For Daniela Garza, makeup—much like cinema—is a medium through which to express herself. “I’m a bit shy, so putting on a look that I feel really good in is like stepping into a character; it takes some of that timidness away,” says the New York-based digital creator and filmmaker, who regularly draws above-the-neck inspiration from the silver screen, be it Monica Bellucci’s crimson pout in Malena or an intense, inky eye à la Penelope Cruz in Volver.
During the day, “Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice is the perfect spring-summer look,” she continues. In our latest video, Garza pulls back the curtain on how she masters the character’s rosy, windswept flush.
After prepping her canvas with Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, Vital Skin Concealer (dotted directly onto her undereye circles), and Vital Pressed Skincare Powder (in Translucent), she warms up her face with a creamy peach hue courtesy of Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Coquette. Next comes an upwards sweep of the whisper-light (and, she happily notes, shimmer-free!) Powder Blush Duo in Coquette/Mimi.
No matter which character she’s channeling, however, “I always do a tiny little wing,” she says of her signature eye look, which she achieves with a smudgy pencil in Kôhl Brun, etched along the outer corner of her upper lash lines; a heated lash curler—used before and after applying mascara—heightens the drama, albeit subtly.
For the finale, Garza gently traces the natural curves of her mouth with Lip Shape Lip Liner in Sable— “I don’t overline because it makes me look like a caricature!” she says with a laugh —and presses a hydrating-matte lipstick in Piqué onto the center. She tops it all off with a light layer of Squeaky Clean glistening balm in Nana, before tossing the ‘your-lips-but-better’ trifecta into her purse and heading out the door. “I always have a mini makeup bag with me,” she says. “Even if the color’s subtle, I like my lips to look perfect and intentional.”
From left: Lip Shape Liner in Sable, Lip Suede Lipstick in Piqué, & Squeaky Clean Balm in Nana
