Behind the scenes skin prep and insider beauty tips for one of the biggest events in the Irish social calendar …
At the Irish Film & Television Academy Awards at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre on February 21, award-winning actress Siobhán Cullen was exclusively glammed by Irish make-up artist Aimee Connolly as the official beauty partner of the IFTAs, alongside top hair stylist Dylan Bradshaw. Siobhán wore Sacai, styled by Oisin Boyd and Ellie May Brown. She was nominated for Best Actress in critically acclaimed RTÉ series Obituary, which has been running since 2023, and she also presented Best Actor in a Leading Role to Éanna Hardwicke for Saipan.
Following her stint in Netflix miniseries Bodkin in 2024 with Hollywood heavyweight Will Forte, Siobhán will next be seen leading BBC’s priority prestige drama Babies with Paapa Essiedu, last seen with Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun in 2024. Siobhán is currently in production on her starring role opposite Henry Cavill in Chad Stahelski’s major film reboot of the hugely popular Highlander franchise.
Aimee: I’m here glamming the gorgeous Siobhán. We’ve just started with some skin prep for her complexion. On the skin, we have Cream Cushion Foundation in Shade 2W, which is beautiful. Brighten Up Concealer in Ivory keeps the skin really fresh, glowy and natural. We’re going to do quite a soft, diffused sculp with some definition around the eyes, but it’s going to be nice and tonal. That’s the vibe.
Aimee: When you’re travelling and preparing for big events like this, what do you do inside and out to get yourself awards ready?
Siobhán: I try to get as much rest as possible, but that doesn’t exactly go to plan. I don’t track my sleep as I think I’d become obsessed with it. I just trust that if I wake up and I’m still alive, it must have been a good night! I drink quite a lot of water anyway, but I’ll pay a bit more attention to that, especially if I’m flying. If I can, I’ll pop on a little mask in the morning for a quick boost of hydration.
Aimee: Obviously, getting ready is the best part, but one of the other best parts is getting unready and into your PJs! How do you get unready?
Siobhán: Even when I feel like I don’t want to and it’s the last thing on my list, I always take off my make-up. Even if I just want to fall into bed. And I’ll do a double cleanse. If I’ve been wearing make-up or even just sunscreen, I’ll do an oil cleanser first then more of a foam.
Aimee: When you’re planning your hair, make-up and outfit, what usually comes first or what follows?
Siobhán: I’m really lucky to work with two amazing stylists, Oisin Boyd and Ellie May Brown, and I’m really open to a collaboration. They gave me amazing options, but they’re probably far more imaginative than I am, so they work to my tastes. That’s the exciting part, coming together and making it a collaborative two-way process. The outfit does the talking with hair and make-up to enhance it.
Aimee: Exactly, enhance. With our LiquidGlo Brightening Essence, I find that it’s crucial for that little bit of red carpet glow. I lock in hydration with HydraGlo. Cream Cushion is doing all the hard work on the surface of the skin for a gorgeous glow, but I keep the sculpt really light as I want to pronounce Siobhán’s gorgeous cheekbones without overpowering. There’s a new shade that I can’t tell you about yet! I use a bit of Cream Luxe Bronze and Cream Luxe in Dusty Rose as the perfect kind of tonal blush. I keep the eyes really light and matte (Eyeliner Duo – Nude, Line & Shine – Blush and LashLift Mascara – Ultra Black). For lips, I give soft definition to pick up on the tone of the eyes that also comes through the cheeks (Bare Basics Palette – Peony). Get ready for the final result …
