We Got Ready with Lili Reinhart and Wrote Down Every Glow-Enhancing Product Used

The Venice Film Festival is undeniably one of the most glamorous events of the year—and how could it not be, with the best in entertainment and fashion gathering in the idyllic Italian city to fête the most exciting new movies? Those who attend the festival are in for a treat—but also, of course, a whirlwind set of high-profile events, making the ritual of getting ready more important than ever. And—it's important to note—with the SAG-AFTRA strike still going strong, we had even more time to discuss beauty. We caught up with Lili Reinhart as she got her hair and makeup done for an Armani dinner at Venice's iconic Peggy Guggenheim Collection. The actress shared crafting the perfect look involved leaning into classic Italian glamour while staying true to herself. Keep reading for the makeup products that went into Reinhart's look, what she'd bring to a desert island, and her ultimate beauty philosophy.

The Inspiration and Collab Process

Reinhart came to makeup artist Francesca Brazzo having already chosen her gown for the night—a classic, full-length black number with a plunging neckline and delicate detailing (think: a mix of rose petal and mermaid). Also key to the ensemble were tons of diamonds. To complement the outfit, the two worked together to dream up dimensional, subtly shimmering makeup. "[I'm wearing] a beautiful, chic black dress, so I wanted to have my makeup stay very classic—nothing too graphic," Reinhart tells Byrdie's editor-in-chief, Hallie Gould. "[I wanted something that would] look good on a boat with a long black gown." Operatic music only further set the mood as the star got glam in the historic hotel room.

Well-acclimated to the hair and makeup chair, Reinhart appreciates the process of working with artists to craft the perfect look. "I like to talk with the artists and collaborate, and I trust them," she says. "It’s what they do for a living, so I sit in the chair and show them what I’m wearing and then they decide and I say, 'Okay, great!'" Brazzo feels the same way: "We always start by looking at the outfit she’s wearing, I pull tons of references, and then we’ll collaborate and pick ideas from various images and combine them all to get the final look," she explains. "Lili has great skin. We tend to go more on the natural side to enhance her skin without covering it up too much."

Reinhart's top tip she's picked up from years of collaborating with top makeup artists? "My makeup always looks best when I take my time," she says. "I'm often in a rush and I don’t like to put a lot on my face, so I’m very quick with it, but I’ve learned to stop and take my time. I appreciate when I have a lot of time to get ready, because that’s when it always looks the most put-together."

The Makeup (and Skincare)

Reinhart's skin prep actually started on the plane ride over, long before she hit Brazzo's makeup chair. The actress keeps her acne-prone skin in check through long flights using an anti-microbial face mist, plus she always travels with a set of metal face globes, which she pops into the fridge upon arrival before using them to cool and calm her complexion. She also keeps her skin glowing and hydrated with a moisturizer from her esthetician, Sarah Ford.

To prime Reinhart's skin for her Venetian glam, Brazzo used Armani Beauty's Crema Nera Supreme Light Reviving Cream on her face and eyes, deeply massaging it in for a hydrated glow and blurred pores. "She rubbed it all in," Reinhart emphasizes. And Brazzo has a good reason for being so thorough: "One of the key things is skincare and massaging the skincare in, for a good five minutes, and don’t be afraid to be quite firm with it," she says. "It’s more like a lymphatic drainage massage, so it takes away puffiness, gets the blood to the surface, and helps to contour the skin naturally."

For complexion makeup, Brazzo kept it simple, as Reinhart's skin thrives with a less-is-more approach—"I like to show my skin," she says. "I don’t want to feel like I have a ton of makeup on, so a fresh-face look is usually what I always lean towards." It turns out only two products were necessary to create a subtly contoured glow for boating around Venice's famous canals: Armani Beauty's Luminous Silk Foundation in 4 and Concealer in 3.75. Brazzo uses the foundation on almost everyone she works with, while Reinhart praises the concealer as part of her everyday routine: "I don’t like wearing too much on my skin, so I’ll apply the Luminous Silk Concealer around my mouth and nose where I get a little redness, then under my eyes, and that’s it," she tells us.

Once Reinhart's base was set, it was time for Brazzo to work her magic with various shades of Armani Beauty's Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow in 27S, 11S, and 1S, Luminous Silk Glow Blush in 50 and 11, and Lip Power Long-Lasting Matte Lipstick in 116 and 111 . She went with a set of rosy neutrals to complement the actress's green eyes and classic black gown, blending mattes and shimmers to create depth and natural-looking highlight. After creating a "fluttery, really open, fresh eye" with the tints, Brazzo finished Reinhart's eye look with the Eyes to Kill Waterproof Mascara and the Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in 12.

Blending two lipsticks—a darker shade all over, followed by a lighter shade in the center for a touch of fullness—is actually one of Brazzo's signature techniques: "I do it all the time," she says. "I know it’s annoying having two in your bag, but they’re small, and you can get that lovely, naturally contoured lip without a harsh contrast."

Lili's Favorite Products

In addition to the Luminous Silk Concealer, Reinhart loves the Luminous Silk Glow Blush, which she's been trying out in various shades for both events and at-home experimentation. The product's shimmering shades were key in crafting her Venice look, and the star also gave Barbie-pink shade Ecstasy a try in a recent TikTok. "It was so pretty," she says. "I tried to use it on my eyes, but I’m not skilled. I need to work on that, but I like using blush on my eyes, so I need [to figure that one out]."

Reinhart finds a nice foundation to be a worthwhile splurge, citing Luminous Silk to be a standout example. But when it comes to lip balm—another staple in the actress's routine, as she says she usually travels with "like eight different kinds"—she appreciates a quality affordable find. "I love my little rosebud salve lip balm," she tells us. "If I were stranded on a desert island and could bring one thing, it would be this. I always have multiple lip balms with me, but that one’s my favorite for sure."

Lili's Signature Look and Beauty Philosophy

As mentioned, Reinhart takes a less-is-more approach to makeup, letting her skin shine and working with artists like Brazzo to enhance her natural features. When it comes to hair, she's loved it at different lengths, as long as it's styled in a way that feels authentic to her: "I lean towards classic, I think, with my hair," she says. "Anything too [different], and I just don’t feel like myself."

Staying true to herself happens to be Reinhart's biggest overall beauty philosophy. "My worst nightmare is looking in the mirror and feeling like I don’t look like me," she tells us. "When I’m not doing a photoshoot or playing a character, I should feel like myself. So, any time I’m getting my hair and makeup done, if something feels too much or way too uncomfortable, I’m going to be self-conscious. The whole point is to accentuate your beauty and not hide or cover anything, unless that’s what you want to do."

How She Gets "Un-Ready"

As soon as Reinhart gets in the door after a night out, getting comfortable is her priority. "The second I’m in the door, I take my clothes off, and then I wash my face immediately after," she says. With her makeup off so her skin can take a break, all that's left to do is shower, unwind while scrolling TikTok, and get some rest before another busy day.