Get Alicia Keys’ makeup look in 6 easy steps

How to get make-up like Alicia Keys by her celebrity makeup artist Cherish Brooke Hill using Armani Beauty

When we started brainstorming for our November cover shoot with Alicia Keys, we knew we had to keep things simple when it came to glam. Celebrity makeup artist Cherish Brooke Hill filled the brief and focused on illuminating, flushing and plumping the skin which gave her loads of time to play with eyes. 

For the shoot, Alicia and her makeup artist not only stuck to all things cream, save a sprinkling of powder, but also solely Armani beauty, which makes this one of our easiest looks to replicate. With these 6 simple steps, you will be cover shoot, office party or even virtual meeting-ready...

Step 1: Prep

Before any products touch Alicia’s skin, she likes to prep her face with a revitalising steam. This helps to get the blood flowing and to boost complexion. Whilst resting the skin, Cherish smoothed an obsidian facial roller over Alicia’s skin to energise it. Although you may be tempted to skip this step, steaming and rolling creates the perfect supple base for picture-perfect skin.

Step 2: Skincare

Another vital step for getting your skin make-up ready is a great skincare routine. Cherish kept things paired-back for Alicia and used products that are designed to smooth, brighten and moisturise. 

To get the look, we love the Crema Nera Acqua Pantelleria Antioxidant Treatment Lotion, £100 which combines vital minerals and Armani beauty’s exclusive ReviscentalisTM plant extract. It provides hydration and a luminous complexion in seconds. After letting this layer sink in, smooth a combination of the Crema Nera Light-Reviving Eye Cream, £150 and Crema Nera Neocream, £215 on to the skin. This range is lightweight and soothing whilst also being full of active ingredients like Neo-ceramides that target problem areas like dullness, dark circles and dryness. 

Step 3: Base

After an indulgent but equally essential skincare step, base application becomes something to look forward to. To push the smoothness of Alicia’s skin to the next level, Cherish applied the Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer, £35 which provides the perfect pre-foundation prep for every skin tone. Knowing that Alicia prefers to keep her makeup natural, her foundation was applied in thin, buildable, layers. Armani beauty’s Luminous Slik Foundation, £44 is the perfect product for this. The oil-free foundation is infused with glycerin and allowed for Alicia’s skin to breathe.

Her makeup artist then went in with the cult Luminous Silk Concealer, £35 on the outer undereye and highest points of her cheekbones. By fanning the concealer out a little further than usual, the highpoints of the face are prepped for contouring. Cherish then set this luminous base by dusting Alicia’s T-zone, chin and forehead with Luminous Silk Glow Fusion Face Powder, £49.

Step 4: Cheeks

Before reaching for any cheek colours, Cherish defined Alicia’s features using the Neo Nude A-Contour, £29. Taking shade ‘21’, she applied the product straight to the face, thanks to the precise applicator, and blended it out. The cool brown colour which gives the cheek, jaw and forehead a natural shadow, pushed Alicia’s cheekbones into the limelight. 

After defining is done, it’s time to give the high points some love. By mixing shades ‘30’ and ‘50’ of the Neo Nude A-Blush, £32, Cherish created the perfect peach-come-pink tone to complement Alicia’s skin tone. Then, a small amount of Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer, £30 was applied to her cheekbones to give her base a final kick of hydration and illumination. 

Step 5: Eyes

The eyes are where the drama is at with this look. Alicia wanted to balance an eye-catching elongated eye with simple tones. Cherish gently stippled the Neo Nude Melting Colour Balm, £32 in the shades ‘Warm Coral’, ‘Deep Brown’ and ‘Warm Brown’ onto Alicia’s eyelid and blended them out to a soft point. Within seconds, the smooth balms that you thought could only be used for 5-minute looks quickly became the stuff of star quality. To finish the eyes off, Cherish applied the iconic Eccentrico Mascara, £31 which provides high volume, long wear, curl and separation - all four boxes ticked. 

Step 6: Lips

To balance out the bold eye, Cherish kept things super simple on the lips. First, she applied the Neo Nude Ecstasy Balm, £29 which combines the signature Armani beauty gloss with high-performance lip care. Then came the Smooth Silk Lip Pencil, £22, to define the cupid's bow, and the Lip Power, £32.50 to give the lips a long-lasting vivid shine.

All products listed by Armani beauty

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