How to recreate Jenna Ortega's beauty look Just a few steps to achieve the perfect gothic-chic make-up

Unless you spent this summer hiding away in a digital retreat (in which case, pure envy), it’s impossible that you didn’t scroll past at least one of the thousands of photos from the premiere of the second season of Wednesday, arriving in early September. Jenna Ortega, now a dark icon of Gen Z, took the red carpet by storm with looks nothing short of spectacular. But beyond the impeccable choices of her stylist Enrique Melendez, the real showstopper was the make-up by British makeup artist Melanie Inglessis: an ethereal soft gothic with just the right hint of shadow that on Jenna radiates a magnetic dark feminine energy. Naturally, who wouldn’t want the same effect? Here’s how to recreate this look.

How to recreate Jenna Ortega's make-up: preparation

Melanie Inglessis revealed all the secrets behind Jenna Ortega’s make-up at the Wednesday premiere in London to Glamour: probably the most talked-about and photographed look of the entire tour. Dark, gothic, yet luminous and almost angelic. While shadows, lipsticks, and other details change in different looks, the preparation practically always stays the same. Before touching Jenna’s face with any product, Melanie sculpts everything using the Korean device K-Beauty Laduora Lumeo SkinLift System: red light, infrared, 4D current, and facial massage all in one. It practically does everything by itself. With this tool, Melanie emphasizes Jenna’s gothic edge, lifts and sculpts cheekbones and brow arches, literally a needle-free lift with instant results.

The base: sculpted and smooth

The base is satin, almost a blurred skin effect, without the excessive shine of the latest beauty trends. Choose a foundation that gives this type of finish. Melanie opts for Dior Forever Hydra Nude and Forever Skin Perfect for a natural, second-skin smooth finish. To minimize imperfections she uses Dior Forever Skin Correct. To sculpt cheekbones and give structure to the face, she uses Dior Forever Skin Contour, and to subtly brighten the complexion, she applies Dior Backstage Glow Blush in Toffee.

Eyes: bleached brows and intense gaze

The first thing that draws attention in this make-up is definitely the eyebrows. Throughout the premiere, Jenna Ortega flaunted her bleached brows, perfectly balancing the dark mood with a clean, editorial effect. As Melanie explains: "We wanted to create the right balance between an editorial look, considering the bleached brows, and a red carpet moment." On the eyelids, Melanie smudges the crease with the contour stick used earlier to add depth and intensity, emphasizing the crease and inner eye. Then she adds a touch of grey eyeshadow from the Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyes Palette 73 Pied de Poule applied as eyeliner above and below to elongate the eyes, intensified with Diorshow Stylo 61 Matte Grey. Everything is highlighted with Dior Forever Glow Maximizer in Pearly. For the finishing touch on the lashes, first a serum, Dior Diorshow Maximizer 4D, then Dior Overvolume mascara top and bottom for a doll-like but strictly gothic effect.

Lips: vampy lips

To complete the look, Melanie recreates the vampy lips with the Dior Rouge Contouring Lip Pencil in shade 400 Nude Line, applying it all over the lips. No fuss: essential lips, yet incredibly dark-chic.