Behind the Cover Look: How to Get Jessica Biel’s Effortless Glowy Base

As far as timeless make-up looks go, there’s one kind that will never cease to impress—glowy, minimalist and effortlessly elegant. It’s the answer to looking instantly “put together” and achieving that coveted “lit-from-within” glow, which is exactly what Chanel Make-up Artist Kara Yoshimoto aimed to replicate for Jessica Biel’s cover look. Think: a fresh and illuminated base, a natural yet defined lip, naturally feathered brows and softly sculpted eyeshadow.

The key to nailing this look is light-handed application techniques and moving with intention—it's about creating a seamlessly cohesive look. Sound daunting? Fear not, we've asked Kara to break down the look and share her top tips below. You're welcome.

Ace Your Base

Starting with the base, Kara used the Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch to even out the skin tone, but still embrace Jessica's natural skin texture. Blurring the lines between skincare and make-up, this lightweight gel-like formula is infused with skin-loving ingredients and antioxidants to help hydrate and plump up the skin. “For the most lightweight application, blend one pump of the micro-droplets thoroughly on the back of the hand with the brush before applying,” Kara suggests.

“Use the lighter shade to even the complexion, the deeper tone to subtly contour under the jawline, under cheekbones and edges of the face and use your finger to tap for extra coverage around the nose, mouth and just in the curve under the eye to seamlessly conceal,” she explains. On Jessica, she ended up using shades B10 and BD31. Her top tip is to be “Extra light-handed under the eyes and cheekbones and only work it up to just below where the lower lashes extend out to avoid creasing and smudging your eye make-up or emphasising any fine lines.”

To add a sun-kissed glow with a touch of pink, Kara then opted for the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Golden Glow Powder Duo in the shade Éclat Du Soir. “Sweep the pinky illuminating powder over the apples of the cheeks and bridge of the nose, then layer the richer, more pigmented and warmer shade to gently sculpt the apples of the cheeks,” she shares.

The Eyes Have It

As for the eyes, Kara first went in with the Chanel Les 4 Ombres eyeshadow palette in the shade 308 Clair-Obscur, which helped achieve that “effortlessly defined” look with added “depth and softness.” Featuring four neutral shades, this formula delivered a seamless creamy blend “to contour above the lid towards the bridge of the nose and sculpt [Jessica’s] sultry hooded eyes.”

“The lightest shade is perfect for gently highlighting on the brow bone and on the lid and along the lower lash line,” Kara says. You can then layer the formula and blend out the mid-tone shades to “extend the eyes into a fox-like shape,” and as Kara suggests, “pressing the darkest shade into the lash line into the inner eyes for a natural chic intensity.”

Kara’s choice of mascara fell on the Chanel Inimitable formula in the shade 30 Noir Brun, which is a darker brown that naturally defines the lashes without making them look too dramatic. What makes this mascara unique is its flexible brush with ultra-thin bristles to volumise, lengthen, curl and separate the lashes seamlessly without resulting in any clumps or flakiness.

Her top mascara application technique is to “curl the lashes and gently wiggle from the roots up to the tips to define without overpowering.” Next, she advises to “feather with a clean spoolie just enough to lift and frame the eyes, letting the beauty of delicate lids brighten and open the eyes. "It’s elegance in restraint, where less becomes more," she adds.

Let the lips do the talking

Last, but most certainly not least, the lips. Kara created a “soft yet defined lip” that effortlessly complemented Jessica’s natural pout. She first went in with the Chanel Le Crayon Lèvres lip pencil in the shade Beige Natural, which is a beautiful pinky peach colour to “lightly even out the lips.”

That said, Kara also points out that prepping the lips with a hydrating lip balm is key for smoother application. “Always hydrate first with plenty of Chanel Rouge Coco Baume and use a spoolie to exfoliate any excess skin,” she suggests.

For a natural contoured look, Kara advises using the Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in the shade 20 Blonde Cendré “to create gentle shadowing around the edges.” She also shared that she ended up using the same multi-purpose pencil for “feathering and filling in the brows.”

To create a soft brow, Kara suggests using “light hairlike strokes in the inner brows and drawing broader strokes on the outer brow with firmer pressure to create definition in the arch." She adds: "Blend gently with the spoolie on the other end of the pencil with upward and outward movement."