Lupita Nyong’o Wore Futuristic Mermaid Makeup to the Toronto Film Festival

Fall might be on the horizon, but as far as Lupita Nyong’o is concerned, summer’s not over just yet. The actor made an appearance at the Toronto Film Festival donning a sea foam-colored dress with an ocean blue makeup look, and her makeup artist, Nick Barose, gave us all the details.

On Sunday, September 8, Nyong’o arrived on the TIFF red carpet for the premiere of her new animated film, The Wild Robot. In the movie, she voices Roz, the titiular “wild robot” who ends up lost in a forest, surrounded by a sweet animal community. For the occasion, the actor worked with Barose on an eye-catching pastel eye look that matched with her dress.

“I wanted the makeup to be futuristic,” Barose tells Byrdie, opting for “sheer, opalescent” colors on the eyes including metallic green, silver, and blue. With the eyes as the centerpiece of Nyong’o’s glam, Barose paired the colorful liner and shadow with “glowing, luminous skin and subtle berry-toned lips to keep everything monochromatic and subdued.”

To create the look he started by prepping the actor’s skin with Beau Domaine’s The Fluid Cream and G.M. Collin’s Diamond Eye Contour underneath the eyes for a hydrated and luminous base. After applying foundation and concealer, Barose went in with a shimmery raspberry blush on the cheeks followed by La Bomme Beauty Flare Liquid Light Highlighter in Limelight which added a bronzy shine to her cheekbones and nose.

Barose’s goal for the glam? A fresh take on pastels that felt lively and playful, without veering too far into ’80s prom queen territory (although Nyong’o could make anything look chic). Barose applied a mint eyeshadow, blending it on the lid, inner corner, and lower lashline for a bright pop of color. Next, Barose added a blue eyeshadow to the outer lid, blending it with a metallic silver shade and adding a baby winged eyeliner courtesy of Le Rouge Français Natural Eyeliner in 510 Le Noir Céphée. To finish the eyes he used Le Rouge Français Mascara in Le Bleu Bérénice #420, a bold cobalt, to melt the colors together with one final pop. “Even though metallic can be dramatic, it can also be done fresh and simple,” said Barose.

Instead of opting for vibrant pink lipstick, Barose used La Bomme Beauty Madame Matte Liquid Lipstick in Dark Angel to create a stained effect that matched Nyong’o’s berry-flushed cheeks. He layered on Le Rouge Française Pasiphaé Lip Oil in the center of her lips for a touch of shine. “Pastels can be wearable and sophisticated when you’re focusing it in small doses,” said Barose. “That’s why I also decided to contrast it with more berry-toned lips, so the whole look doesn’t turn too sweet and pastel-y.”

Hairstylist Vernon François created the 41-year-old’s twisted updo that gave prom queen in the best way. The actress’s glam was another vibrant part of her bright ensemble featuring a mint green Del Core dress and a touch of shine from DeBeers jewels.

Consider us mint green’s new biggest fan—as the rest of red carpet season creeps along, we can’t wait to see more fun looks like this one from Nyong’o.