When Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon stepped onto the Actor Awards red carpet last night, her skin told a story: luminous and impossibly seamless, yet still unmistakably skin. The secret behind the glow? Celebrity makeup artist Emily Cheng relied on precise technique—and a $20 sponge that’s earned its place in beauty history.
Below, Cheng shares exactly how she created Pidgeon’s polished, dimensional finish—and why the right tool makes all the difference.
The $20 Icon Behind the Glow
Cheng’s hero for the night was the Beautyblender Original, the cult-favorite $20 sponge that revolutionized makeup application and now sits in the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
“What I love about using Beautyblender for a red-carpet finish is that it layers cream and liquid products effortlessly,” says Cheng. “It keeps everything cohesive, skinlike and camera-ready while preserving the natural luminosity of the foundation.”
For Cheng, the magic starts before any makeup touches the skin. She fully saturates the sponge with water, then squeezes out the excess so it’s damp, not dripping. When properly prepped, the sponge expands and delivers that soft, airbrushed finish without absorbing too much product.
Press, Don’t Swipe
For foundation, Cheng uses the rounded base of the sponge to bounce and press product into the skin rather than swipe.
“Pressing it in helps it melt into the complexion and keeps the glow intact while building coverage exactly where I want it,” she explains.
The technique diffuses edges beautifully, creating perfected skin that still looks like skin, just smoother, more even and lit-from-within. Under flash photography and high-definition cameras, that pressed-in approach keeps everything seamless instead of streaky or overworked, she adds.
Sculpted, But Soft
To contour and bronze without disturbing the luminous base, Cheng switches to the sponge’s precise tip.
She blends along the cheekbones and jawline using a press-and-roll motion upward, maintaining lift and structure while instantly softening harsh lines. The upward blending keeps the face looking sculpted yet fresh—never muddy or flat.
Blush That Stays Fresh Under Lights
Blush can easily turn patchy under bright red carpet lighting, so Cheng returns to the rounded side of the sponge to lightly bounce color onto the apples of the cheeks, then blends upward toward the temples.
“This keeps the color seamless and fresh,” she says. “It’s less about adding more product and more about pressing everything together so the complexion reads polished, dimensional and seamless from every angle.”
The Red Carpet Touch-Up Plan
For longevity, Cheng sent Pidgeon off with the smaller Beautyblender Power Pocket Puff ($18), loading the sponge side with a bit of concealer and the fabric side with powder. The dual-sided tool makes discreet touch-ups easy throughout the evening—blot, perfect and go.
The takeaway from Pidgeon’s awards-night glow: Radiance isn’t about piling on shimmer or layering endless products. Sometimes it’s about mastering technique and trusting a $20 beauty staple so iconic it’s museum-worthy.
