“Look how adorable I am now,” Colman Domingo exclaimed during his SNL monologue sketch, after setting the on-set vibe to his exact desires. But the legendary performer’s grooming ritual starts well before he hits the stage. And unsurprisingly, it involves many of the same aspects he used to set the mood during his opening act!
“Saturday Night Live is like stepping into a beautifully orchestrated storm,” Domingo tells GRAZIA, exclusively. “You rehearse, you plan, and then you surrender to the chaos.” To set himself up for success on stage, the 56-year-old actor makes sure to create an environment that lifts him up. “In my dressing room, I created a sanctuary before the whirlwind,” he confides. “My makeup artist, Jamie Richmond, and I move with intention, and ease.”
The two set the mood with “a dreamy jazzy playlist,” Domingo says. And then scent the air with the star’s current favorite fragrance: Valentino’s Anatomy of Dreams: Sogno In Rosso. “It’s rich, it’s sensual, it breathes confidence into the air,” he exclaims. Indeed, the amber-rich scent oozes sexiness thanks to notes of spicy black pepper, orange blossom, sandalwood, and vanilla bourbon.
“The fragrance has to meet that moment with you,” the actor, next up in season three of Euphoria, explains, “it has to be bold enough to hold its ground, but fluid enough to evolve.” The scent is that finishing touch in his grooming routine that propels him in front of the audience — and the cameras. “That’s how I walk out there — centered, open, and ready to dance with whatever comes.”
Before that mist of fragrance, Richmond amped up the actor’s preternatural sparkle. “When it comes to men’s makeup, my goal is always a natural, healthy glow that lasts all night,” says Richmond, who also works with Tariq Withers and Nick Pugliese, and has collaborated with Domingo for years. “For Colman, I started with Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face Base Primer in Ambra, which gives illuminating hydration and preps the skin beautifully.”
Next, she evened out his complexion with Very Valentino 24-Hour Wear Liquid Foundation, blending three shades: Deep Ambra 3, Deep Neutra 2, and Deep Rosa 3. She camouflaged spots with a touch of concealer. “I usually avoid heavy concealers on men, but the Very Valentino Concealer has medium coverage and it’s buildable. Plus, it has caffeine, which helps defuse,” Richmond says.
After handling Domingo’s complexion, Richmond went in with the big guns to heighten definition. She highlighted high points on his face with a light sweep of Valentino Beauty Dreamiest. For a “subtle edge,” she traced lids with Valentino Beauty Color Graph Eyeliner “for just enough definition to make his eyes pop without looking done.” A swipe of Spike Valentino Disco Balm in Bold Brown on Domingo’s sumptuous lips added a kiss of hydration and “a long-lasting tint,” says the pro. A light dusting of powder — specifically Valentino Beauty Go-Clutch Powder in Medium-Deep 04 — and Domingo was ready for an epic night!
