Oscars night isn’t really Oscars night without the Vanity Fair party that caps off the weekend. This year, the annual after party landed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the first time. Not too far away, makeup artist Tobi Henney was putting the finishing touches on Camille Rowe before she walked the beige carpet. It was there the French model and actress posed for photographers in a vintage Jean Paul Gaultier dress and a brick-red statement lip, but getting ready involved 15 makeup brushes, a crew of Camille’s friends, and a breast pump. Tobi called in from LA to tell us all about it.
Where did you get ready?
Camille’s house in LA. We had a lot of people there: Me, my assistant Karly Ketelle, hairstylist Iván Gómez and his assistant, stylist Danielle Goldberg and her assistant, and a lot of Camille’s friends. It felt like a little party with champagne and food.
What did the room smell like?
Everyone smelled good. I personally was wearing Portofino ‘97 by Victoria Beckham.
What did the room sound like?
When I arrived, the Oscars were wrapping up. Then there was Spanish instrumental music, which was really fun. Everyone was just sort of vibing. It was all very upbeat. On days like that, I’m like, I love this job.
Did you tell Camille to do anything the night before?
I tell all of my girls to drink a lot of water. I know it’s so basic, but some of them seriously don’t drink water. It’s just the easiest thing to do to help lift the skin, especially under the eyes. And obviously, I encourage them to get good sleep.
What was the very first product you touched?
Camille had just arrived from an international flight, so I made sure I had Ultraceuticals eye masks. They’re jelly-like and so hydrating. I popped on a pair as soon as I got to her place.
How did you prep her skin for makeup?
I gave her a really long massage. Her skin was a little dry from the flight, so I went in with the Ultraceuticals hydrating serum, Ultra C+ Rejuvenating C serum, and Ultra moisturizer, which is quite light—I don’t like moisturizers to be too heavy, and also, it was super hot yesterday so I had to take that into consideration. Other than that, I love using Lumify eyedrops. I know that’s not technically a skincare step, but they make eyes super bright.
What inspired the glam look?
Camille wore black vintage Jean Paul Gaultier, and as soon as I saw the dress, I instantly got the mood of the look. Since she doesn’t really wear jewelry, I knew I had to make a statement with the makeup. Camille and I texted ideas back and forth, and we decided on a brick red, pressed-in, blurred lip moment and to keep everything else paired back.
What was the lip combo?
We wanted the lip to feel lived in. I started with the La Mer lip balm to hydrate her lips, and after doing the rest of her face, I went back to her lips and lined them with Make Up For Ever’s Endless Cacao lip pencil. Then I applied layers and layers of MAC’s Powder Kiss liquid mousse in Marrakesh-Mere by gently tapping her lips with my finger—it’s quite a delicate process and takes some time.
What went into Camille’s touch-up kit for the night?
Camille’s makeup tends to wear really well, so I can keep her touch-up kit simple. I gave her a Beautyblender for her undereyes and T-zone. And then I gave her a little spoolie. We actually never use any products on Camille’s brows—no pencil, no gel. She loves her natural brows and she’s got a scar in one that she doesn’t want to cover up. The spoolie is just to make sure her brows continue to sit well all night.
The lip formula dries down really well, so it’s quite long-wearing. But I did tell Camille to really melt the product into her lips when she topped up, and then to tap her finger around the edges to blur it out a bit.
Were you wearing any makeup yourself while working on Camille?
Of course! I’ve been loving m.ph’s Le Skin foundation by fellow makeup artist Mary Phillips. I’m in my forties now so I like to be paired back with my base, and the formula feels quite serum-y. I love using NARS concealer under my eyes and the Westman Atelier Face Trace contour stick—I like Truffle—on my cheeks. I think rosey-pinky tones suit my skin so I try to add a bit of that color on my cheeks and lips. I love Tom Ford’s lipstick in Runway Rose. I’ll usually wear pinky or orange eyeshadow, but I used YSL’s All Hours bronzer in Golden Medina, with MAC eyeliner in Teddy, instead. Then I groomed my brows with the Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz pencil and Victoria Beckham’s brow gel and swiped on Charlotte Tilbury’s Exagger-Eyes mascara. I finished up with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush powder in Fair. I can do it all in literally five minutes.
What shoes were you wearing?
I bought a brand new pair of Alaïa mesh ballet flats when I was in Paris. They’re the ones with little crystals. So fun.
By the end of glam, what’s usually rolling around on the floor?
Maybe a cotton-tip or two, but this time around, Camille had a breast pump—she just had her baby recently.
What was the most unglamorous product on the table?
Probably my dirty makeup brushes that needed to be washed.
And the most glamorous?
I have a TheraFace depuffing wand. Every time I use it on people, they’re like, “Wow, I feel amazing!”
How many brushes did you end up using?
I want to say no more than maybe 12 or 15. I’ve got all sorts of tiny Japanese brushes for small details.
What were you snacking on during glam?
There were little bite-sized chicken yummy things—and cookies.
How many photos did you take during the process?
Around 40.
What was the very last product you used?
A fluffy brush! I go in with it for some final blending.
And what was the first thing you did when you got home?
Check my phone properly!
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographs courtesy of Tobi Henney