Behind Laufey’s Dreamy “Clockwork” Video Makeup

One rainy Wednesday in August, Laufey surprised patrons of New York’s iconic Guggenheim Museum—as well as a few lucky fans—with a pop-up performance. She took to the stage wearing a black dress, matching hair bow, and frosty baby blue eyeshadow to serenade the crowd with songs off her new album, A Matter of Time.

But the magic kept on going even as fans left the museum, as the singer stayed after hours to film her video for “Clockwork.” The video is a special one, not only because of the venue and the fact that it features members of the New York City Ballet, but because it marks the beginning of her partnership with Valentino Beauty.

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“I am so honored to have an iconic brand such as Valentino Beauty work with me on this special shoot,” Laufey tells Byrdie exclusively. “I align with Valentino Beauty’s elegant and timeless aesthetic, brought even more to life by the exemplary architectural backdrop of the Guggenheim museum, and all lending themselves to my own sonic ethos.”

In the video, the musician is wearing a gorgeous crochet gown with a matching silver cap, and a shimmering twist on her go-to winged liner. Ahead, Laufey’s makeup artist, Carolina Dali-Trites, fills us in on both dreamy looks.

Laufey’s Performance Makeup

The star’s live performance makeup was all about that gorgeous baby blue eyeshadow—which, as it turns out, is actually an eyeliner. “First, I went in with Colorgraph Eyeliner in Rockstud Noir right at the root of the lashes, keeping it super fine and adding a thin little wing,” explains Dali-Trites. “Then I popped some Colorgraph liner in Silver Spark on the inner corners of the eyes and right on the brow bone to brighten things up. After that, I took a Colorgraph liner in Baby Blue and swept it all over the top lid, then ran it along the lower lash line too. I finished the eyes with a few coats of black mascara for that extra definition.”

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Dali-Trites kept Laufey’s skin glowing and fresh, applying some Very Valentino 24-Hour Wear Foundation to even things out, and a little Very Valentino Concealer where needed. “I used the Eye2Cheek Blush Compact in Sweet Rebel for a fresh flush,” she adds. For lips, she applied a layer of the Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lipstick in Couture in the Streets, a pretty warm brown, and layered the Spike Disco Balm in Extra Pink on top “for a hint of shine and comfort.”

For a final touch, Dali-Trites mixed the brand’s V-Lighter highlighter into Laufey’s body moisturizer and applied it for a “subtle, all-over glow.”

Laufey’s ‘Clockwork’ Video Makeup

For the video, Dali-Trites kept Laufey’s glowing base, but switched up the eyes and lips for a shimmery twist on her signature winged liner. “Brows were defined using the Brow Trio in Brown, and Colorgraph liner in Rockstud Noir was applied right at the root of the lashes and winged out with a Valentino liner brush for precision,” explains the artist. “A pop of Colorgraph liner in Silver Spark was added just to the inner corners to brighten the eyes, and the look was finished with black mascara.”

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For the lips, Dali-Trites used the same matte lipstick as a base, but softened the color with the Spike Disco Balm in Rose in the Woods.