There were a lot of feathers at the Birds or Prey World premiere in London [1] — and I'm not trying to be cheeky or make puns. For the film's press tour, the cast seems to be taking the title of the movie and using it as inspiration for their fashion choices, whether that means a feather trim on a skirt, or a hint of ostrich plumes peeking out from under a peplum. In the case of actor Jurnee Smollett-Bell, however, the avian inspiration has also extended into her beauty looks, says New York City-based makeup artist Vincent Oquendo [2], who spilled the details to POPSUGAR about the glittering gunmetal winged shadow he created for her for the world premiere.
"Everything has been a nod to 'birds of prey' and all about feather-inspired textures and colours. For example, the other day I gave Jurnee a canary yellow eye," says Oquendo. "For the world premiere, however, I wanted to also add a nod to badass musicians like Joan Jett and Nina Simone, who were both rebels of their times. When you see the film, you'll see that Jurnee's character is such a badass, and I wanted to try and make a similar statement with the makeup," Oquendo adds, explaining how, before the press tour, he created mood boards featuring both musicians, with Jett's signature eye makeup being a focal point. "Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — that's the ultimate rebel, and she was the queen of the dark eye," says Oquendo.
Oquendo also chose such a bold, graphic eye look for practical reasons. "Jurnee has such beautiful eyes that when you do a big eye makeup look, it makes her eye shine and really stand out. It's magic." Keep reading to discover exactly how Oquendo made that makeup magic happen.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Like we said, Oquendo wanted to create a look inspired by Joan Jett mixed with a touch of Nina Simone. "Because Jurnee's character, Black Canary, is a singer in the film, I thought these two musicians were the perfect combination of her character mixed with two badass musicians," Oquendo adds.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Starting off the look with her base, Oquendo first highlighted and contoured her complexion with the Shiseido Syncro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer [3] (£29) in #203 and #301 (Oquendo is a spokesperson for the brand). He then evened everything out with a layer of the Shiseido Syncro Skin Self-Refreshing Liquid Foundation [4] (£39), buffing it on with a fluffy brush, and finished it off by sculpting her cheekbones with a cocoa-coloured powder and adding a touch of burgundy-coloured cream blush to the apples.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Using the Shiseido Kajal Ink Artist in Nippon Noir [5] (£22) — a chunky black eyeliner crayon — Oquendo drew the shape of the graphic wings, first. "A trick I often do to make sure the wings are symmetrical is while I'm drawing them on, I take a picture of the person with my phone," says Oquendo. "That way, the photo flattens everything out, makes it two-dimensional, so I can see exactly where they're not even." Once he had the shape he loved, Oquendo buffed out the edges of the liner using a stubby concealer brush to make them more diffused.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
With the wings perfectly symmetrical, Oquendo added a bit of sparkle and texture to the wings with a pot of art store glitter and a dab of Shiseido Crystal Gel Gloss [6] (£22) as a mixing medium. This created a sparkly gunmetal effect that mimics the multifaceted sheen of a bird feather. To re-create the effect, Lemonhead LA Spacepaste in Gunshow [7] ($22 USD, ships internationally) is a great alternative.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
To define the lower lashes, Oquendo smudged a blend of taupe shadows along the lashes, finishing off the eye makeup with several layers of Shiseido Controlled Chaos Mascara [8] (£25) on both top and bottom. To complete the overall look, Oquendo mixed two lipsticks together to create her perfect nude: Shiseido Modern Matte Powder Lipstick [9] in Cyber Beige and Rose Muse (£25 each).
Jurnee Smollett-Bell at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Jurnee Smollett-Bell at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Jurnee Smollett-Bell at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Jurnee Smollett-Bell at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
Jurnee Smollett Bell's Graphic Glitter Shadow at the Birds of Prey World Premiere in London
