For Sunday’s 2026 Actor Awards, celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng created “Love Story” star Sarah Pidgeon’s fresh, luminous look using a combination of NuFACE, Beautyblender and Rhode products.
Cheng used NuFACE to visibly lift, tone, and define Pidgeon’s complexion before makeup, creating subtle contour and luminous structure for her effortlessly chic red carpet radiance. She says, “A pre-makeup sculpt is my ultimate game changer. When the face is already lifted and de-puffed, you can take a much lighter, more modern approach to contour. It created the perfect high shine, lifted canvas for a Minimal Romance look – soft, dewy and effortless to complement the pale pink of her dress and the quiet sophistication she’s channeling as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.”
Once Pidgeon’s skin was prepped, Cheng used Beautyblender products for a smooth, airbrushed finish that feels polished yet skin-like. She adds, “What I love about using Beautyblender for a red carpet finish is that it layers cream and liquid products effortlessly. It keeps everything cohesive, skin-like, and camera ready while preserving the natural luminosity of the foundation.”
Scroll for the exact products Cheng used to get Sarah Pidgeon red carpet ready.
Skin Prep:
- Apply a generous layer of the NuFACE Aqua Gel Activator to each area of the face you’re working on to prep skin for sculpting.
- Starting with one half of the face, use the NuFACE TRINITY+ and spend three minutes on each area — jawline, cheekbones, and temples – for a total of nine minutes on that side. This ensures the structure is lifted and snatched before applying makeup.
- Repeat the same process on the other side of the face, again spending three minutes on each area (nine minutes total per side).
- Once finished lifting and sculpting, remove the Aqua Gel Activator using two hot towels to thoroughly cleanse the skin and create a fresh base. Pro tip: The Aqua Gel Activator also works beautifully as a mask during an evening routine!
- Once the skin is clean, apply rhode Glazing Milk all over the face, followed by the rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid
- The Aqua Gel Activator and NuFACE TRINITY+ create a hydrated, lifted foundation, allowing the rhode products to deliver pillowy hydration.
- The NuFACE TRINITY+ paired with Rhode products (more on that below) creates the perfect high-shine canvas for a minimal romantic look — soft, dewy, and effortless to complement the pale pink of her dress.
Makeup:
The tools behind the look include:
- Cheeks
- Pocket Blush — in a new shade that’s coming soon
- Lips
- Peptide Lip Shape Contouring Lip Sharper – Twist
- Peptide Lip Tint Nourishing Glaze — in a new shade that’s coming soon
