Bruce Grayson
Grazia gets Bruce Grayson, makeup department head for the Emmys and general go-to for glam, to spill on the best products, the smartest prep, the secrets for that big, everyone’s-watching occasion…
GRAZIA: Because debriefing awards night clangers is just mean (and it always ends up at Helena Bonham Carter anyway)…Who do you think always gets it right on the red carpet?
Bruce: I think Angelina Jolie always gets it right. She always looks flawless. I think the secret to her success is she never overdoes it. Her wardrobe, hair and makeup are perfectly choreographed and it all looks completely effortless.
Do you give your clients homework – pre-event preparation that makes your job as makeup artist easier?
I tell them to cut out salt from their diet three days before the event, exercise, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water to hydrate the skin. I also tell them to use an anti-ageing moisturiser that helps fight skin discoloration and even the skin’s texture and tone.
Is three days all it takes to get a camera-worthy complexion?
I encourage all my clients to commit to a consistent skin regimen for at least six weeks so the skincare can do its job. I also recommend they get facials once a month, exfoliate regularly and use a great hydrating night cream. I like Olay Definity tone correcting anti-ageing night cream. The best thing to do the day before the big event is pamper yourself. The worst thing you can do for your skin is stress out.
Just say you’ve got free reign over cutesy Drew Barrymore and stylish Sarah Jessica Parker’s faces. What would you love to do to them?
I love Drew’s lips so I’d make them big and bold like the 1930s movie star that she was in another life. Sarah Jessica’s eyes are stunning so I’d make them smoky and flirty with several coats of mascara to make them really pop.
An awards event is like endurance sport for makeup. The red carpet often happens in daylight, then you’re under stage lights, then there’s the after-party. What’s the secret to making sure your complexion works in all conditions?
Use a buildable foundation in the T-zone (around the nose, middle of the forehead and cheeks). Then using the same foundation, apply sheer coverage around the rest of the face. Use cream blushes instead of powders because they’ll last longer and blend well. Carry blotting papers, a sheer pressed powder, lipstick and/or gloss in your purse for touch ups when needed.
What’s your favourite for-TV makeup trick?
I like using a smudged liner on the eyes because High Definition picks up the hard lines. As an alternative to eyeliner, use two coats of mascara for full lashes and then separate with a disposable eyelash wand. Cream shadows blend well with no discernable hard line and look great on HD. For the skin, start with a great anti ageing-moisturiser that diminishes discoloration and age spots, which can be emphasised on HD. I also use sheer foundations and tinted moisturisers that allow the complexion to peek through so skin will always look natural and luminous on HD.
What are your five favourite behind-the-camera products?
Olay Definity tone correcting anti-ageing foaming moisturiser
Olay Definity eye illuminating treatment
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation
M.A.C Eye Kohl pencils – for the smoulder
Dior Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipcolor
Pre-Emmys emergency! How do you handle a spot?
Use a waxy concealer like Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. Use a combination of two colours, one (yellow or beige) to cover discoloration and the other to blend and camouflage. Then lightly stipple foundation over the area if needed.
Finally, the red carpet faux pas…What should you avoid at a big event when everyone’s watching?
The biggest faux pas is when celebrities highlight two many facial features. For instance, smoky eyes matched with bright lipstick and blush. It all becomes a bit clownish. Take your best feature and emphasise it.
Interview by Tracey Withers.
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