Everything You Need to Know About Kerry Washington’s Beauty Look from InStyle's September Cover Story

Having been a staple in Washington’s glam squad for years, Sturdivant-Drew was excited to try something fresh at our shoot. “I just wanted to give her more of a youthful, clean look to go with the clothes,” she said. “So I gave her hair some soft texture and then cut and lightened it some.” From there, the slick style was camera-ready, thanks to a few key products. “I used Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo to remove any dullness or buildup from Kerry’s hair,” said Sturdivant-Drew. “Then, I conditioned it with the Neutrogena Triple Moisture Professional Deep Recovery Hair Mask to give it that added shine. Other than that, I didn’t have to put anything on it—you want the hair to just be light and free, so you don’t want to overdo it with products. There’s no hairspray, and I didn’t have to curl it—that’s it at its natural texture.”

Makeup artist Corola Gonzalez created several natural-inspired looks for Washington at our shoot, starting with her glow. “To create healthy and even skin on Kerry, I used Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Cocoa,” said Gonzalez. “Then, to make her skin even more radiant, I rubbed Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 30 against my fingers and dabbed it over her cheekbones, forehead, chin, and nose bridge. This sunscreen, in particular, has a sheen to it.”

When it came to Washington’s lips, Gonzalez said she wanted to "make them pop.” For the bold, burgundy look on our cover (pictured at top), “I used Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Deep Plum and layered it with Charlotte Tilbury's lipstick in Glastonberry to create a certain shade,” she said. Meanwhile, for the “almost-bare” lip pictured above, the makeup artist “dabbed Neutrogena's MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Warm Caramel to match Kerry's lip tone and add some moisture.”

While Washington’s lips certainly stood out, Gonzalez decided to keep things simple when it came to her eyes—except for one standout glossy eye she created, pictured above. To achieve the look, she used Neutrogena Moisture Shine Gloss in Natural Boost paired with the brand's Healthy Volume Mascara in Carbon Black.

At our shoot, manicurist Casey Herman created two different—yet subtle—nail looks with shades from the OPI Washington DC Collection ($10 each, ulta.com). While the actress’s digits are decked out in the olive green “Suzi - The First Lady of Nails” on our cover, Herman swiped the hue off of Washington's nails halfway through our shoot to apply the neutral brown “Squeaker of the House” to better match the day's remaining outfits. And while the colors may be very different, they achieved the same effect. “With the overall look of her outfits, these were good neutrals—and especially for fall fashion looks,” said Herman. “They’re great shades for women of color, and these are both just gorgeous on Kerry’s skin tone. Green can be a little tricky to pull off, but she can do it.”