Strictly star Zara McDermott wore a bargain £8 foundation to the NTAs - her mua gives us all the details

Zara McDermott makeup at the National Television Awards 2024
(Shutterstock)

Don't you just love it when a celebrity ditches the expensive beauty products and opts for affordable must-haves?

Take Zara McDermott for example. The BBC documentary maker - and former Love Island/Strictly Come Dancingstar - looked beautiful as she arrived at the National Television Awards alongside her longtime boyfriend, Sam Thompson.

Zara McDermott and boyfriend Sam Thompson attend the National Television Awards at the O2 Arena
Zara McDermott and boyfriend Sam Thompson attend the National Television Awards at the O2 Arena (Shutterstock)

As soon as I found out her makeup artist was Joe Pickering-Taylor, I needed to know the answers and Joe was more than happy to share the products he used on his celebrity client for the televised awards show.

Was I expecting him to send me a long list of expensive products? Yes, yes I was. But it turns out that Joe applied a very inexpensive foundation product on Zara - the L'Oreal Paris True Match Foundation. I've done my research and Zara is a big fan of L'Oreal, often sharing her favourite products. It's worth noting here that Zara has partnered with the brand on her social media account in the past.

What's so special about this particular product? Well, L'Oreal's lightweight liquid foundation contains skin-perfecting pigments for a natural finish. It's a blendable and buildable foundation and there's a real diverse array of shades. According to Joe, Zara wears shade 3N.

EXACT MATCH: L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation

L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation

£8.79 (SAVE 20%) AT AMAZON

The reason why this foundation gets a lot of love on social media and in buying guides is because it's enriched with a moisturising complex (hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe vera extract), vitamin B2 and provitamin B5. What does this all mean? Well, the formula promises to visibly improve skin quality over time.

There was another L'Oreal product in Joe's kit that he used on Zara - and that was the brand's Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara. I've tried this one and I have to say, it's one of the best out there - it just gives corner-to-corner volume.

EXACT MATCH: L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara

L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara
L'Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara

£8.20 (SAVE 37%) AT AMAZON

How about the lips? I loved the burnt red shade on Zara, and Joe told me: "We used a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Red Carpet Red and paired it with a brown liner to give it some contrast. The blush is Armani - the new Luminous Silk Cheek Tint in Vivid Coral, and the classic Chanel Soleil Tan Les Beiges, which I absolutely love."

EXACT MATCH: Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Red Carpet Red

£28 AT CHARLOTTE TILBURY

Explaining why he went for such a dramatic makeup look, Joe said: "The dress feels like a gorgeous modern take on old Hollywood and we wanted this to flow through to makeup and hair. Pairing a classic red lip with a softly winged eye but doing a more modern feeling hair pulled back to show off the décolletage."

Zara McDermott opted for a glamorous black dress for the star-studded occastion
Zara McDermott opted for a glamorous black dress for the star-studded occastion (Getty Images)

For Zara's hair, Joe used the Shark FlexStyle along with Sam McKnight's products, including the cult-famous Save The Do Heat Protection Spray.

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