SZA’s Super Bowl Makeup Was All About Bright Eyes & ‘Babydoll Blush’

Performing the Super Bowl halftime show is not for the faint of heart. With the bright stadium lights beating down and millions of eyes on your every move, it’s no wonder the featured artists would want to make sure every detail is perfect — which of course includes their glam. So when SZA met up with celebrity makeup artist Deanna Paley to plot out her game day look, the two devised a plan that would be soft and effortless while still standing up to all the lights and cameras. And that’s exactly what they accomplished — with a little help from a handful of Charlotte Tilbury products, of course.

Paley’s goal for this major event was to keep some of SZA’s makeup staples while turning everything up a notch to make a statement on the stage. “This was such a monumental moment, so I wanted her makeup to feel timeless yet powerful,” she said in a press release. “We kept her signature elements — like the sultry cat eye, flawless sculpted skin, and a soft babydoll blush — to maintain her essence while ensuring she looked radiant under the stadium lights.” To start, the makeup artists primed the “Snooze” singer’s skin with Charlotte Tilbury’s ultra hydrating Magic Cream before applying the brand’s iconic Hollywood Flawless Filter to achieve that ring light effect for blurred and illuminated skin that feels lit from within.

As for SZA’s base, Paley created a custom combo of Airbrush Flawless Foundation shades, then added in dimension with the Hollywood Contour Wand in Tan. Bright blush was a must for the look, and the Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Pillow Talk Dream Pop gave her cheeks a flush of cherry red that coordinated perfectly with her leather Born X Raised ensemble.

The “Luther” singer revealed in a pre-game show video that the lips are her favorite part of the look and teased the use of something from her own upcoming line. While you may have to stay tuned for more information on what exactly that entails, what we do already know is that Paley used Lip Cheat in Love Trap (a peach brown shade) to line SZA’s lips, then filled them in with Hot Lips Lipstick in Liv It Up (a pale pink) to make her pout defined and juicy.

To complete the full glam moment, hairstylist Devante Turnbull prepped and styled the Grammy winner’s bright red curls with K18 products and ghd hot tools, even breaking down the entire hair routine on his Instagram for those who want to score a similar look. The result was so signature SZA, but with a little extra camera-ready flair. But even if you’re not performing in a stadium filled with people, you can take note of a few key staples, including her ‘babydoll blush’ and contrasting lip liner-lipstick combo for everyday wear as well.