Jodie Turner-Smith Shares Her Secret to a Red Carpet-Ready Lip at Cannes

A head-to-toe custom Gucci fantasy is Jodie Turner-Smith’s Cannes reality. In the south of France, the star of Kogonada’s science fiction drama After Yang prepped for last night’s screening with an attitude that matched the fashion house’s no-rules-all-fun visual language. “I’ve always loved being creative with makeup,” Turner-Smith tells Vogue. “And being at Cannes is the perfect time to be playful.”  

Mixing materials—and lip colors—was part of the Brit-born actor’s secret. Her custom strapless Gucci gown combined black vinyl and crystal embroidery with angelic, sunny yellow feathers that floated past a chunky pair of platforms. “I wanted something that was glamourous and glossy yet soft at the same time,” says Turner-Smith of keeping her face (a favorite of the house’s fragrance and high jewelry campaigns) fresh with a “really natural glow.” Skin was veiled in Sérum De Beauté Fluide Soyeux primer, with light-catching hints of Eclat De Beauté Effet Lumière face gloss. The real alchemy happened in the moment. “We had a lot of fun playing with the collectsion,” Turner-Smith admits of the array of Gucci Beauty in the glam room. “In the end, we mixed two different lipsticks for the final look.” A rich berry Jody Wild Mauve hue of Rouge de Beauté lipstick teamed with a sheer wash of bricky Marguerite Jade Rouge à Lèvres Voile lipstick to create a balmy, bespoke shade. “I loved that customized part of my make-up,” she says of the lip that, even amid Gucci diamonds, beryls, and one heart-shaped tanzanite at the world’s most fashionable film festival, managed to steal the spotlight on the red carpet.