It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to interview Bruce Grayson, Olay celebrity makeup artist/head makeup artist for the Primetime Emmys (coming up on Sunday – is your DVR set?)! He’s an absolute doll in addition to being a FOUNTAIN of makeup knowlege. His impressive client roster includes Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Brooke Shields, Sarah Silverman, Hayden Panettiere, Brittany Murphy, Sarah Rue, Mel Gibson and David Spade. He has also had the honor of working as the personal make-up artist for President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton.

What can we expect on the red carpet this Sunday? Read on, dolls. And don’t forget to enter the contest at the end of the post!

Beauty Blogging Junkie: What makeup trends can we expect to see at the Emmys on Sunday?

Bruce Grayson: We’ll be seeing a lot of skin – spaghetti straps, backless dresses, etc. Lots of luminous, glowy skin that will be echoed in the stars’ faces as well. We’ll be keeping it simple with a lot of dewy tinted moisturizers. It wil have to be glowy, yet controlled (because of HD TV, obviously). I plan to use Olay Definity produts which we’ll blend to make the shine work for the client. We’ll counteract any unwanted shine with a heavier foundation only in the T zone.

BG: Eyes will be simply swept with bone or beige shadow and we’ll be focusing on lashes (both faux and artfully mascara-d) as opposed to liner. Opening the eye with lashes always produces a natural but polished look.

BG: We’ll definitely see more retro-reds on celebs whose dresses dictate a more classic look. We’re also going to see a lot of beige sheer lipsticks and glosses with shimmer. Berries and mauves will also make an appearance.

BG: There are tons of great drugstore buys to be had: MAX Factor makes some fantastic eyeshadows for under $7. I don’t recommend going cheaper on your liners, however. I love MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder and Lancome Le Krayon Khol in Black Lapis. I also love prestige black shadows such as Laura Mercier’s in Caviar and Bobbi Brown’s in Charcoal. Olay Definity is a fantastic drug store gem which yields luxurious results. I recommend you use it for at least six weeks in order to fully reap the benefits and see the change in your skin’s texture. Drinking a lot of water and minimizing caffeine consumption also helps! For mascara, I’m loving CoverGirl Lashblast. One pass on the lashes with this stuff yields the same results as several with a prestige brand’s mascara!

BG: I’m not hugely into the mineral makeup I’ve seen advertised for “five-minute faces” of late [ed. note: you KNOW I’m not a fan of these either!] Shape cheeks with a taupe blush like MAC ‘s in Emote. Comb brows and swipe on mascara and a tinted balm such as MAC Tendertone Lip Balm SPF 12. Lancome’s Juicy Tubes are also great!

BG: Keep it SIMPLE. I like to play up one focal point only, be it eyes, lips, skin or brows. Too many places to look causes people to lose concentration and in doing so, the person is lost. For instance, Anne Hathaway has enormous eyes, so we focus on them. I recommend curling lashes to open the eye. Dior Diorshow mascara sometimes is a bit too brittle/drying for the red carpet, even though it’s enormously popular. Also, toss your mascara tube after three or four months.

BBJ: What is your ultimate fave red carpet look?
BG: I think Christina Aguilera does it so well with her old-fashioned red lips. My favorite aesthetic is that of the 30s and 40s. Madonna also does that look to a tee.

Thanks so much to Bruce for sharing his tips and Emmy look predictions! I can’t wait to see what he creates on Sunday!