Kate Bosworth Uses This Foundation for Glossy, Soft-Glow Skin

Getting ready is a sacred activity—one I often find myself romanticizing more than the actual event. The music, the glam, the drinks, the nervous butterflies; all of it yields this process that's somehow more exciting than mundane. The anticipation is half the fun. And the other half? For me, it's the hair and makeup. Luckily, I had the chance to experience it all with Kate Bosworth—err, virtually, and over email, but it still tickles the senses just the same—as she got ready for a fragrance event in L.A.

Bosworth is impossibly fresh-looking with glossy, soft skin and expressions that do that lighting-up-a-room thing. It was a treat to find out exactly what makeup she wore, the hair products she used, and exactly what happened during her own getting-ready ritual. Below, find all that plus a few more exclusive tidbits straight from Bosworth and her glam team.

The Makeup (and Skincare)

Before makeup, Bosworth washed her face with a gentle cleanser and applied Guerlain's Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil, a treatment meant to hydrate, visibly plump, and boost radiance. It's lightweight, yet rich, and feels undeniably luxurious. Once her skin was prepped, she was ready for the makeup chair.

"Skin!" Bosworth exclaimed excitedly when I asked what the inspiration was for her makeup look that evening. "We wanted to showcase natural, clean, sun-kissed beauty." She told me. Her makeup artist agreed. "This was my first time working with Kate. I already knew of her exquisite beauty, I was instantly at ease when she walked in the room; warm and sweet, like a lovely breath of fresh air. I wanted to capture that feeling with a fresh, effortless glow," makeup artist Vanessa Scali said of the look she chose for Bosworth's dinner with Guerlain x The Webster in L.A..

Scali applied foundation and concealer where needed (Scali used Guerlain's L'Essentiel Natural Radiant Foundation, which has buildable, medium coverage and a glowy finish) and warmed up the skin with a sweep of the brand's iconic Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Bronzer Powder—it's best there is, trust me—under her cheekbones, on the peak of her forehead, and under her jaw. Scali added a flush of color just above the apples of her cheeks and across the cheekbones with Rose Aux Joues Tender Blush in Peach Party.

"I feel most like me for a night out in a look like this," Bosworth says. "I like wearing makeup that enhances my features, rather than losing myself by wearing too much of it. I’m attracted to authenticity in a face," she adds. Beautifully put, I think.

"Using a sheer wash of golden brown, I added a little definition and luxury to the eyelid," Scali explains, "but decided to skip eyeliner altogether to keep the eye bright and open. A touch of the same golden brown under the bottom lashes and a few generous coats of mascara on the top lashes finished it off." Scali used Mad Eyes Cream Eyeshadow Duo Stick in Warm Brown/Golden Brown and Mad Eyes Mascara in Black, and ended with Rouge G Satin Long Wear and Intense Color Lipstick in N°62 Satin.

The Hair

"It's a dream to collaborate with Kate," hairstylist Bridget Brager says. She describes, "The mood is mellow and upbeat. She has a very distinct point of view about every look, which I appreciate so much." Brager used Unite's Hair U Oil and Elevate Mousse to create Bosworth's smooth, shiny topknot. Then, Oribe's Superfine Hair Spray to nix flyaways and little bits around her face.

She finished with a spritz of Aprés Beach Wave and Shine Spray and Guerlain's Angelique Noir as she walked out the door. "The Shine Spray is certainly the hero product of the look," Brager says. "It's perfect to top it all off before she leaves. That, and our hooked elastic bands which hold the hair tight and high. With that duo, it does not budge."

When I asked about the inspiration, both Brager and Bosworth replied with the same answer; the dress. "The dress inspired the hair," Brager says, adding, "I loved the '70s, bare-face feel. We wanted to let the dress and her face do the heavy lifting here. No need to go overboard." Bosworth elaborated: "I had my eye on this Giambattista Valli dress specifically for this [fragrance] event. Petra Flannery and I looked to synchronize the clothes with the elegance and elevation of the event. This dress also lent itself perfectly to trying on different perfumes, allowing them to breathe on the skin throughout the night."

"We have a running thread of inspiration," Brager says of working with Bosworth. "We take tiny elements and try to create something brand new. It’s so important for me to see where she’s coming from; what mark she wants to hit. It's what creates a full or total look, head to toe. Sometimes she wants to go for it—and we do—she trusts her team which makes it easy for us. She is the ultimate chameleon."

Brager imparts the ultimate tip as we talk—how to look awake when you feel anything but—and it's easier than I imagined: "High and tight," she says of the hairstyle that'll wake up your face. "A high, tight style instantly refreshes, which is a total confidence booster."

And before we finish up, Bosworth paints a picture of her pre- and post-party rituals (the ones I won't get to see). "The last thing I do before going out is a final spritz of perfume. Something sexy and mysterious is a go-to at night. The one I fell in love with recently is Guerlian's Angélique Noir. It’s intoxicating," she coos. And the first thing she does when she gets home? "I take off my heels and kiss my animals (I have a dog named Happy and two kitties, Teak and Neko)," she says.