Inside Elle Fanning's Emmys night makeup: The $16 mascara that makes her blue eyes pop

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more

Elle Fanning may be strapped for cash, but the actress' red carpet beauty look came with a surprisingly affordable price tag: her lipstick cost just $11.

Fanning, 28, was nominated for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for playing cash-strapped new mother Margo Millet in Apple TV's Margo's Got Money Troubles.

For the Emmys, makeup artist Erin Ayanian Monroe kept the palette soft and luminous, with fresh skin, sharply defined black lashes and a muted rose lip. 'I wanted her looking like the best version of herself, with a magnifying glass over her beauty,' Monroe told the Daily Mail.

STEP 1: THE SERUM

L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Serum Le Duo, $37

Monroe started with Age Perfect Serum Le Duo, letting it absorb before adding anything richer on top.

The dual serum dispenses two textures from the same pump, giving Fanning's skin a light layer of moisture without burying its natural texture. That way, freckles and luminosity remain visible beneath the makeup.

The goal is skin that catches the light across the cheekbones, forehead and bridge of the nose without looking glossy or overly made up.

STEP 2: THE MOISTURIZER

L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream, $37

Once the serum was absorbed, Monroe followed with what she describes as a 'light wash' of Midnight Cream.

The richer second layer gives the skin more cushion before makeup goes on, particularly around areas where foundation can start to look dry under close-up cameras. Monroe kept the application light to preserve Fanning's fresh, translucent finish.

STEP 3: THE MASCARA

L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Panorama Mascara, $16

For Fanning's lashes, Monroe used Panorama Mascara in Black, creating a crisp frame around her blue eyes.

The brush uses shorter bristles at the tip to reach the inner and outer lashes and longer bristles through the center to pull them up and outward. Against Fanning's pale complexion and blue eyes, the black gives the look definition without requiring a dense, heavy lash.

Instead of disappearing beneath thick mascara, the individual lashes stay visible, making the iris look brighter and the eye shape more pronounced.

STEP 4: THE LIPSTICK

L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche Satin Lipstick, $11

The cheapest product in Fanning's Emmy look went straight on her lips.

Monroe used Colour Riche Satin Lipstick in Worth It, a soft rosy shade that adds color without overpowering the look.

Rather than drawing a rigid lip, Monroe describes the application as an 'easy smudge,' keeping the edges relaxed. The satin finish adds a little sheen while the muted rose echoes the rest of Fanning's makeup.

STEP 5: THE SETTING SPRAY

L'Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray, $14

The final step was a quick mist of Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray.

Think of it as hairspray for the face. The aerosol delivers a fine, even mist designed to keep makeup from smudging, transferring or shifting as the night wears on.

For Fanning, the advantage is that Monroe can set the finished face without covering all that carefully prepped skin with another layer of powder. The cheeks retain their sheen, the lip stays soft and the black lashes remain the strongest point of definition.