You Can’t Be J.Lo (But You Can Re-Create Her AMA Beauty Look)

Every time another awards show rolls around, I find myself wondering, How is Jennifer Lopez this hot? And her most recent look for the 2020 American Music Awards was equally as scorching. Her performance with Maluma had Twitter buzzing, and her Balmain look was one for the books, but I can’t stop thinking about her beauty look. It went beyond her perfect skin—this look was too hot to handle. So being the obsessed Lopez stan I am, I stalked her makeup artist's, Mary Phillips, and her hairstylist's, Chris Appleton, Instagrams to secure the details on her look. Ahead, you’ll see what products were used to create Lopez’s iconic AMA beauty look. You may not be able to be Lopez, but you can re-create her look at home.
Let's start with Lopez’s hair. To re-create that, you'll want to do what Appleton did…
Step #1: Wet your hair and then apply Color Wow’s Dream Coat curl spray.
Step #2: You’ll want to dry your hair with a diffuser for control. Appleton used Leandro Limited’s carbon ionic hair dryer.
Step #3: After you’ve dried your hair, apply Color Wow’s Pop & Lock Crystallite Shellac in two-inch sections.
Step #4: After applying the shellac, use a curling iron on the lowest heat setting and twist through your hair from roots to ends for a loose wave.
Step #5: Finish off your Lopez-inspired hair with Color Wow’s Extra Shine Spray to achieve that wet-look shine.
Now that you’ve mastered Lopez’s hair, it’s time to re-create her makeup look. Mary Phillips shared all the products she used to create the look on her Instagram. For Lopez’s stunning eye shadow look, Phillips shared that she used Pat McGrath’s Mothership III Subversive Palette and Mothership V Bronze Seduction Palette.
Step #1: Blend a light wash of the shade Eyedols Statuesque across the lid and into the crease.
Step #2: Enhance your lower lash line with the shades Entrapment and Disobedient close to the lashes for definition.
Step #3: Create a defined outer V crease with Permagel Ultra in Xtreme Black.
Step #4: Top it with Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner. Then, defuse the eye shadow using the shade Xtreme Black.
Step #5: Illuminate the inner corner of your eye to the middle-lower lash line with Astral Ghost Orchid to add a shimmer of pink. Finish off your eye look with Dark Star Mascara.
Once you've finished the eye shadow look, you'll want to move onto the finishing touches of Lopez's 2020 AMA beauty look. You'll start by making your skin as dewy as hers, so you'll want to use highlighter.
Step #6: Phillips used different Pat McGrath highlighters to create Lopez’s luminous skin look. You’ll want to apply Pat McGrath’s Highlighter and Balm Duo in Golden to your cheekbones.
Add this Highlighting Trio to your cheekbones, temples, and anywhere else you prefer.
Step #7: Now that you’ve re-created Lopez’s shiny, wet hair, bold eye shadow, and dewy skin, it’s time to tackle the most crucial part of the look: her lips. You’ll want to start with lining your lips with Pat McGrath’s PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil in Contour.
Step #8: Then, you’ll want to apply Pat McGrath’s MatteTrance Lipstick in Christy.
Step #9: And finally, finish off your lipstick with a top layer of Pat McGrath's Lust Lip Gloss in Gold Allure for the perfect nude lip that may even rival Lopez’s very own.
Shop more essentials to re-create this look:
You'll need a brush to accomplish the eye shadow technique used for J.Lo's AMA beauty look.
Be sure to detangle your hair before styling it.
Make your look last and apply primer before.
You'll want a great cleanser for when you're ready to remove your look.
And if you want an eco-friendly way to remove your makeup, try these reusable cleansing cloths.
Next: FYI: This Is Why J.Lo's Skin Is So Damn Glowy at 50
Jasmine Fox-Suliaman is a freelance writer and editor living in New York City. What began as a pastime (blogging on Tumblr) transformed into a lifelong passion for unveiling the connection between fashion and culture on the internet and in real life. Over the last decade, she's melded her extensive edit and social background to various on-staff positions at Who What Wear, MyDomaine, and Byrdie. More recently, she’s become a freelance contributor to other publications including Vogue, Editorialist, and The Cut. Off the clock, you can find her clutching her cell phone as she's constantly scrolling through TikTok and The RealReal, in search of the next cool thing.
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