How Lily Collins' Makeup Artist Creates Her Timeless Beauty Look
Though Lily Collins' playful style in Emily in Paris has been dominating conversation in fashion spheres, the actress' makeup deserves a closer look. From her everyday bold brows and natural glow to bolder red carpet looks, the Mank star has a beauty regimen that we're itching to replicate. Thankfully, her longtime makeup artist, Fiona Styles, has the answers.
A celebrity and editorial makeup artist who works closely with the likes of Gabrielle Union, Natalia Dyer, and Katherine Langford, Stiles has an expansive skillset and vision that makes for a perfect match with Collins' versatile features. The makeup artist is responsible for some of the starlet's most daring looks, but also her timeless Old Hollywood-inspired red lips.
Here, L'OFFICIEL chats with Stiles about emulating Collins' classic approach to beauty and some of her personal favorite looks.
L'OFFICIEL: Lily’s brows are one of her most defining features—how do you enhance them?
FIONA STILES: Well, I’d love to take credit for Lily’s brows but that’s all her. They’re just really, really good brows! I actually do very little, and sometimes nothing at all. I do always brush them through with a spoolie and I’ll often set them with a brow pomade or gel. Occasionally I’ll [fill in] a little here or there, but as I said, she just has naturally amazing brows.
L'O: For those of us who aren’t so lucky, how can we fake it?
FS: I think less is more. I definitely prefer a light handed approach to filling in brows versus using a heavy, opaque product. There should always be a little “light and air” in a brow, spaces where you see skin through the hair otherwise it looks too blocked up and heavy. I love a skinny tipped wind-up brow pencil for filling in here and there. Use a color that’s the same tone as your hair so that the shades match seamlessly and draw feathery strokes where needed. A brow gel or pomade can often make your brows look fuller when you brush them up, adding a little extra volume. Lancôme Brow Define Pencil in Dark Brown and the Lancôme Sourcils Styler in Transparent are my go-to’s.
L'O: What are the other essential steps for Lily’s classic makeup look?
FS: I always prep her skin with a lightweight moisturizer and lip balm. Then I do a light application of foundation, concealer, and powder. I often like to use just one shadow on the eye, so I’ll do a light wash of the shadow on the lid and one or two coats of mascara for a more natural look. I love a dusty rose color on the lips and lots of times I’ll use a lip liner in lieu of a lipstick. Lancôme makes my favorite rosy shades so I usually reach for one of those.
L'O: Lily has also had a number of bold beauty moments, too—are there specific features you particularly like to accentuate and how do you play around with this?
FS: Her features are so delicate and so many different types of looks work on her, so the combinations are endless. She can carry a strong eye and strong lip simultaneously or a bold graphic look and she also can pull off an entirely bare face. There aren’t a lot of people walk that line.
L'O: As you’ve been working with Lily for several years now, how have you seen her approach to beauty evolve?
FS: Lily is so open to experimentation. She’s always game to try something new and let me flex my creative muscles. It’s a wonderful relationship.
L'O: Do you have a favorite look you’ve done on her?
FS: I think the look we did for the 2018 “Heavenly Bodies” Met Gala was my favorite look we’ve ever done. Usually I make her skin look velvety and matte but for that event I made her skin very luminous. As far as the makeup was concerned, it was a relatively uncomplicated look, just eyeshadow, mascara and lipgloss, but the treatment of her skin and the addition of the smokey grey rhinestones and the red mylar tear made it otherworldly.
