Nick Barose’s client roster is a who’s-who of gorgeous It Girls — Lupita Nyong’o, Tessa Thompson, Zoë Kravitz, Brie Larson — but we especially love when he collaborates with Gugu Mbatha-Raw. And we really love it when he gives us a glimpse at their behind-the-scenes glam time, as he did for Friday’s NAACP Awards.
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The star’s slinky marigold Narciso Rodriguez gown brought out “her golden complexion,” so Barose “kept the makeup fresh and springy, glamorous but laid back. Like spring came early!,” he tells PeopleStyle. “I kept skin fresh, slightly sunkissed and with coral stained on cheeks and lips, with a golden wash on the eyes and a simple eyeliner.”
Courtesy Nick Barose
Barose shared some photos from the day, including “our pretty set up with yellow daffodils to keep with the yellow dress theme!” he says. Key to her look was making sure her complexion shone on its own. “I just always make sure whatever look it stays fresh and the gorgeous golden skin is showing through, even when we go for dramatic look,” he says of their beauty objective.
He gave a glimpse of the Chanel products he used to create her gorgeous glow including the brand’s Hydra Beauty Gel Crème, Perfection Lumière Flawless Fluid Sunscreen Makeup in 60 Beige, Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour in No. 40, Sunkiss Ribbon Blush and Soleil Tan de Chanel to illuminate her cheekbones and collarbones.
Courtesy Nick Barose
The two have been collaborating since 2013, when “I started working with her for press with her movie Belle few years ago and continued working with her for other red carpet events, including the Met Gala, premieres and magazine covers,” Barose tells PeopleStyle. That means he knows he’s in store for a delicious cuppa whenever they team up for events: “Gugu is always so sweet to always offer us tea throughout the getting ready process,” he says. “She’s British so she makes really good, yummy tea!”
That means he also is accustomed to working with her stylist, Christina Ehrlich, to get Gugu red-carpet gorgeous. “We looked at the dress and accessories with Cristina,” he says. “For this look we were all on the same page to keep the makeup look fresh, with a pop of coral stain but making sure the makeup is not overly bright, so it’s not competing with the yellow in the dress or the blue turquoise details in the [Irene Neuwirth] accessories.”
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Courtesy Nick Barose
The pops of coral were key to accentuating her “gorgeous features,” and Barose says his technique is so simple that any girl could recreate it at home: “It’s such an easy way to add color to the face,” he explains. “I layered the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick in No. 22 by blending it on the apples of cheek, then dusted the coral tone powder blush with a slight shimmer on it on top. This helps make the cheek long wearing.”
Her “sheer kiss of color and shine” on her lips came courtesy of the brand’s Rouge Coco Stylo Complete Care Lipshine in Article, “applied the color directly from tube to the lip and then sketched the soft nude tone lip pencil along the edges to define the shape but keep it soft,” he says. “The beauty of this look is that there are no harsh, perfect lines, so it’s easy to recreate!”
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Courtesy Nick Barrose
The star got a check near natural light to make sure she was all set (“if it looks good in daylight, it will look good in any light,” Barose explains). And with that, Mbatha-Raw (who was nominated Friday night for her role in Concussion, and who will be seen up next in Free State of Jones opposite Matthew McConaughey) was ready for a last look before heading on her way.
What do you think of her look? Will you try it at home?
–Alex Apatoff
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