As a beauty director who spends a great deal of her time analysing red-carpet beauty looks, I'm going to let you in on a secret: I usually have a pretty good steer of what the makeup looks might comprise of before the red carpet kicks off. And this is particularly true of the BAFTAs. You see, while I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of tonight's first guests, I've already been in full BAFTA mode for the past 24 hours. Last night saw the BAFTA Nominees Party 2025 take place at London's National Gallery, and I was lucky enough to catch up with Jessica Plummer and Emma Naomi beforehand.
The British actresses were both swept up in their pre-party glam processes, with their makeup taking centre stage. "It's a great honour to be invited [to an event like this], so a lot of care and consideration is involved in the get-ready process. Luckily, I have a fantastic team that takes the pressure off of me," says Plummer.
And it's true, an event like this requires a lot of pre-planning and thought. With Plummer currently riding a wave of success following the recent release of Netflix's Missing You and Naomi deep in production of the upcoming season of Bridgerton, both actresses are keen to address just how excited they are for the evening ahead. "It’s a great chance to glam up and celebrate the work of my peers. There have been some stunning performances this year," says Naomi.
Their looks for the evening had been carefully worked on in collaboration with their teams and the official beauty sponsor of the BAFTAs, Lancôme. "I'm a casual daytime dresser, so this is a lot of fun," says Naomi. "I don’t usually wear makeup, my hair is usually covered, and you can find me in loose trousers and a simple t-shirt," she adds, explaining that her three-hour glam process for the evening proceeds a week of prep in the form of gym sessions, facials and hair masking. "My stylist, Freddie [Lovell-Pank] and I went with a Roland Mouret burgundy dress—I love structured silhouettes. We worked the glam from there: a dewy, fresh look to contrast with the strength of the dress, and long, soft waves down the back to show off the modern neckline."
And it seems Plummer is also someone whose red-carpet looks require careful time keeping and planning. "I would lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my body," says Plummer. "A schedule is the first thing I think about, and the process usually starts the day before, or maybe even a week before depending on my schedule," she says. "My outfit is usually what sets the tone for my beauty look. Aimee Croysdil is my stylist and I always trust her vision. With the structure and clean lines of my outfit, I wanted my hair and makeup to feel quite effortless, soft but still sexy! I try to have contrasts and balance in my looks."
For me, it's the details of the makeup looks that give the most valuable insight into exactly what products are set to dominate the red carpets for the season ahead. And the insights from their makeup teams delivered, with both actresses opting for one particular mascara, the new Lancôme Lash Idôle Flutter Extension Mascara—and this gives me reason to believe it's set to be the mascara of choice for awards season.
Jessica Plummer's BAFTA Nominees Party Makeup Look
“We wanted the makeup to feel modern and slick," says makeup artist for Lancôme, Zoë Taylor. "Jess has beautiful skin and high cheekbones, so I paired back the foundation and used Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer, enhanced slightly with Teint Idole Ultra Wear Skin Transforming Bronzer and a flush of blush via Blush Subtil in Blushing Tresor. We decided on a beautiful, cool-toned elongated eye using Hypnôse Palette in Smokey Chic, with a tight liner in the waterline and lots of Lancôme Lash Idôle Flutter Extension Mascara.” The look was finished off with a slick of Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Intimatte in 226 Mise A Nu on the lips.
Emma Naomi's BAFTA Nominees Party Makeup Look
“For this look, I wanted to achieve a fresh and radiant finish," says Joy Adenuga, makeup artist for Lancôme. "I prepped her skin with the Génifique Crème Youth Activating Day Cream, creating the perfect base for seamless foundation application. On the eyes, I used the Nude Sculptural eye palette to add a soft wash of colour with a hint of sparkle, then enhanced her lashes with the new Lash Idôle Flutter Extension Mascara for a fluttery, baby-doll effect. To complete the look, I applied one of my go-to lip glosses—Juicy Tube in Tickled Pink—for a glossy, effortless finish.”
Shop Lancôme Lash Idôle Flutter Extension Mascara
Lancôme, the official beauty sponsor of the BAFTAs, is proudly celebrating 25 years of partnership.
