How Kat Graham Got Ready for the Cannes amfAR Gala, From Glowing Skin to Glossed Lips
Kat Graham has been a mainstay on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet since 2013, and this year is no exception. Over the course of the past week, the 31-year-old Vampire Diaries alum has turned heads in deep-cut gowns, fiery-red halter necks, and sparkling, strapless numbers. “During what was my busiest Cannes festival yet,” said Graham, whose hotel room overlooked the Mediterranean Sea, “the water kept me centered while I rushed to change shoes, jewelry and dresses all week.”
Of course, it’s hard to pick favorites, but of all her epic ensembles, her most stand-out look was perhaps the one that she wore to the 27th amfAR Gala: a high-shine, skin-baring Nicolas Jebran design, which she (with the help of her makeup artist, Elisa Rampi) accented with an equally stand-out beauty equation. “Because this was my second carpet of the night and my third look of the day, my hair was already done before I got ready,” Graham explained of her getting ready process. Instead, after prepping her face with a 111Skin recovery mask, she focused on her makeup, opting for a cherry-glossed lip and a swipe of metallic pigment at eye level—not to mention her ultimate complexion-saving secret weapon: L’Oréal’s Infallible’s powder foundation, which, she happily notes, works double duty as a contour. As she put it, “With the hot summer sun, it was the only thing that I used to keep me from looking sweaty but not overly matte.”
Below, a behind-the-scenes look at how Kat Graham prepped for the 2021 amfAR Gala.
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin1/6Trying to have fun while on my second of three carpets of the night. It’s so easy to get stressed out but I’m naturally a pretty silly person and try and keep everyone around me positive and laughing.
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin2/6Elisa Rampi my hair stylist and makeup artist is seen here trying to help me into my dress. My stylist Marco De Lucia was already en route to amfAR to meet me there!
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin3/6The Pomellato jewels are two different kinds of diamonds. I had to sign for them and there was a guard that came with an escort to deliver the most expensive pieces this trip.
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin4/6The view behind me overlooked the beautiful water and the Croisette. During what was my busiest Cannes festival yet, the water kept me centered while I rushed to change shoes, jewelry, and dresses all week.
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin5/6We made a last minute executive decision to lose the necklace before the carpet. Sometimes less is more. For this Nicolas Jebran gown, I didn’t need much more to begin with.
Photographed by Nicolas Gerardin6/6Because this was my second carpet of the night and my third look of the day, my hair was already done before I got ready for amfAR. I moisturized with 111Skin’s recovery mask before putting on L’Oreal’s Skin Paradise foundation. My finishing touches these days have been Infallible’s powder foundation, which I also used as a contour. With the hot summer sun it was the only thing that I used to keep me from looking sweaty but not overly matte.
