What makes Jennifer Aniston’s classic, low-maintenance beauty look truly iconic
See Jennifer Aniston’s signature California-girl look evolution »
Like Brigitte Bardot and her catlike winged eyes, alabaster skin and matte, nude mouth, a classic beauty is one who’s created an iconic look. “The person has become the way we describe a certain aesthetic of beauty,” explains celebrity makeup artist Angela Levin. Sophia Loren embodies a lusty, robust ’50s sexuality; Audrey Hepburn equals refined elegance; Grace Kelly is the portrait of sophistication. They’re all women who mastered an appearance of effortlessness while staying true to themselves.
It’s a tactic employed by Jennifer Aniston—who dodges trends with the same fierceness that a Kardashian uses to stage a photo op—when she created her own look. “I just stick to what works for me,” Aniston says over the phone from Los Angeles. “If I ever try to divert from that, I feel ridiculous.”
Photography by Ron Galella/Getty
Photography by Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Photography by Jim Spellman/Getty
Photography by Jon Kopaloff/Getty
Photography by Barry King/Getty
Levin, Aniston’s long-time makeup artist—they’ve been working together for almost a decade—describes a typical primping scene with Aniston’s trusted hairstylist, Chris McMillan, as “more of a family event” during which the team operates on instinct. “With Jennifer, we pretty much just know. It’s like, ‘Hand me a glass of wine!’” Then it’s on to creating Aniston’s “golden California girl” look, which Levin describes as “timeless, sunny, glowy,” and an extension of Aniston herself. “It’s who she is: lightweight, funny, extremely friendly, an easygoing kind of personality,” adds Levin.
Crafting Aniston’s look consists of three components. In addition to glowing skin, Levin says blending is key, since “there are no edges to her makeup,” as well as transparency. “In other words, the makeup is not solid,” she explains. “That creates a feeling that it actually comes from being part of your skin, part of who you are, as opposed to a cosmetic that has been applied to you.” Which is why you’ll never see Aniston with a crimson mouth. “I have never been able to pull off a red lip,” she says. “I wear the colour red, but the lipstick is never red. I can’t do it.” Levin has tried to coax the actress into it at times. “We kid about it,” she says. “I always say, ‘One day I’m going to sneak that red lip on you and you’re going to love it.’ But it’s more about the comfort level. It’s not who she is.” Not that Aniston isn’t open to trying new things. “We play around with the skin tone, different shades of eyeshadow, stronger or lighter brows,” says Levin. “When I start the makeup, we don’t really think about it anymore. It’s always, ‘Let’s have fun.’”
No matter what the version of her look is, Aniston “has definitely broken through the borders of our Hollywood world,” says Levin. “There isn’t a place I go where people don’t know what the Jennifer Aniston look means.” As for the makeup artist’s own beauty icons, she admires women based on “what they did and their personality as opposed to how they wore their hair.” Upon hearing that Aniston answered the question in nearly the same way by naming activist and author Gloria Steinem because “she’s a confident, powerful, beautiful woman,” Levin snickers. Despite not being able to agree on a red lip, they do share the notion that classic beauty encompasses a life well lived. As Levin adds with a smirk, “That’s the luxury you have when you’ve already become a beauty icon.”
