Every Beauty Secret Behind Nara Smith’s Who What Wear Cover Shoot

If you follow Nara Smith or have spotted her on your For You Page, you already know the fashion model has a serious range when it comes to her from-scratch kitchen creations (bubblegum! cereal! ice cream!) and the outfits she wears while preparing them. For this month’s cover shoot, Smith shows off a similar versatility, undulating between whimsical and powerful looks. Of course, there’s the fashion, but let’s not forget the beauty. From romantic pulls of Old Hollywood to high-society glamour that’s equal parts alluring and mysterious, keep scrolling for Smith’s step-by-step beauty breakdown.

Throughout the cover shoot, Smith subtly shapeshifted through a trio of makeup looks, all of which were inspired by the clothing and location. “The clothes were that of a woman who wears a different face for every occasion,” explains Chanel makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown. “We were channeling a rich socialite or ‘mob wife energy,’ and the intensity of each look ramped up as the day went on.” According to Brown, each look needed to be differentiated yet cohesive, starting more proper and “done” and gradually becoming more sultry and exaggerated. “The differentiation came from adding more [lipstick] or changing the placement of the blush to be more severe. We wanted to escalate the overall feel without adding a ton of product. Think tiny touches that wouldn’t look garish.”

For Smith’s first look, it was all about the eyes with Brown citing Chanel’s Les 4 Ombres in Initiation ($68) as the MVP product. “All of these colors work in harmony but are on the lighter spectrum of nudes,” Brown explains. The cheeks and lips were kept fresh with a swipe of creamy, rose-hued blush, and a refined nude lip via Chanel’s Le Crayon Lèvres in Nude Brun ($35) and Rouge Coco Baume in Natural Charm ($45).