Made In Chelsea’s Zara McDermott Reveals The Make-Up That Looks Best On Camera

Zara McDermott first found fame on the 4th series of Love Island back in 2018 and has since been hitting TV screens nationwide on E4's Made In Chelsea which returns after its lockdown hiatus on Monday 28th September at 9pm on E4. Considering Zara is now used to being within an arm's length of a camera crew on the daily during Made In Chelsea filming, was signed this year by model agency Storm Management and regularly keeps her 1.4 million strong (and counting) Instagram following up to date with her day-to-day exploits, it's fair to say this lady knows a thing or two about looking good on camera.

With the nation's social schedule now packed full to the brim with Zoom calls and Houseparty App meetings the onus is regularly on that little section of screen reserved for your face to show you at your best. Well, that, and your make-up bag. We caught up with Zara and requested a dose of her highly valuable beauty intel and a list of pre-filming make-up favourites. Those Zoom calls are due a glow-up...

Love Island Cameras vs Made In Chelsea Cameras

'What’s interesting is every TV show is shot differently. For example Love Island cameras weren’t very forgiving makeup wise, so I felt like heavier makeup didn’t look very good. However on Made In Chelsea it’s shot in a different way, with different cameras and they put lovely colour grading on, so everyone’s skin looks super glowy. I tend to keep it pretty natural on camera just out of personal preference but I know that any kind of makeup would look great on camera there. I wore a red lip recently and that looked so cool on camera. I always carry around some compact setting powder because the lighting in some “scenes” can make me look quite shiny. I also think having glossy lips is key, so I never wear a matte lip in case it fades or cracks on camera. The scenes can take several hours to film, and you don’t have any time to top up makeup and go to the bathroom during the scenes.'

On Camera Make-Up Favourites

'I’m not a big lover of foundation, but if I have a breakout I like to use NARS Cosmetics Sheer Glow Foundation, £33.50, just to give me extra coverage. Most of the time I tend to use Chanticaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser SPF15, £68, and use L’Oréal Paris Infallible More Than Concealer, £9.99, if I need to cover any dark circles. Most of the time though I just dab a higher concentration of the tinted moisturiser under my eyes rather than using concealer.'

'Mascara wise my all time favourite is Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Wet Mascara, £30. I have medium length lashes and this mascara makes them look super long.'

'Lastly, I rarely wear lipstick. I usually just find a lip liner that I like, fill my lips in with that shade and then put some lip balm over the top. I love the Palmer's Dark Chocolate and Cherry Tinted Lip Balm, £2, because it looks like a gloss. I also love the Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms, £4.95.'

'Since filming I've discovered this amazing blush and highlighter from Illamasqua called Illamasqua Beyond Powder in OMG Burst, £34. It’s amazing! I love using it as a blush/highlight duo as it’s so natural and looks so nice on camera.'

Make-Up Off Camera

'To be honest, I only wear makeup if there is a reason to. For my Instagram photos I will definitely usually do a slightly heavier eye makeup because I find cameras on the iPhone don’t pick up my makeup as well.'

The Made In Chelsea Look

'When I started filming Made In Chelsea I definitely felt like there was a difference in terms of the way the girls in Chelsea do their makeup. I don’t really like the term “Essex Girl” but I do think there’s a bit of a culture difference sometimes between where I come from and here in Chelsea. However I’m definitely not a typical Essex girl. When I go out in Essex I see a lot of girls with heavy makeup, amazing colourful eyeshadow and glowing highlighter. On the other hand, when I go out in Chelsea the girls don’t tend to wear as much makeup and go for a more subtle look. Neither is right, it’s completely down to personal preference, but I do think I toned down my makeup for the show. I didn’t want to stand out or look too glam. I think I definitely now personally prefer the natural look for filming. Also, it takes way less time to get ready, especially if I have an early call time!'

Shop: Zara McDermott's Favourite Beauty Buys

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