How Cynthia Erivo's Wicked Beauty Look Came To Life At The London Premiere
Recently, press tours have taken on a whole new meaning. From Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Twisters tour to Zendaya’s endless tennis-themed ensembles, the red carpet has become as much of a sartorial stage as it has an extension of the cinematic experience.
But it’s not just ‘method dressing’ that’s taken the world by storm – look a little closer and the beauty details are often nodding to the plot lines. Make-up artists are paying homage to the protagonists, and manicurists are adding subtle meaning via innovative nail art.
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It’s little surprise, of course, that as the stars took to the Emerald-City-green carpet last night for the much-anticipated premiere of the adaptation of the stage musical, Wicked, at London’s Royal Festival Hall there were ample references to The Wizard of Oz.
Trading in a green colour palette of previous premieres gone by – an obvious nod to her role as Elphaba in the much-anticipated film adaptation – starring actor Cynthia Erivo adopted a more subtle sartorial theme for the night. She wore a striking black Schiaparelli bodice and a capacious, flared tulle skirt. But it is in her purposefully chosen petal-pink make-up that the details really make magic.
‘The make-up inspiration for the London premiere was about the relationship between her character, Elphaba, and her best friend Glinda,’ Joanna Simkins, Erivo’s make-up artist, tells ELLE UK. ‘And in Cynthia’s unique way, her Schiaparelli dress had a structured petticoat of rose gold, and her make-up was pink, too.’
Though green was the obvious choice for Erivo's make-up, Simkins decided it was time to lean into a different facet of her character. ‘My first instinct when we began discussing premieres was to play into emerald green, which we did for the tour in New York,’ shares Simkins. ‘Cynthia set up an early screening for our team and once I saw the film, I realised that I wanted to lean into the softness of her character – she is, in fact, not yet ‘wicked’. With that in mind, I played with soft tones to echo that feeling using more pink,’ she adds.
To create the make-up look, Simkins applied washes of rose gold tones from Charlotte Tilbury’s Beauty Pillow Talk Luxury Palette, as well as the Hypnotizing Pop Shot Eyeshadow in Lovers Diamond across the lid. ‘I also used Airbrush Bronzer in Deep to extend the eye shape – this results in a bright, sparkling, wide-open eye,’ she notes.
Simkins also reveals the pre-event prep that goes into getting ready for a premiere. ‘Cynthia is a self-care queen!’ she muses. ‘She has to do a workout before a premiere (and daily), and she loves red light therapy and adores facials.’
Erivo is big on all things skincare, too. ‘Cynthia swears by Augustinus Bader skincare, as well as Paula’s Choice and Dr. Dennis Gross orange peel pads,’ says Simkins, explaining how Erivo is also a fan of the celebrity-favourite Lyma Laser and NuFace microcurrent device – both impressive skincare tools that aid with puffiness, lacklustre skin and fine lines.
Erivo’s manicure also bore all the hallmarks of a Wicked-ified aesthetic. ‘Her manicure was a fully Wicked-inspired emerald green, with rose gold and lots of fun stones,’ Simkins says.
This is far from the first time that Eviro has adopted the nail equivalent of ‘method dressing’ during the Wicked press tour. For the New York premiere, all eyes were on the actor’s set of showstopping ‘stiletto’ acrylics. Created by the nail tech who goes by the name Clawzbydior on Instagram, the manicure was a direct nod to the fantastical film. ‘Embellishments, like green rhinestones and crystals, were applied along one side of the nail, enhancing the glamorous vibe and adding dimensionality,’ the nail tech says of how she created the look.
And of course, a new twist on the Wicked press tour wardrobe came with her co-star Ariana Grande. Ari, who plays Glinda in the movie, also eschewed her signature pink and opted for a custom-made, butter-yellow Ralph Lauren gown, along with a signature chignon and winged liner. We’re on tenterhooks to see what the duo do next...
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