For years now, Cardi B had relied on makeup artist Erika La’ Pearl to keep her looking glam. Last night, for the 2021 Grammy Awards, that was no different. ESSENCE got to chat with La’ Pearl following music’s biggest night, and she spilled all the details of how she glammed up Cardi for her knockout performance.
“My inspiration comes from today’s woman,” La’ Pearl tells ESSENCE.  “A woman can be sexy, powerful, confident and  just being herself. Along with her makeup, Cardi B’s outfit and hairstyle showed she was ready to conquer the Grammys.”
To translate that power and confidence, La Pearl created a pink-hued smokey eye to compliment her blush hair, and finished the look with a bronzed lip to pull from the metal finish of the outfit.
Using all Pat McGrath Labs products, La’ Pearl credits the Sublime Perfection Foundation for Cardi’s smooth and even complexion. Then for the eyes, the Mothership V: Bronze Seduction and Mothership VIII: Divine Rose II Palette came into play, with La Pearl using a mixture of mattes and shimmers and finishing the look with McGrath’s Precision Liquid Liner and Dark Star Mascara. She says that the combination of products made for an ultra-HD look that was perfect for a mostly virtual awards show. “Time, preparation and strategy helps a lot, along with good communication within the glam team for making a look really work,” she says.
For hair, Cardi’s go-to stylist Tokyo Stylez laid a cropped, blush-colored wig with a heavy bang, that was styled using an array of Joico products, and sealed with the Dyson Supersonic Blow Dryer.
The star looked absolutely fabulous, per usual, and her go-to glam squad has done it once again.