Daisy Edgar-Jones Says Blush Was the Trick to Playing 17-Year-Old Marianne in Normal People

Courtesy Hourglass Cosmetics

Daisy Edgar-Jones, the breakout star of Hulu's Normal People, has said she knew she liked her character Marianne right away, and now we think that's because they share a very strong affinity for a good cat-eye look.

The actress, who stars as Marianne in the realistic romantic drama about first love, recently teamed up with Hourglass Cosmetics to test out its new Unlocked Instant Extensions mascara, and spilled some details about her favorite beauty looks (including fun tidbits about her character's glam) in a Q&A and makeup tutorial for the brand.

"I loved how experimental Marianne was with her make up in Trinity [College]," Edgar-Jones, 22, says. "She played a lot with eyeliner and eyeshadow. I’ve always been a big fan of eye makeup and absolutely love Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadows."

Edgar-Jones showed viewers how she gets the perfect beauty look for virtual interviews and meetings in a cute and informative makeup tutorial from her bedroom (donning a robe and headband to keep her "fringe" out of her face). She says dabbing a bit of color on her eyes "immediately makes it look like you've made a big effort but it's really easy to do."

But when it comes to her eye and lip looks, she follows advice her mom taught her: if you're doing big eyes, do natural lips, or do big lips and natural eyes. For this video, she went with a bold eye and tried out the new Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara, which she says made her lashes "look incredible."

"It gives my eyelashes instant length and it's also brilliant because how you remove it is you just use warm water and it kind of crumbles off your lashes."

And most importantly, she says "Marianne would definitely approve" of the formula.

Another similarity she shares with her on-screen character is her love of a good cat-eye and tends to go "quite big" on the look. "Pardon the pun, but my secret is just winging it. Sometimes it goes perfectly, sometimes you end up with a flick that spans your whole head," she shares.

But finding the right eyeliner really helps. "I love the Hourglass Voyeur Liquid Liner because the flexible tip makes it easy to draw precisely along my lash line. And it’s waterproof, so it doesn’t transfer to my lids or smudge off as I go about my day."

Enda Bowe/Hulu Daisy Edgar-Jones

For the rest of her makeup look, she used Hourglass' Veil Mineral Primer, Vanish Foundation Stick (in shade Linen), Vanish Airbrush Concealer (in Cotton) and tops it off with some Ambient Lighting Bronzer under her cheek bones and Ambient Lighting Blush (in Diffused Heat) on her cheeks.

Edgar-Jones says that blush was the secret to transforming her look to play Marianne on screen. Her Normal People makeup artist would use blush to instantly age Edgar-Jones depending on whether she was playing 17-year-old Marianne or 22-year-old Marianne. "For the younger Marianne she would put blush on the apples of the cheeks and along her jawline to give an overall, flushed, youthful complexion, which I thought was a really handy trick."

In the tutorial, the actress used the Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel (in Dark Brunette) and went with a "subtle, nude lip" (since she went big on her eyes) with the Panoramic Lip Liner (in Canvas) and Confession Lipstick (in shade When I Was).

Overall, she says she's enjoyed doing her own makeup for virtual press events and meetings throughout the pandemic. "It’s nice to learn what I like when it comes to makeup, and what makes me feel most confident."