Forget the sequins for a second—the real standout of Mariska Hargitay’s 2026 Emmy Awards hosting look is her skin. Radiant, lifted and dewy through hours of red carpet and cameras (with husband Peter Hermann by her side), it looked like the kind of glow you can’t fake with makeup alone. Turns out, you can’t—it just takes the right prep.
“I’m not trying to do the most to someone’s skin,” says celebrity facial sculptor Joseph Carrillo, who worked with Hargitay ahead of the show. “My job is to make sure the face feels lifted and the skin stays calm, hydrated and cooperative through hours of makeup, lights and a full show.”
The skin-care lineup we’re sure will be flooding carts after tonight comes from medical-grade skin-care brand Hydrinity, beloved by skin experts and editors alike. Carillo started with the hypochlorous acid–powered HYACYN ACTIVE Purifying Mist ($60), then layered on Restorative HA Serum ($120) for hydration and slip, then finished with HYDRI-C Daily Vitamin C Moisturizer ($150) to lock it all in—a three-step routine that kept her complexion looking fresh and lit up long after the cameras started rolling.
After decades of commanding a room as Olivia Benson, Hargitay didn’t need a script to know how to hold the stage Monday night—just skin that could keep up.
