Let’s be real. Not everyone can pull off Miley Cyrus’ colored eyeliner every day, much more prefer it. Unless you’re hosting some event like the MTV Video Music Awards every day, some looks are just right for specific occasions. The good thing about this season’s awards aside from Miley ‘s new album and our picks for awards show fashion is that most of the looks from the red (okay, it was blue) carpet were quite wearable for us non-award show-attending folk.
Here are five of our favorite beauty looks from the VMAs—plus some products to help you get it done.
FKA twigs
Septum ring and gut-revealing dress aside, the so-called visual auteur went for a classic face. She pulled off a dark liner-red lip combo that reminded us that it pays to stick to the basics. If you want to sport the same look, start with an intense black line that covers the base of your lashes and work your way up to the thickness you desire, just make sure that your line is not higher than the tips of your curled lashes.
The Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner (P1,200) delivers a crease-less, highly-pigmented line in one stroke. With its gel formulation, you can take your time in building the line you want, especially if you would rather stay away from liquid formulations. For the lips, choose a red lipstick with a satin finish (matte would look a bit dead and glossy would make this look dated) like the Revlon Colorstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Wardrobe (P525).
Smashbox. Available at all Beauty Bar stores. For more information, visit their website.
Revlon. Available at selected Watson’s branches, PCX, Greenbelt 3, and SM Makati. For more information, visit their website.
Gigi Hadid
Lots of skin was bared this year, but it was Gigi’s barely-there, bronzed makeup that made us look twice. The key here is having great foundation that looks like second skin and a bronzer that’s neither shimmery nor glittery, but gives off a natural glow. To do this, get the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick for its lightweight but medium to full coverage (P2,024) and a liquid bronzer like the Benefit Sun Beam (P1,600).
Bobbi Brown. Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source, Glorietta 4. For more information, visit their website.
Benefit. Available at Greenbelt 5 and Rustan’s The Beauty Source, Glorietta 4. For more information, visit their website.
Rita Ora
Rita seems to be entering a really toned-down phase in her career. No need to compete with the newcomers when you’ve got things on lock. Her smokey cat-eye still gives off the edgy Rita we first encountered, but as she paired it with creamy nude lips, she’s telling us that there is no need to go over-the-top.
Recreate the look with NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Circe (P286), which I can personally attest to being so creamy that I had to put it in the fridge on hot days so it wouldn’t melt. For the eyes, smoke out your trusted dark eye shadows with the elf Blending Brush (P149) that is fluffy enough to spread the color but also small enough to get into the creases of your lids and get the color in the right places.
NYX. Available at SM Makati, SM Megamall and SM North EDSA. For more information, visit their website.
elf. Available at selected Watson’s branches. For more information, visit their website.
Selena Gomez
The former teen star is slowly becoming a real diva without being overdramatic. She found the right balance between girl-next-door and mature pop star. Selena did this by keeping natural-looking brows and by choosing a lipstick with a bit of a metallic sheen. Achieve the same hybrid look for a date night with L’Oreal Brow Artist Designer Pro (P500) which is an eyebrow pencil with a spooli that can help with lightly filling the gaps in your brows.
For the lips, I personally recommend the Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Copper Charm (P399) which, as the name suggests, is a copper lippie with a semi-metallic finish that adds good dimension on your lips.
L’Oreal. Available at selected Watson’s branches. For more information, visit their website.
Maybelline. Available at selected Watson’s branches. For more information, visit their website.
Nicki Minaj
Nicki is definitely becoming the hip-hop royalty she set out to be after all the crazy gimmicks and styles she once was all about. She contrasted her very revealing outfit with a simple look composed of a sky high cat eye and contoured cheeks. For a precise line, the nib of the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (P1,200) is stiff enough to help you take your line upwards, and promises to stay long without smudging. For a matching sharp contour, reach for the MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder (P1,800) to achieve high cheekbones that will help bring out the color in your cheeks (or blush).
Stila. Available at all Beauty Bar branches. For more information, visit their website.
MAC. Available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source, Glorietta 4, SM Makati, and SM Aura. For more information, visit their website.