This Celebrity MUA Has the Best Prep Tips to Make Your Makeup Last (and Last)
June 5 | 4 minute read
Words by Kaylah Joelle Baker
That’s exactly why we asked Carpenter for her skin prep tips: the tricks she enlists for the perfect base before she even opens a tube of concealer. When your job is to make the likes of Sarah Snook and Elizabeth Olsen (yes, she’s worked with both!) look radiant and ready for anything, you need to go below the surface.
Carpenter’s credentials make her an expert when it comes to all things beauty. Starting her makeup career at Dior, she followed with a stint at a Melbourne hair salon, making her dual skills invaluable in the fast-paced world of editorial. With a CV spanning everywhere from Harper’s Bazaar to Vogue (Australia and US), Marie Claire, Grazia and RUSSH, and campaigns for luxury brands like Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Hermès, it’s fair to say she knows what it takes to make makeup look beautiful – and last.
The Actual First Step to Makeup Prep
“When working on red-carpet events, longevity is always incredibly important,” says Carpenter. “You are very unlikely to be doing touch-ups throughout the event, so the makeup needs to be more long-wearing and structured.
“I always choose a foundation that will photograph beautifully whilst also wearing well over a long period of time. And I will strategically set the makeup using products such as Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder to help control shine, as talent will often be photographed continuously under strong lighting and flash photography.”
Photography By: Ivana Martyn-Zyznikow
She adds, “I also create a small touch-up kit for the talent, which usually includes blotting paper (we suggest these from Tatcha or Shiseido) and a mini lipstick or lip product.”
Carpenter is also conscious of the primer she chooses: “I’m generally not drawn to overly shimmery primers, particularly when flash is involved. If I’m using a primer, it’s very important to me that it works seamlessly with the foundation and doesn’t create texture or pilling on the skin.”
Practice Makes Perfect Prep
Adds Carpenter, “I also recommend VISIA Skin Consultations before your first facial, where your skin can be professionally analysed to better understand exactly what products and treatments are best suited to your individual needs.”
Photography By: Ivana Martyn-Zyznikow
As for the quick-fix prepping tips she swears by? “The day before makeup application, I always recommend my favourite exfoliator to clients, which I have used for years: Goldfaden MD Doctor’s Scrub. It leaves your skin feeling incredible and allows the foundation to sit beautifully.
“Another one of my favourite skincare tricks, which I’ve done for years, is keeping sheet masks stored in the fridge. Whenever I have travelled, or my skin feels tired, I’ll apply one straight from the fridge – the cooling effect instantly makes me feel alive, and the skin loves soaking up the hydration. I especially love formulas containing hyaluronic acid, in particular the Patchology Get Dewy With It Mega Moisture Sheet Mask,” Carpenter says.
And the final step: ”I always leave the under-eye area to last. I prep the area with eye cream, avoid using too much foundation and rarely apply concealer too early in the process. Leaving the under-eye until the end allows me to clean away any eyeshadow fallout whilst keeping the area looking fresh, bright and as clean as possible.”
We Just Had To Ask
We know, we know – asking a makeup artist to choose their favourite beauty look is like asking a parent to choose their favourite child. But with celebrities like Sarah Snook, Angourie Rice, Missy Higgins, Troye Sivan and work in publications from Vogue to Rolling Stone, we just had to!
“It’s honestly very difficult to choose a favourite look because so many of them hold special memories for different reasons,” Carpenter says, before settling on an answer: “I do love anything involving black tie. Sarah Snook at the recent Vogue Australia Summer Ball was pretty amazing – I created a warm-toned makeup look paired with soft, undone hair alongside the most incredible black ball gown. Another look I loved was the one I did with Elizabeth Olsen for Dior. She is such a classic beauty, and the look felt timeless and effortless alongside the beautiful Dior outfit she was wearing.”
