Lady Gaga's Makeup From the AMAs 2016, According to Her Makeup Artist (EXCLUSIVE)

She's always been a stand-out, but also, Lady Gaga's makeup from the AMAs 2016 was incredibly powerful. Because gone are the days of prosthetic cheekbones and fascinators made from a pound of meat. Over the past few months, we've watched Lady Gaga tone down her wild-and-crazy beauty looks, adopting a softer, subtler, more natural vibe for her new album, Joanne. And tonight, Lady Gaga's makeup at the 2016 AMAs was no different. "She wanted something that was very timeless and effortless," makeup artist Sarah Tanno told Allure exclusively over the phone—from backstage at the AMAs. "I like to use textures when I speak about makeup, so for this look I wanted it to look velvety and silky. We didn't want to go overboard because this album is so much about the music and not a character."

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More AMAs 2016 Beauty Action:

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For Lady Gaga's red carpet makeup look, Tanno kept the singer's complexion was fresh and dewy, with lots of pretty highlights on the cheekbones and a wash of shimmer that stretched from the lashes all the way up to the brows, which she did with Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Stick in Honey Bunny 400, a twinkly, ballet-pink cream shadow. She added extra layers of the cream along the creases, then followed with a layer of shimmery beige powder from the Marc Jacobs Beauty Object of Desire Face and Beauty Palette just on the lids. But the glitter party didn't stop there. Using the Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Taboo!—a limited edition black liner flecked with silver sparkles from the brand's holiday collection—Tanno lined just the outer half of Gaga's eyes, which she smudged out to make the glint-y pigment soft and smoky. "Then, I used a pure black liner very close to the lashes for extra definition and Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Major Mascara on top and bottom lashes," she said.

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"Usually we do a couple of looks during an award show, but Gaga was practicing on her guitar backstage and we liked the way her makeup looked, so we decided not to change it." However, Tanno did make one important tweak before Gaga went out to perform her new single, "Million Pieces." "The lights at these award's show are so strong and red, so I like to use a really matte powder—and a lot of it," said Tanno, who broke out Marc Jacobs Beauty Perfection Powder in Beige over the T-zone. "The trick is to pack it on by pressing—not wiping—it. That way it looks velvety and smooth and stays in place. It would look awful on the red carpet, but it's what keeps you from looking shiny and sweaty on stage." And with a heavy swipe of gloss before she stepped out, Gaga's Joanne transformation was complete.

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Look back at some of our favorite beauty moments from past AMAs:

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