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How to Get Keke Palmer’s Glowing Skin From the BBMAs 2016

Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer David Becker/Getty

She’s glowing! Keke Palmer was on social media duty during the Billboard Music Awards 2016, teaming up with Snapchat king DJ Khaled to take over T-Mobile’s Facebook Live. So the Scream Queens actress, clad in a latex House of Harlow 1960 pencil dress, tapped makeup artist Matthew VanLeeuwen to create a look that’d last down to the last hashtag.

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“We wanted to keep the makeup fresh and focus on glowing skin and stunning eyes,” VanLeeuwen tells Us Weekly

From left: e.l.f. Daily Hydration Moisturizer ($8, elfcosmetics.com), e.l.f. HD Mattifying Cream Foundation ($6, elfcosmetics.com), e.l.f. Poreless Face Primer ($6, elfcosmetics.com).

Related: PHOTOS: Billboard Music Awards 2016 Red Carpet Fashion: What the Stars Wore

To do that, he prepped Palmer’s skin with e.l.f. Daily Hydration Moisturizer and e.l.f. Poreless Skin Primer. After moisturizing and priming, VanLeeuwen applied two different shades of e.l.f. HD Mattifying Cream Foundation on Palmer’s skin: one that was an exact match and another that was darker to deepen her temples, cheekbones and jawline. “This creates a more powerful dimension to the skin, especially when on the red carpet,” he explains.

From left: e.l.f. Cream Blush Palette ($6, elfcosmetics.com), e.l.f. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer ($6, elfcosmetics.com).

VanLeewen swept the apricot shade of the e.l.f. Cream Blush Palette on Palmer’s cheeks for more definition. “It was perfect against the burgundy of the dress,” he said. And for a dramatic contour, he chose the Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer in Bronzed Violet, which gave her some natural shine. 

e.l.f. Day to Night Eyeshadow Palette ($10, elfcosmetics.com).

For Palmer’s eyes, he used a bronze-pink shade from the e.l.f. Eyeshadow Palette in Party Ready on her lids and lower inner corner. A warm plum hue was used to create a sexy smoky effect.  

Palmer, who snapped and Instagrammed herself getting glammed, was pleased with the finish result. “She was over the moon!” VanLeeuwen reveals. “I could tell she felt beautiful and ready for an exciting night.”

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