Kendall Jenner Wore 14 Drugstore Makeup Products to the Oscars After-Party
Welcome to Drugstore Heroes, a monthly series in which we spotlight the often-overlooked and under-hyped drugstore beauty products that industry experts count on. From editors to content creators and even celebs, we’re asking tastemakers to share their top recommendations for affordable, yet effective products. Get ready to see the best of drugstore beauty, period.
ICYMI, the 98th annual Academy Awards happened last week. And while everyone waited with bated breath to see the red-carpet fashion and beauty looks (they were divine) and hear the winners announced in each category (they were history-making), we knew better than to hop offline once the ceremony was over. Because of the after-party, of course.
This year, celebs flocked to the Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party. While there were many jaw-dropping and eye-catching celeb looks to discuss, one stood out in my memory above all others—Kendall Jenner's. She wore a stunning baby-blue Chanel dress, but I was most taken aback by her makeup, which was fresh, smooth, and sun-kissed… and entirely created with drugstore products.
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Yep, it's true. Celebrity makeup artist Mary Philips used 17 affordable skin-prep and makeup products to create Jenner's look. She also used her internet-viral under-painting technique. (For the uninitiated, "underpainting" flips traditional makeup application on its head, as contour, concealer, and highlighter are applied before foundation for a natural-looking, airbrushed finish.) It's proof that you don't always have to pay a high price for high performance.
I caught up with Philips to discuss the inspiration behind the look, review the exact products used to create it, and even pick her brain for makeup tips and tricks. "The inspiration behind the look was a subtle nod to the ’60s," she said. "We really wanted to emphasize the eyes while pairing with a defined, mod-inspired pinky nude lip."
The obvious next question was which drugstore products were used. The answer? L'Oréal Paris products. Jenner is a brand ambassador, so I wasn't shocked to learn this. That said, I was intrigued about the exact ones and how Philips applied them. Luckily, she was willing to share all that info and more.
Philips told me that, for this look, skin prep was "everything," as was applying foundation and concealer in light layers. "This gives me total control over where I build coverage and where I let the skin stay fresh and sheer," she says. In fact, this is her #1 tip for achieving red-carpet-worthy makeup at home. "One of the most common mistakes I see is people using too much product. You can actually use far less concealer if you first apply a small amount of color corrector to any discoloration. It’s all about being strategic. When you layer minimally and with intention, the skin looks fresher, more natural, and never cakey."
