Rihanna’s makeup last night at the 2013 Grammy Awards was flawless. She was by far my favorite on the red carpet, and her makeup look flowed perfectly with her red dress and wavy ombre hair. This look is actually quite easy to achieve, but it’s quite bold, so it’s not for the lighthearted. What I love most about this look is that the lips are the center of attention with an eye-catching, sophisticated matte red lipstick. You can always tone down the lips by wiping the red off and applying a nude lipstick instead and you’ve instantly got yourself an entirely different look. I really like the combination of dramatic eyes and dramatic lips, though, because it breaks the makeup “rules” that you’re only supposed to highlight one at a time. To see how I achieve this look,

 

The Muse:

 

 

 

Rihanna’s face glowed at the Grammy Awards, and yet you’ll notice very little to no shimmer on her actual face. That, my friends, is the power of great eye makeup and the perfect red lipstick.

 

 

The Makeup Guide:

 

 

I am using the Urban Decay Naked Palette for this look. I only used colors on the left side of the palette.

Apply “Buck” into the crease of your eye, extending it up outside of your socket and into your brow-bone. Also, apply this quite far in toward your nose. Apply this shade along your lower lash-line lightly.
Apply “Sidecar” over your entire eyelid. I applied this shade wet for extra saturated shimmer and color.
Apply “Sin” to the inner corners of your eyes, bringing it quite far up into the socket of your eye. You can see that Rihanna has shimmer all along the inner corners of her eyes extending up toward the brow-bone. The trick is to really highlight this area so the light catches it.
Apply “Virgin” to your brow-bone for a subtle, matte highlight.
Apply a black eyeliner to your lower water-line and smudge it out with a brush to create a smokey effect.
Apply a black gel or liquid liner to your upper lash-line and create a cat-eye flick.
Curl your lashes and apply mascara. Add false eyelashes! This is a must for the look to be complete. Rihanna’s eyes are sweet but dramatic, and the lashes are miles long for a flirty effect.

 

 

For the bright, matte lips I used Milani Cosmetics Ruby Valentine Lipstick, and I blotted it with a tissue several times. I also applied translucent powder over top of it for extra staying power and a super matte look. I also lined my lips using Milani’s “02 – True Red” Lipliner, making sure to intentionally go slightly outside of my natural lip line. This is an age-old trick that even Marilyn Monroe used to make her lips look larger.

 

 

For the face, I kept things very neutral. I used MAC’s “Sunbasque” Blush, which is essentially a bronze-brown shade. The focus of this look is in the eyes and lips.

 

 

The Finished Look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The colors and products I used for this tutorial are very pigmented and universally flattering whether you have extremely light skin or very dark skin. I tried to intentionally use shades that I knew everyone could use and pull off, and that will stay true to color regardless of your complexion. This look is definitely dramatic, and it would be perfect for an event or special night out.

 

You can always be like me and try the look out in the privacy of your own home, and feel as sexy as Rihanna by yourself too!

 

 

 

Who wore your favorite makeup look at the 2013 Grammy Awards last night?

 

 

 

 

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