Straw’s Teyana Taylor performed at the 25th annual BET Awards last night in a classic beauty look with no references—except, herself. “It’s signature Teyana—bold but soft,” celebrity makeup artist Yeika Glow tells ESSENCE. “We kept it glam and red carpet-ready, with little pops of color to elevate her features.”
Glow says the look delivered a necessary punch. First, she prepped her skin with a radiant pink primer before applying foundation for a smooth base. Not all Black women are warm-toned, contrary to many brand formulas, which is why Glow reached for the new Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in neutral-cool shades NC38 and C4.5. “We were able to focus as artists on telling a story through her look, rather than focusing our time mixing four shades of foundation because not all brands cater to brown skin,” she says.
Then, she warmed her base with the Extra Dimension Skinfinish in the soft, peachy nude shade “Glow With It” before layering two shades of Strobe Beam Liquid Blush: one cool-toned pink shade flushed onto her cheekbones, and a rose gold shimmer applied to the apple to add contrast. For Taylor’s eyes? 12 different nude shades. “[I used] bits of each shade from the palette,” she says, stacking her lashes with mascara to define the shadow.
For the final step, Glow tapped the iconic MAC Lip Pencils in “Cork” to line her lips before topping off with gloss. Paired with a pixie cut and ringed manicure, “red carpet glam is fast, it’s fun, and it’s where I can do my best work,” Glow says. “[Teyana’s] a real artist. She trusts me and we build the look together.”
