Let Jamie Lee Curtis' Simple, Fuss-Free Red Carpet Glam Inspire Your Next Evening Look

Another reason to love Jamie Lee Curtis? She subscribes to the less is more policy of getting ready.

The Everything Everywhere All At Once actress has shown time and time again that there's strength in simplicity, often dressing in sleek power suits or sophisticated gowns. And her makeup is just as effortless, proving you don't need to go to extremes to look glamorous. 

Jamie's go-to makeup artist Grace Ahn revealed her best tips and tricks with E! News, including a skin-prepping technique that offers an array of benefits and her strategic makeup placement. Because while many of us didn't snag an invite to the Oscars 2023 on March 12, you can use Grace's fool-proof guide the next time you need to get dolled up for a black-tie event.

"Makeup, to me, is just as important as the clothes and hair one wears to boost confidence," the makeup artist shared. "It can really help someone feel their best when they see themselves in a mirror or photo."

What is the best way to prep your skin before applying makeup?

Having a clean palette to work with makes a huge difference.

"I make sure to hydrate her skin and really work the skincare into her face," the makeup artist explained about Jamie's prep. "I particularly love the Gua Sha from FaceGym to really work the moisturizer in."

Gua Sha offers a wide range of beauty benefits, too, so it's a spa-like way to pamper yourself before a big event. The centuries-old Chinese practice, according to NBC News, helps with blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, relieves tension from the muscles and improves fine lines and wrinkles.

How can you stay in your makeup comfort zone but still zhuzh it up for a black-tie event?

According to Grace, the Halloween actress doesn't stray too far away from her signature style, saying Jamie "just wants to look pretty and elegant."

"She loves to enhance her eyes more than her lips," the makeup artist noted. "So anything within this range, she is happy with. Jamie is also very low-fuss about makeup, so only for special occasions she will let me put falsies on her lashes." 

But if you prefer to rock a bold lip instead of drawing attention to your eyes, you can never go wrong with a red lipstick. Luckily, Grace offered her go-to method so the lipstick stays put all night. 

"The easiest way to keep it from transferring is using a long-wear formula or a matte formula," the makeup artist revealed, adding, "But if it is a glossy look, I find setting lip liner with some translucent powder before applying gloss can help with wear."

She quipped, "Otherwise, I say a little prayer that they will keep it touched up after they leave me."

What is the best hack for keeping makeup intact?

Applying eyeshadow primer will work wonders, Grace shared, as it not only brings out the vibrancy of the shadow but ensures it's long-wearing. She also recommends waterproof mascara. After all, you never know when you might shed some tears—and seeing that Jamie could earn her first-ever Academy Award for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, her mascara needs to remain intact. 

And for any glasses-wearing folks like Jamie, Grace said she likes to enhance the eyes with a "metallic brown or black eyeliner in the waterline to help make the eyes shine." She'll also dab a shimmery shade to the center of the lids and inner corners.

How can you look glowy for a black-tie event without appearing shiny in pictures?

We've all been there, slathering our skin with hydrating products and shimmery highlighters on our cheekbones to achieve the coveted dewy effect only to discover that we look like a greasy mess in photos. 

According to Grace, it's all about strategically applying glowy makeup to the skin.

"I will set most of the face, especially the T-zone," the makeup artist explained. "At the end, I'll add something glowy to the tops of the cheeks, sides of the forehead and a tiny bit on the nose bridge."

And this is where you'll want to take notes. Grace's hack is shining a flashlight to the face "to make sure the glow is blended in properly, in all angles of light, too." 

Now, you have all the tools you need to put your best face forward.