BEHIND THE SCENES AT TIFF: CRAFTING FERNANDA TORRES’ RED CARPET LOOK
With a career spanning over two decades, I’ve had the honor of working with incredible talent from around the world, and this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) was no exception. I had the pleasure of prepping the iconic Fernanda Torres for the premiere of her new movie I Am Still Here, co-starring Selton Mello and directed by the brilliant Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries).
Fernanda arrived fresh off a whirlwind festival circuit, including a 10-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. With all eyes on her, my goal was to create a look that would allow her natural beauty to shine through while ensuring her skin felt radiant and nourished after the long flights and busy schedule. Here’s how I made it happen.
Skincare for Red Carpet-Ready Radiance
Long flights and busy schedules can deplete the skin, so I selected products that would rejuvenate her complexion and bring it back to life.
I began with Muck's Retinoic Nutrient Serum, a powerful blend of retinoic acid (a vitamin A derivative) and 21 plant-based antioxidants that promote skin cell renewal. This was the perfect way to kickstart her skin's transformation, enhancing its radiance. I paired this with a lymphatic drainage massage using Muck’s Wellness Stone, helping to reduce puffiness and boost circulation.
Next, I applied Mimar’s Ultra Hydrating Serum, rich in red algae, and a natural hydrating complex made of green apple, watermelon rind and. lentil extract This serum offers unparalleled deep hydration that soothed and nourished Fernanda’s skin, helping to eliminate any dullness and restore its natural glow.
For her eyes, I used Pura Botanicals' Neroli Eye Ritual, a luxurious blend of neroli flower and algae extract that works wonders for depuffing and brightening tired eyes. The neroli helps to tone the skin while algae provides deep hydration, making it perfect for smoothing fine lines and erasing any signs of jet lag.
To lock in all the hydration, I turned to Muck’s Nourishing Cream, a rich moisturizer infused with shea butter and rosehip oil. Both ingredients are known for their intense moisturizing properties and their ability to restore elasticity, which left Fernanda’s skin soft, supple, and primed for makeup.
For her lips, I used Muck’s Organic Lip Balm, which I’ve been testing for months and am thrilled to announce it’s finally pro-artist and celebrity client-approved! Enriched with coconut oil and beeswax, this balm kept her lips perfectly hydrated and protected throughout the day. We’ll be launching it on the site soon, so stay tuned.
Lastly, I used Mimar’s Eden Nights Mist, a hydrating mist made with Bulgarian rose and neroli extract, to set the makeup. This ultra-fine mist gave Fernanda’s skin a radiant, dewy finish, and I continued using it throughout the day to refresh her skin and keep her looking and feeling fabulous.
Every product was chosen to rejuvenate and hydrate Fernanda’s complexion, ensuring her skin felt nourished and plump—perfect for a long day of press, events and the red carpet.
The Makeup Look: Effortless Elegance with a Radiant Glow
For Fernanda’s makeup, I wanted to create a look that highlighted her natural beauty with a radiant, glowing finish. Since her skin was already prepped to perfection, we went for a fresh, barely-there "no makeup" makeup look, keeping the focus on her eyes.
I started with Ilia Beauty’s Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 in Bom Bom (ST5). This skin tint offers light, buildable coverage while also delivering skincare benefits. Its formula contains hyaluronic acid for hydration, niacinamide to brighten and smooth the skin, and plant-based squalane for lightweight nourishment. The added SPF 40 ensures protection against harmful rays, making it perfect for a day under the flashing cameras.
For concealing, I used the BareMinerals Bare Pro 16-Hour Full Coverage Concealer in Fair Light Neutral 03. This concealer was introduced to me by another celebrity client, Kacey Musgraves, and since then, I’ve never looked back. It offers incredible coverage without feeling heavy and blends seamlessly into the skin. With bamboo extract and mineral pigments, it not only provides long-lasting wear but also blurs imperfections while nourishing the skin.
To add structure and dimension, I used Westman Atelier’s Face Trace Contour Stick in Truffle and Biscuit. These creamy contour sticks are a must for a soft, natural contour that enhances the facial features without looking harsh. They blend effortlessly into the skin and contain jojoba oil and berry flux vita extract to hydrate while defining.
For a healthy flush, I applied Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Lip and Cheek Cream Blush Stick in Petal. The creamy texture blends easily into the skin, delivering a soft, natural blush that looks like it’s coming from within. This formula is packed with grape extract and vitamin E, making it as nourishing as it is beautiful. To finish the radiant glow I applied a little Love (literally) a cream blush from Elate Cosmetics that works equally well on all skin tones.
To highlight Fernanda’s natural glow, I used Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Reflect Highlighter Stick in Pearl, which provided a subtle yet luminous sheen that caught the light beautifully. This creamy highlighter melts into the skin, leaving it looking fresh and radiant without being too overpowering.
For the eyes, I turned to Roen Beauty’s Eyeshadow Palette 52, a collection of cream shadows that add just the right amount of sparkle and shine. These shades are perfect for a red carpet look, giving the eyes dimension and glow while still maintaining an understated elegance.
To finish, I used Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Vast Lash Mascara in Black, which lengthens and defines the lashes while being lightweight and smudge-proof. Its tubing formula makes it long-lasting and perfect for long event days, ensuring Fernanda’s lashes stayed flawless from day to night.
Fernanda wanted to. keep her lips really natural, and expressed disliking anything too shiny or sticky or colorful, and I knew exactly which products she would approve of. I reached for Elate Lip Sticks in color Ardent, which was an exact lip shade to the movie star’s natural lip, but heightened the shape and hue, and then layered it with Muck’s Organic Lip Balm, for that added long-lasting moisture.
Why Cream Products?
For this look, I focused on using cream products because they give the skin a radiant, dewy finish. Especially for red carpet moments, cream products ensure the skin looks hydrated and glowing, providing that fresh, healthy flush that lasts all day. Cream formulas are also ideal for mature or dehydrated skin, ensuring a youthful, luminous look.
Behind-the-Scenes Glam: A Day in the Life
From serene skincare prep to the final moments before stepping onto the red carpet, we captured a few behind-the-scenes moments that encapsulate the energy of the day. These candid shots will be shared on our Instagram (@Beauty.Confidante), where you’ll get a closer look at Fernanda’s stunning transformation.
The energy behind the scenes was infectious, and watching Fernanda step onto the red carpet at TIFF with confidence and grace was a full-circle moment. Her glowing look complemented the triumph of I Am Still Here, and it was an honor to be part of her journey. Shout out to SW ARTISTS GLOBAL for this amazing opportunity and fellow artists: the lovely Kayla Fenwick - who groomed the incredibly talented co-star Selton Mello, and director Watler Salles, and Connor Lange who styled Fernanda’s hair to perfection.
Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive insights into the products that helped Fernanda shine at TIFF. Until next time, stay radiant!
Founder, The Beauty Confidante
DiSCOVER The Beauty Confidante AND CELEBRITY Approved skincare
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