The Academy Awards on Sunday had many memorable moments, one of which included Ciara’s showstopping glow at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party. Ciara’s gorgeous ensemble, which included a shimmering Ralph Russo gown and gorgeous deconstructed updo by Cesar De Leon Ramirez, was completed with the help of EM Cosmetics and celebrity makeup artist Yolonda Frederick.

Yolonda takes us behind the scenes as she glammed the mom-to-be. Ready to recreate Ciara’s smoldering look? Read on as Yolonda breaks down the full look with plenty of pro-tips along the way! 

Get the Look in 1, 2 Step(s)

with Yolonda Frederick

BROWS

“Ciara’s look for Oscars Weekend Vanity Fair Party 2020 was jaw-dropping across the board. I amped up Ciara’s flawless natural glam look by bringing more drama to the eyes! With that in mind, I sculpted and filled in her brows creating the perfect frame. To start I groomed and defined Ciara’s brows using Micro-Fluff Sculpting Brow Cream in Soft Ebony then fine-tuned them to perfection using Fine Liner Brow Pencil in Ebony. This combo guarantees they stay in place throughout the evening.”

EYES

“I used the Divine Skies Eyeshadow Palette as a base to creating a smoldering eye pattern. Using a brush, I smoothed the shade Terra into the crease then layered Magic Hour on the lid and inner corners of the eye. I finished the look with a flirty medium-bodied wispy lash for depth.”

PRO-TIP “When applying lashes sweep Illustrative Eyeliner in Black Brush Tip across the eyelash band to camouflage the edge.” 

FACE

“I didn’t want to lose focus on Ciara’s flawless skin, so I used a velvety smooth foundation for a seamless finish. I applied the foundation all over her face then highlighted the t-zone with a golden yellow-toned concealer to illuminate the face. Next, I used a mahogany foundation stick to contour the perimeter of the face creating dimension. 

In order to not disturb the foundation, I pressed a sheer peach-toned setting powder into the t-zone. Then lightly dusted a cinnamon brown bronzer around the perimeter to blend and set the foundation.”

CHEEKS

“For a natural flush with a skin-like finish, I stippled EM Cosmetic’s Color Drop Serum Blush in Soft Amethyst onto the cheeks. I followed with a golden highlighter to the top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and the chin to intensify the glow.”

LIPS

“The right lip color choice will set a look on fire! For the perfect pout, I contoured the lip with a chestnut brown pencil using soft feathery strokes followed by a generous layer of EM’s silky-smooth matte Infinite Lip Cloud in Morning Mocha. Finally, I gave this beautiful lip a dose of True Gloss in Secret Blush to amplify Ciara’s stunning Vanity Fair red-carpet look!”

PRO-TIP “I always layer lip colors starting with a deeper neutral liner to frame and contour followed by a matte liquid lipstick then finish with a final color like True Gloss in Secret Blush to highlight the center. This technique really makes the lips pop!”

Q&A with Yolonda:

What’s your favorite EM product from the ones used for Ciara's look, and what is your favorite way of using it?

Yolonda: “Because brows are the framework that balances the entire look, my hands down favorite product to use is the EM Cosmetics Micro-Fluff Sculpting Brow Cream in Soft Ebony. The wand is so refined that I can sculpt the brows to perfection then follow up with EM’s Fine Liner Brow Pencil in Ebony to fine-tune! I loved the payoff of these 2 products combined and they offer the precision I need to execute the details.”

If you had to name this look, what would you call it?

Yolonda: “I would call it Ciara’s Bronze Goddess Vanity Fair Look!”

For more pro-tips and more gorgeous looks follow @yolondafrederick and @EMCosmetics.