Red carpets are bittersweet. From award shows to premieres, you can expect to see each and every celebrity is dressed to the nines in gorgeous, flowing designer gowns we may not all have the budget for. While you might not have the funds to rock a Marchesa gown every day of the week, star-worthy makeup is completely attainable. We had the pleasure of chatting with Jami Svay, the talented celebrity makeup artist and creator of Tastee Cosmetics. Svay’s star-studded clientele includes Meghan Trainor, Brooklyn Decker, Angie Harmon and Michael Jordan—just to name a few. She’s also brought beautiful visions to life on the runway with brands like Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Billy Reid, CALLE and Rodarte, among others.
Svay gave us her red carpet report card for the year, beauty tricks and way to score an Academy-approved look.
What are the biggest beauty trends you’re seeing this award show season? Flawless skin is a must during award season. Red lips are NOT going anywhere. Mascara paired with falsies for full on major glam.
How can we achieve the look at home? Great makeup starts with good skincare, for maximum results exfoliate to reveal fresh skin Try: Kate Sommerville ExfoliKATE.
Red lips are classic my favorite is Le Metier de Beaute in Signature Red. This shade works well with most skin tones. Try lining them after you apply your lipstick for a long-lasting pout.
If you had to deem a winner of the Oscars for best makeup, who would it be? I really loved Olivia Munn… bronzed beautiful skin, and an orange lip (instead of red) fresh and chic!
What’s the trick to getting high-coverage for red carpet events? A great primer really gives your foundation longevity and gets the most out of it. From filling in lines and wrinkles to adding a luminous glow. Try: Laura Geller primer in Champagne Spackle.
What’s in your makeup bag that you’d recommend for readers? Lip gloss…I feel incomplete without it. It’s the icing on the cake for me. Try: NARS in Belize. (It’s my favorite.)
What’s the one beauty rule you live by? Sleep…good beauty starts from within.
You have a pretty impressive portfolio. What’s been your favorite celebrity makeup session and why? Well, she’s not a “celebrity” but she was a really big fashion model in the 70s’. She’s walked the runway with Jerry Hall and Lauren Hutton. I LOVE hearing her stories. Nights at Studio 54, who designers thought were trash. I love nostalgia! Every time I do her makeup for an event we talk for hours. It’s like I step through a portal in time.
You’ve been doing makeup for more than 15 years. What’s been you favorite #girlboss moment? I got to be the lead makeup artist for an Oscar de la Renta fashion show. He was so gracious and I loved being apart of his team. I learned that to be a boss you don’t have to be a b***h. Be kind to people and they’ll want to move mountains for you.
What inspired you to start your own cosmetics line? I saw a need at the time. We didn’t have a lot of organic choices for lip balm that taste good. I really enjoyed kissing my husband (still do) and I wanted to be sweet. Thus Tastee Cosmetics was born! It premiered on QVC in 2009.
Jillian Goltzman is a personal development and lifestyle writer with a passion for inspiring positive change in the lives of others. As the founder of Cup of Charisma, a socially conscious lifestyle blog, Jillian focuses on fusing fashion, philanthropy, and life advice to empower female millennials through her writing.
Jillian is a multi-passionate creative who balances life as a social media manager by day and journalist by night, reporting for outlets like Miami Herald, Miami.com and LAPALME magazine. She has been featured by Racked.com, Talk is Chic Radio, and other notable sites. As a blogger, she's forged partnerships with popular and trusted brands like Clinique, Toyota, Office Max, Gap and Vera Bradley. When she isn’t dissecting the dilemmas of a 20-something or writing about the latest trend, she spends her time drinking copious amounts of coffee with her nose in a book and her corgi by her side.
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