Game of Thrones Star Wears 100% PURE™ to the Emmys

Cersei Lannister wasn’t Queen of the Andals and the First Men for long – but actress Lena Headey will always be a queen in our hearts! Nominated for her fifth Best Supporting Actress award at this year’s Primetime Emmy Awards, the British Game of Thrones actress is easily one of the HBO show’s biggest stars.

We love globally conscious women doing selfless work for the greater good – which made working with Lena an extra special honor! She regularly works in support of social justice and equality for refugees and the LGBTQ community, has done charity work in the fight against dementia, and has partnered with PETA in defense of circus animals. A true beauty inside and out, Lena was (as always) effortlessly gorgeous at last night’s Emmy Awards.

For last night’s big event, we’re thrilled to have partnered with makeup artist Mélanie Inglessis to give the Lannister queen a full fruit pigmented® makeup look! “I have to say, I am quite impressed with the makeup,” Inglessis said of 100% PURE™ after the Emmys prep with Lena. “For such a long time natural, organic makeup was just not delivering and was hard to work with. But the pigment and texture are really lovely.”

With an exclusive backstage breakdown from Lena’s makeup artist, we’ll help you recreate the star’s soft and feminine purple carpet look – keep reading for details!

Lena shone at the 2019 Emmys with a gilded smokey eye (how very Lannister!) and, glossy chocolate updo. The soft, feminine look complemented her gorgeous mint Brock Collection gown which came complete with delicate floral print, ruffled peplum, and train.

"For Lena’s look, we went for an overall creamy, glowy look with soft smoky eyes and a stained lip. The inspiration was the color of the roses on her dress. They had a rust undertone to them and I wanted to create a balanced, creamy warm look to complement it." Although the rose isn’t the sigil of House Lannister – looking at you, Tyrells – we’re obsessed this soft, floral-inspired beauty theme for Lena!

SKIN
To enhance the warmth and glow of Lena’s skin, Inglessis prepped with a simple skin care routine. She used a facial mist and daytime serum to prime skin for a radiant, dewy base. Next, she added a lightweight moisturizer and our caffeinated Bright Eyes Masks to get a bright, awakened complexion. Proper skin prep will keep your skin looking fresh, hydrated, and healthy all day long.

BASE
To keep Lena’s base looking supple and natural, Inglessis started her base with the radiance-boosting Luminous Primer. Next, she opted for a satin, lightly dewy finish with our Water Foundation in shade 3.0. Her secret for perfecting Lena’s signature warmth? Mixing a bit of All Over Glow to the foundation for a light bronzed sheen. Her last step was adding our Long Last Concealer in Peach Bisque to areas needing a bit of extra coverage.

CHEEKS
For the perfect flushed pink cheeks, Inglessis turned to creamy textures and sheer pigments. “I love those colors because there’s a pigment to it, but they’re sheer… perfect for lips, perfect for cheeks,” she gushed on Instagram, swatching each of the colors on the back of her hand.

Inglessis used Pink Grapefruit Lip & Cheek Tint mixed with Pot Rouge in Pinkie, for the perfect flushed glow on Lena’s cheeks. While the star is already known for her amazing bone structure (oh hi, cheekbones!), these creamy formulas enhanced her cheeks with natural pigments from cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate.

EYES
To highlight Lena’s sea green eyes and create smokey depth, Inglessis traced the top lash line with Dark Cacao pencil eyeliner. Inglessis opted for a layered powder and cream smokey eye, with hues of warm, dusty pinks and copper to flatter the floral print on Lena’s gown.

To recreate the Emmys smokey eye seen on the gorgeous Game of Thrones star, start with a creamy base. Satin or cream formulas will help to grab and hold pigment, while creating a skin-like base for the other layers. First up in this look is a layer of Maui Satin Eye Shadow: a deep plum-brown with golden shimmer. Apply on the eyelid up to the crease, and to lower lashes with a smudger brush.

Next, use fingers to dab Bora Bora Satin Eye Shadow (a warm honey brown with gold shimmer) into the crease, and diffused onto the lower lashes. After giving your first two cream formulas a moment to set, grab a dry, fluffy brush. Apply Teddy (a medium brown with a golden sheen) from our Allure award-winning Fruit Pigmented® Eye Shadow collection onto the outer corner of the eyes. Blend in tight, gentle circles to create a smokey, diffused effect.

Inglessis finished Lena’s gilded Emmys smokey eye with a few coats of our Ultra Lengthening Mascara in Black Tea. A black or dark brown mascara is a must for adding drama and depth to any smokey eye!

LIPS
For a perfect dark stained lip without the hard lines, Lena’s makeup artist applied lip color with her fingers. She opted for a few swipes of Blood Orange Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick on Lena’s clean, moisturized lips. This easy method gives a soft, supple flush of color while delivering a punch of pigment that’s not too harsh.

And there you have it – an Emmys makeup look fit for a queen!

Even though Lena Headey lost for the fifth consecutive time at the Emmys for the same award (boo!), she appreciates the nod as an homage to her time on the HBO series. “I’m just super CHUFFED and shocked and FULL of gratitude for the game changing opportunity that has been Game Of Thrones,” she posted on Instagram when the Emmy nominees were announced. “What a way to say Adios to this adventure of a lifetime... Congrats to our INCREDIBLE CREW AND CAST!” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Lena. All hail the Queen!

All photos courtesy of Mélanie Inglessis