Exclusive Chats with the Makeup Artists to the Stars: VMAs 2023 Beauty Recap with Nelly Furtado, Ice Spice & Rita Ora Bringing the Glam

Toronto Scoop’s Beauty Editor Takes You Behind the Scenes of the Boldest Looks at the 2023 VMAs

By John-Paul Ricchio

When I think of the VMAs, it takes me back to sitting in my living room as a kid anticipating the biggest event on TV (we had no social media, so this was MAJOR). Britney Spears’ iconic “Slave for You” performance with that snake is etched in my mind forever. Rapper Lil’ Kim and her daring light-purple jumpsuit ensemble with sequin nipple covers made worldwide headlines. Supermodel Cindy Crawford in her cut-out, bondage-inspired Versace look at the ’92 VMAs and Lady Gaga’s jaw-dropping and game-changing meat dress—these are just some of my favorites.

Fast forward to last night’s 2023 MTV VMAs at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey—it was 10s, 10s, 10s across the board. Here are my picks:

ICE SPICE: Beautiful Ice Spice, the 23-year-old rapper who won the Best New Artist category, absolutely slayed in CHARLOTTE TILBURY’S NEW! MAGIC WATER CREAM & HOLLYWOOD FLAWLESS FILTER! She grew emotional and teared up as she accepted the award, saying, “Thank you so much. Thank you, MTV.”

Speaking to her makeup artist, Karina Milan, she wanted to achieve a cheeky, glowy look for a show that is known for breaking beauty boundaries. Here is what she used:

For her complexion, they used:

For the eyes, they used:

And for the lips:

NELLY FURTADO: The epic Canadian songstress, who recently released a new single titled “Keep Going Up” with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, made a jaw-dropping entrance at the VMAs in a stunning backless gown by DUNDAS.

You might recall renowned designer Peter Dundas made quite an entrance back in 2017 when he launched his brand. In true iconic fashion, Beyoncé Knowles completely owned the Grammy Awards in a one-of-a-kind DUNDAS ensemble that left everyone in awe.

As she glided down the pink carpet, she stopped the paparazzi in their tracks. Her Canadian stylist, Marc Andrew Smith (you can follow him on Instagram here), shared with me that her timeless jewelry, featuring silver hoop earrings and a sparkling ring, came from David Yurman, and her shoes were from Miu Miu.

During the show, “Give It to Me” singer Furtado and Timbaland had the honour of presenting the Song of the Year award to Taylor Swift. The beauty game was on point, with her hair styled by Toronto stylist hello.kells, who gave her a sleek, relaxed waves look. Makeup artist Susanna Hong brought out pure GLAMOUR with a bold winged eyeliner, peach lipstick with a hint of gloss, and a cheekbone-enhancing bronzer that sent her contour to the MOON and back! MS. FURTADO totally slayed it.

RITA ORA: She was a presenter this year and graced the pink VMA carpet looking absolutely statuesque in a black off-the-shoulder Rodarte gown. Her hair was styled in a sleek blowout, flowing loose down to her shoulders, creating a stunning look. Her makeup, handled by Makeup & Skincare artist Samantha Lau (follow her fab on Instagram here), featured a grey chromatic eye look centered on a shimmering smoky eye, paired with a petal pink lip.

Get the look:

SKIN:

COMPLEXION:

EYES:

LIPS:

Have fun playing with these looks darlings! JP xo

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