Katy Perry has been known to rock some fearless beauty looks over the years, and she stepped out at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday, March 14, with bold monochromatic makeup inspired by artificial intelligence — but with an Old Hollywood twist.
The American Idol judge walked the red carpet with Zedd to promote their new song “365.” In the music video, Perry plays a futuristic Stepford Wife-esque robot who can magically apply a #flawless red lip with the simple swipe of a finger, and her IRL makeup artist Michael Anthony paid homage to the style using a few tried and true tricks.
“For Katy’s look tonight, I wanted to go replicate her A.I. look from her music video with Zedd,” Anthony said. “I went a little less tan with her look to give off a cooler tone robotic feeling.”
After creating a porcelain complexion with the Covergirl TruBlend Base Business Skin Smoothing Primer and TruBlend Matte Made Foundation, he used the brand’s forthcoming Revolution and Ascension Eyeshadow Palettes (launching at Walmart on April 8) for a rosy smokey eye look that complemented her flushed cheek and cherry lip.
“To create her intense gaze, I used the shadows from the new Covergirl eyeshadow palettes, mixing the shades [Commotion, Get It, Fantasy and Loyal] on my brush before applying to her eyes,” he explained. And rather than employ a traditional eyeliner, her used a “liner brush and some setting spray” to intensify the shadow along the base of the lashes. A few swipes of the Exhibitionist Mascara resulted in the fluttery fringe effect.
When it came to that pristine scarlet pout, Anthony once again used an old-school #ProTip. “Her lips were created by using the Katy Kat Matte lipsticks and gloss,” he said. “After applying the first coat, I blotted and reapplied to get her a long-lasting [finish]. It’s a trick that worked in Old Hollywood, and it works for a robot in 2020.”
Specifically, he used the Crimson Kat and Ninth Life shades from Perry’s feline-inspired Covergirl lippie line, and, paired with her headband-adorned ’50s-era platinum lob and shiny gingham frock, the look was all kinds of A.I.-chic.
