Elisabeth Moss
Courtesy of Daniel Martin
When the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards air this year on Sept. 20, the virtual production will be a new experience for all involved, from the stars to the celebrity makeup artists, groomers and hair stylists who prepare them for the ceremony.
The dress code is “come as you are but make an effort,” as noted in a letter reportedly sent to the nominees and signed by show organizers and host Jimmy Kimmel. “If you want to be in formalwear, we’d love that, but equally if you’re in the U.K. and it’s 3 a.m., perhaps you want to be in designer pajamas and record from your bed,” it went on.
Glam, too, will most likely be more minimal. Whether nominees opt for custom gowns or cozy PJs, bold makeup or a more bare-faced esthetic, one element is clear: The show will be unprecedented.
Until then, here are the beauty looks from the marquee award, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, from the last four years, with commentary from the makeup artists and hairstylists who created them.
Last year’s winner was Jodie Comer, who is nominated again this year for “Killing Eve,” along with costar Sandra Oh; Jennifer Aniston for “The Morning Show”; Olivia Colman for “The Crown”; Laura Linney for “Ozark,” and Zendaya for “Euphoria.” In 2018, Claire Foy snagged the trophy for “Queen Elizabeth II.” Previously, it was Elisabeth Moss for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and, a year earlier, Tatiana Maslany for “Orphan Black.”
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Jodie Comer
Jodie Comer Courtesy of Mark Townsend
Hair: “I really loved the Tom Ford gown Jodie had chosen, and I wanted to show off those fabulous cutouts, so we decided a half-up hairstyle would be perfect,” said hairstylist Mark Townsend. “I was so inspired by photos of Catherine Deneuve from the late Sixties and early Seventies and wanted that kind of volume in Jodie’s hair, plus lots of shine.”
Comer’s damp hair was sprayed with Dove’s Style + Care Volume & Fullness Mousse, then “blow-dried with a round brush for volume, and her hair was set in hot rollers while her makeup was being done.” For volume, Townsend used the brand’s Volume and Fullness Dry Shampoo on her roots and back combed 2-inch sections for lift, then “gathered the hair front, the sides and top and secured those sections just below the crown with dozens of hairpins.” He finished off with Dove’s Compressed Micro Mist Extra Hold Hairspray “all over and very liberally to keep the hair soft, shiny and in place all night.”
Townsend continued: “Every day with Jodie is a dream. We had a lot of laughs while getting ready. When Jodie won it was such an amazing, proud moment. As hairstylists, so much of our work and so many of the details in the styles we create for red carpet events are relegated to the back of the head so we don’t always get to see that on the televised broadcast. But when your client wins, and they walk up those stairs to the podium, every camera is filming their backs so we get that half a minute of seeing our work and sometimes even in close up, and that is a really great moment.”
Jodie Comer Courtesy of Mark Townsend
Face: “I remember such amazing energy in the room,” said Chanel makeup artist Nina Park. “I have been a huge fan of Jodie’s, and the first time we worked together was that Emmys. When she won, I remember feeling so ecstatic and incredibly happy for her. She was just glowing. She radiated through the screen.”
Using all Chanel, Park used Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation on the T-zone, then bronzer along the hairline, jawline and cheekbones. Blush in “alazane” was put on the cheeks, then powder in “20 clair-translucent 1” to the entire face and highlighting powder in “white opal” was applied on the brown bone, bridge of the nose and inner corners of the eyes. Brows were kept natural using stylo sourcils in “blond doré,” while eyes were done with “taupe” (from the glow natural eye shadow palette in medium) on the brow bone and along the lash line, then blended with “rose beige” on the center of the lids using fingers. An eclectic brown eyeliner (chanel stylo ombre et contour) topped the lash line and was blended with “platinum bronze” (lumières naturelles). Lastly, mascara was applied, and lips were lined with rouge crayon de couleur mat in “hazelnut,” then lightly tapped with rouge allure ink fusion in “beige naturel.”
Claire Foy
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