The Plumping Serum and Creaseless Concealer Used Backstage at the Oscars

From where we sit, Oscars night is all about glitz, glam and seamless transitions. But for Bruce Grayson, celebrity makeup artist and head of makeup for this year’s Academy Awards, the evening is a bit more hectic.

A long night of quick-changes and makeup touch-ups is just another day at the office for Grayson, who shared with us his tricks of the trade and trusted products used backstage to keep our favorite celebrities looking radiant.

Must-Have Makeup 

“Concealers, blush and eyeliner are the three products that I gravitate to on Oscars night,” says Grayson, noting that “under-eye repair” is one of the most frequent touch-ups he does backstage. For this, he likes to use a creamy under-eye concealer like Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Fit Concealer. “It’s lightweight and provides flawless coverage that melts into the skin.” If a touch-up requires a long-wear concealer, he opts for Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer. “It provides hydration, a radiant finish, and it comes in so many shades it makes the transition from under-eyes to face foundation effortless.”

To add a quick flush of color backstage, Grayson loves to use a sweep of blush. “A tried-and-true blush I use on Oscars night is Chanel Joues Contraste blush. The colors are fabulous, layer nicely and provide a boost of color. I also love MAC Mineralized Blush, it adds soft color and radiance to skin.” 

Grayson says he fixes a lot of eyeliner backstage, too, and he usually uses a gel eyeliner—his favorite is Stila’s Smudge Pot—”so it can be blurred or faded before it dries down so it doesn’t look too harsh.”

Skin-Care Secrets

Grayson says his number-one skin-care tip is simply using products that work quickly to cleanse and hydrate. “I love cream cleansers and my favorite is QMS Deep Cleanse. It’s super gentle, and quickly removes makeup and pollutants.”

The makeup artist is also all about serums on Oscars night, as they “work fast to smooth skin in preparation for makeup.” His favorite: “I use Boscia Vitamin B12 Hydration Booster Serum and I like to gently press into my skin with my hands to stimulate blood flow,” he says. 

Get Glowing

“As far as makeup, the best behind-the-scenes trick starts with blotting tissues to control as much or as little glow on skin,” says Grayson. “Start with the inner cheeks, as they tend to get shiny first, don’t forget the chin, and blot the forehead last. Be sure to take off enough shine to make skin look radiant and not oily.”

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