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Jessica Williams made her debut at the Venice International Film Festival and aced her first time at the event with the help of makeup artist Kenneth Soh.
The Shrinking actress, 36, attended the red carpet for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein on Saturday, Aug. 30. Williams made a splash with a subtle take on goth glam, which perfectly complemented the impeccably tailored navy Giorgio Armani suit she wore during the event.
Soh packed several Armani beauty products for Venice to give the actress a flawless face that also matched played on the theme of the film, he tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“We both loved gothic horror as a genre, so we kept skin really beautiful and perfected, but did a smoked out, sultry eye using colors like mahogany, khaki and smoky grey,” Soh explains.
The MUA says his “ethos” for red carpet beauty is to “look at all aspects, including dress, hairstyle, nails, jewelry and even location and lighting on the day, and to discuss with my client and the rest of the team to see which direction we want to go.”
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
Soh continues, “I believe everything should work in harmony, and every actress I work with has their own unique beauty perspective. My job is to understand all this and give her whatever she needs to be confident on the carpet.”
Williams’ entire makeup look — including a brief “chat about what we were trying to achieve” — took a total of 90 minutes from start to finish.
Below, Williams and Soh give a behind-the-scenes look at what went into preparing for the glamorous event, from product selections to technique breakdowns.
All Eyes on Jess
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
“Armani beauty makes the best complexion products,” Williams says of the brand. “I love its buildable coverage, I can do multiple layers and my skin will still look very natural. Luminous Silk is the only foundation and concealer I trust on the red carpet.”
Inside Soh’s Makeup Kit
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
“It’s impossible to look at the Venice International Film Festival carpet and not instantly associate it with Armani beauty,” Soh tells PEOPLE. “It’s a brand I reach for whenever I’m after products that work flawlessly on my clients and translate well on the red carpet and in photos.”
The MUA calls the the brand’s Luminous Silk Hydrating & Perfecting Concealer ($42) “beauty in a bottle” and lists it as an essential in his kit. To create Williams’ base, he placed the product in a few targeted areas on her face that needed coverage.
“I used it under the eyes, under the brows, center of the nose and forehead to create perfected but real skin, and to also highlight and brighten areas of Jessica’s face,” he says.
The Full Beauty Beat
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
Soh additionally utilized the Luminous Silk Perfect Natural Glow Foundation ($69) and followed up with the Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder ($59) to add warmth to Williams’ face, a key component of the makeup that allowed her to glow with every camera flash at the event.
“I blended the bronzer under Jessica’s cheekbones, hairline and even on top of the eyelids to warm up and shape the face to ensure Jessica had dimension when being photographed on the carpet.”
A Smoldering, Smoky Eye
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
The makeup artist incorporated moody tones into Williams’ beauty look by using the Armani beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow ($39) in the shades 36M Wood and 90M Khaki — “I applied [Wood] straight onto the lid and then blended it into a wide winged shape towards the brows, followed by the Khaki color very close to the lash line for definition and smokiness,” he says.
Williams’ eyes were finished with the brand’s Vertigo Lift Mascara ($32) and Smooth Silk Eye Pencil to give her lids an extra pop, while the Lip Maestro Velvet Liquid Lipstick ($48) in the shade 214 (a pinky nude) was applied to her lips.
Outfit of the Day
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
“As Jessica was wearing a really gorgeous masculine double-breasted suit, we decided to let her makeup and hair be feminine, sultry and mysterious. I love sometimes having a contrast of makeup to the outfit,” Soh says of Williams’ look, which also consisted of a tie, crisp white button-down shirt and shiny patent leather shoes.
Making a Splash
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
Though Williams’ makeup look featured moody tones “the nod to the gothic horror theme gave us a great excuse to have a cheeky, subtle bit of fun,” Soh says. The fun elements continued with the actress’ black and white polka-dotted manicure, which contained quirky negative space elements.
Well Suited
Cibelle Levi/Armani beauty
Williams says her “sexy” Giorgio Armani suit made her feel “powerful, strong and like a boss, so I wanted my makeup look to match.” She also notes that she wanted “to balance out” the dark makeup and “add a little femininity” with bouncy curls in her hair, courtesy of hairstylist James Catalano. “I felt amazing on the red carpet.”
A Photo Finish
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Soh and Williams’ collaboration marks the first time the pair has worked together, but hopefully not the last; the MUA says he’s a “fan” of her work. “I think she’s stunning and very talented,” he adds. “I love how everything worked together, and we achieved a look that’s flawless and perfected without masking Jessica as a woman.”
