EXCLUSIVE: Getting Ready with Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad

Fashion influencer, shoe designer, It-girl, globetrotter… Chiara Ferragni is many things, but camera-shy isn’t one of them. “My favorite part [of getting ready for a big event] is when I’m ready to rock the red carpet,” she says. “I feel really energetic, and I can’t wait to be under the flashing lights!” With almost three million Instagram followers and a global following for her fashion blog, The Blonde Salad, Ferragni is no stranger to being in front of a camera. We got the chance to get ready with her for Elle’s annual Women in Hollywood Awards (in her new LA digs, no less). With the help of makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, Ferragni channeled old Hollywood glamour with big hair, shimmery lids, and the perfect pink lip. Keep scrolling to see how the magic happened!

“I usually decide on my outfit first, and then I think about my hair and makeup style according to what I’m wearing,” Ferragni says. In this case, it happens to be a sleek, black Calvin Klein Collection jumpsuit, which she eagerly shows us mid-way through hair and makeup. “I never like to decide the beauty look until I see what [Chiara] is wearing,” DeRoest says. “[For the Elle Women in Hollywood Awards], we wanted to keep the look effortlessly cool: Calvin-chic with natural glam.” 

When we asked Ferragni if she’s an eye or lip girl, she knew her answer immediately: “I’m an eye girl for sure!” She says she prefers to play with her eyes to match all her different outfits. “You can also tell from my Chiara Ferragni shoe collection. There’s an entire line dedicated to winking eyes. I even have an evil eye tattooed on my finger!”

DeRoest used CK One’s The New Nude Fall Collection Powder Eyeshadow ($15) in Misbehave, blending it into Ferragni’s top and lower lash lines. “It’s the perfect shade of brown with a little flick of metallic,” she says. “It really brings out the blue in Chiara’s eyes.”

The jet-set life can take a toll on your skin, but Ferragni takes the time to treat her skin in between events. “I normally do a lot of facials,” she says. “I always keep my skin moisturized. I try to drink a lot of water to keep my skin fresh!

DeRoest tapped CK One’s Cream + Powder Blush Duo ($25) in Happiness on the apples of Ferragni’s cheeks to give her skin a natural peachy flush, then swiped Kiko’s Stick Highlighter (one of the brands in our list of beauty products Italian women love!) above her cheekbones for extra glow. Ferragni said her skin always gets “really soft and bright” after using the Italian cult product. To finish, she tapped a bit of Chanel’s Poudre Universelle Libre $52) lightly into her T-zone to keep shine under control.

As for Ferragni’s hair, DeRoest said she doesn’t like to do anything too out of the ordinary for the red carpet. “We gave it a little natural movement, and moved the part closer to the center,” she says. She boosted volume with Kevin Murphy's Fresh Air Dry Shampoo ($38), teased at the roots and scrunched it in with her fingers, then smoothed things over with a wide flat brush.

“I usually do a nourishing hair mask the day before a big event,” Ferragni tells us, when we asked how she keeps her mane in tip-top shape. “A Kérastase treatment makes [my hair] shiny and soft.”

And finally, the lips— DeRoest cocktailed three CK One products for the perfect glossy pink lip: “I lined her lips three-quarters of the way with CK One Soft Defining Lip Pencil ($13) in Lovely, then used [the brand’s] Shine Lipstick in High on top, a nice sheen-y lipstick in the perfect pinky nude shade. I then topped it off with a little CK One Lipgloss ($15) in Sugar, just in the center of her lips to give a little more dimension.”

The Final Look

When we ask Ferragni for the best beauty tip she’s ever learned, we expected her to rattle off a list. Instead, she’s sweet and to the point: “Be yourself. Don’t overdo it with makeup. Keep it natural, and always use highlighter!” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

How long does it usually take you to get ready for a big event? Tell us below!

Pictured: Calvin Klein Collection Jumpsuit