tokyo's Eyebrow Pencil in Cinnamon on them to create hairlike strokes and frame the face. The refillable twist-up pencil has an ultrafine applicator tip to define all brow types. Plus, it has a smudge-free formula for all-day wear.
Fact: Everyone needs a good eyebrow mascara in their makeup collection. Park used Addiction Tokyo's Eyebrow Mascara Micro Shape Fixer to help set Gerber's brows into place. It has a microfine brush that captures and coats each hair, offering a firm-yet-flexible hold and glossy finish with up to 24 hours of wear. Just sweep this onto the brows from root to tip and groom into place.
For the lips, Park's goal was to achieve a fresh, effortless look. To start, she applied The Lip Balm Soft Matte in New Romantics, a classic cream pink shade, because of its soft color. The product has a natural, blotted finish with a lightweight formula that leaves lips moisturized and tinted with buildable pigment. To get the same lip look, apply the product to the lips directly from the tube, adding more swipes to build up pigment.
As the final touch, Park layered Addiction Tokyo's Lip Serum in Rosy Pink on top of The Lip Balm Matte for added shine. This has a long-lasting formula that moisturizes the lips while plumping and delivering color in just one coat. It's also infused with skincare ingredients to help lock in moisture. Addiction Tokyo recommends lining and filling in the lips with the doe-foot applicator for full coverage and then tapping the product on with a finger tip or fluff brush for a sheer wash of color.
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