Behind Cynthia Erivo’s Glowy Tony Awards Makeup Look

While I’m sure we could all talk about Cole Escola’s Bernadette Peters-inspired updo for hours, it’s important to give the host their flowers at a fancy event. I’m talking about the one and only Cynthia Erivo—not that she’s a hard person to hold space for.

On Sunday, June 8, Erivo hosted the 78th Annual Tony Awards. For the special evening, she went through a number of outfit changes. But her excellent manicure (no surprise there) and makeup stayed strong all night long.

“The makeup direction was really led by the [red carpet] dress. The oyster pearls and nude/peachy velvet set the tone,” makeup artist Joanna Simkin tells Byrdie exclusively. “To compliment her gown, we went for pearlescent, glowing makeup, Fluttery lashes, highlighted skin and a tonal lip all created an ethereal look.”

Cynthia Erivo’s Tony Awards Makeup

Simkin utilized K-beauty brand TirTir for both makeup and skincare. “She was preparing to host the show for the first time and wanted to feel powerful and beautiful. We are always skin forward and she wanted to make sure her glow really came through,” she explained.

The 38-year-old’s highlighter rivaled the Broadway stage lights, and her softly smoked eye came complete with major fluttery lashes.

How to Get the Look

It’s no secret that Erivo’s glowing skin was a big part of her look. While the complexion is essentially the artist’s own, Simkin had some products ready to make her really glow.

“For complexion, TirTir Milk Skin Toner was an essential first step to lock in hydration. We followed up with the Ceramic Milk Ampule for an extra hit of hydration and glow,” she explains. “To take down a bit of the glow while still remaining fresh and hydrated looking, we used TirTir Mask Fit Red Cushion in shades 43N and 45W, which delivered a flawless coverage with a semi-matte finish.”

For the fluttery lash setup, she layered Kiss Lash Couture’s Noblesse set from their The Muses collection with custom-cut clusters from the Avant-Garde strip. Then, she added three spiky pieces along the lash line for extra dimension.

Before Erivo headed out the door, they amped up her glow with a little more Milk Skin Toner on the high points of her face: cheekbones, brow bones, décolleté, and shoulders.

“I coated my palms with the toner and then pressed it into the skin,” Simkin explains. 

Cynthia Erivo’s Flawless Skin

Erivo’s skin always looks so flawless, yet so natural. Simkin’s tip, if you’re looking to get the same finish (I think we all are?!) is to use two tones of foundation: one lighter color that matches the center of the face (this will generally match your chest) and another, darker color that will blend into the perimeter of the face (and match darker areas of the body like the arms and legs).

“Everybody has more than one tone,” she says. “And it’s always much more natural to honor that rather than fight against it.”