I've been writing about red carpet beauty for over a decade, so it takes something pretty special to stop me in my tracks – but this is exactly what happened last night when I laid eyes on Nicole Kidman's Practical Magic 2 premiere look.
Dressed in a dazzling mint green custom Chanel dress, Nicole looked as bewitching as her character in the spooky film, Gillian Owens. It wasn't just the thigh-split gown that made Nicole's red carpet style stand out, though, it was her hair and makeup, too.
© InstagramNicole Kidman's Practical Magic glam
Nicole's waist-length hair cascaded down her back, styled by HELLO! Beauty Collective member Sam McKnight, who shared the secrets to her incredible hair with me this morning.
"I wanted Nicole's hair to feel like it had a little magic in it - soft, glossy, full of movement and completely effortless. The best red-carpet hair should look incredible but never look like it’s trying too hard."
© Getty ImagesHow did he achieve his desired look? "I started with my Cool Girl Body Plumping and Volumising Cream, £29, to build the foundation," he began. "It gives the hair that lovely, airy fullness without making it feel stiff or overworked. For a premiere, I want volume you can actually move in."
"I wanted Nicole's hair to feel like it had a little magic in it"
To finish, Sam used his Dressed to Kill Define and Defrizz Crème, £27, to smooth and define the hair while keeping all that movement. "It's about controlling the frizz without killing the life of the hair - polished, but still alive."
As for her makeup? Nicole's face was painted by celebrity makeup artist Wendy Rowe, who often works with Victoria Beckham, too.
On the look, Wendy told HELLO!: "We wanted Nicole to embody the spirit of an enchantress: glowing, powerful, and effortlessly beautiful.
"The look centered on a golden, luminous complexion with warm brown eyes in soft, natural movement, paired with a fresh rose -pink lip. Inspired by the jade green gown, cascading with sequins and pearls, we brought in a subtle '70s -inspired shimmer to complete the overall radiance."
© Getty ImagesWendy used Clé de Peau Beauté for Nicole's spellbinding look, namely the brand's Eye Color Quad eyeshadow in shades four, six and eight, £51 each.
© Getty ImagesFor Nicole's flawless, lit-from-within skin, Wendy relied on the brand's Luminizing Face Enhancer in shade Sunsets Brilliance, which she dusted on Nicole's cheekbones to make them pop even more than usual. The powder, £90, is made from gemstones which have been crushed down so finely they can be added to the formula, for the opalescent glow you can see on Nicole's cheeks.
"We wanted Nicole to embody the spirit of an enchantress: glowing, powerful, and effortlessly beautiful"
On why highlighter can feel like witchcraft when it comes to a youthful appearance, beauty expert Ateh Jewel muses: "A great highlighter is like a magic trick as it pulls light to the face and creates and cheats angles, which make you look contoured and fabulous.
On her lips, Nicole wore a £106 lipstick, the Clé de Peau Beauté Precious Lipstick in True Scarlet Diamond. The result? A glistening, magical look that had fans (and beauty editors) cast under a spell…
