How Jodie Foster's Makeup Artist Achieved Her Glamorous 'Less Is More' Look at Cannes 2021

Brett Freedman

When Jodie Foster gets her makeup done, she puts all her trust in her pro, makeup artist Brett Freedman. She believes in his work so much that often before red carpets, she doesn't even take a glance at the final look before walking out the door. But Foster, 58, couldn't help but admire her makeup when Freedman finished it ahead of the opening ceremony at the Cannes Film Festival 2021 opening ceremony, where she was a guest of honor,

"Yesterday [before the red carpet], she came out and said, 'I never look, but I looked. The eye makeup looks nice!' And I was like, 'Oh, well, thank you!'" Freedman tells PEOPLE.

The actress and director, who was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or by the festival, likes embracing a natural aesthetic, which is exactly what she and Freedman did for their first time working together at Cannes (Freedman has done her makeup for the past four years).

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

"With Jodie, less is more. She's one of those women that looks better with less makeup. She has such a casual style. Everything's sheer. For this event, I wanted to do a fresh and summery evening look with neutral eyes and juicy lips," says Freedman.

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The makeup artist relied on skincare and makeup from Charlotte Tilbury to enhance Foster's luminous, French Riviera beauty vibe. "It's very sexy, dewy French Riviera summer," Freedman said of her look.

Freedman focused on skin prep and hydration in order to give Foster full coverage without risking foundation caking into any fine lines.

"You can tailor matte foundation, like the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation I used on Jodie, to drier, more mature skin. People don't realize that," Freedman explains. "I mixed a little bit of the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream and a few drops of the Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer. Then you get coverage, staying power and luminosity."

Charlotte Tilbury

Then he gave her skin a little bit of bronzed color with the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Ecstasy. "We wanted the skin to pop a touch since it's summer and she was wearing white," he says.

For the eyes, there's one thing Foster tells Freedman never to do: "She told me eyeliner under the eyes make it look like she hasn't slept."

Instead, the makeup expert used the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Instant Eye Palette, filled with shimmer and matte warm-toned shades, to blend a bit of "champagne and golden apricot" on the lids.

Charlotte Tilbury

Though Freedman likes to experiment with bright or dark lip shades, they "aren't really her thing," he says. Instead, "we have a fun eye party and keep the lips nude."

Photo by Stefanie Rex/picture alliance via Getty

Sticking with the dewy theme, Foster's lips were lacquered with the gold-flecked Charlotte Tilbury Jewel Lip Gloss in Champagne Diamonds. But the secret to keeping the shine long-lasting is actually in the lip liner.

Freedman explains: "I do the lip liner all over and shimmery gloss on top. The pencil gives good color and staying power. Then the gloss gives a little youth. It looks juicy and fresh. So that's something I do with Jodie, too."