Behind the Scenes of Paige DeSorbo’s People StyleWatch Shoot

It was a triple-H day in New York City (that would be hazy, hot and humid) and thanks to a malfunctioning A/C, it was even more scorching inside the building where the PEOPLE StyleWatch shoot was taking place.

“At one point we clocked that it was almost 100 degrees inside,” recalls makeup artist  Sierra Matthews. “On top of that, we were shooting for fall, so she had all these layers on. The fact that the girl did not sweat at all was a miracle.” 

Inspired by the reality star’s “naturally stunning” features, Matthews gave DeSorbo a look she describes as an “elevated version of herself,” adding “I wanted her to feel comfortable, natural and elegant.” 

Matthews prepped her skin with Weleda Skin Food, saying, “It’s a staple in all my glam. It’s almost like a primer, but it’s a heavy duty moisturizer. On a day like today, when you’re touching up a million times, having something that’s really grippy underneath is going to help her last all day.” She applied a light layer of Make Beauty Diffusion Dew and used Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish powder for touch ups. 

She focused on DeSorbo’s eyes, taking a page from Oliva Culpo’s wedding makeup playbook and forgoing mascara. “Paige has such a beautiful eye shape, and these dark rich eyes that she doesn’t need that much product on them,” she explained. Instead, she highlighted them using used a mix of hues from two different Dior Backstage Glow Palettes (in shades 001 and 002) and Pat McGrath Labs Mothership Eyeshadow Palette in Subliminal.

Matthews also played up her lips by slightly overlining the cupid’s bow and underneath her lower lip with Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Liner in Muted Mauve to “give it more of a doll-like look without making her look too artificial.” She topped it off with Dior Addict Lip Glow in 001 Pink.

The final touch: A swipe of Chanel Baume Essentiel, a moisturizing highlighting balm, on the star’s cheekbones. “I wanted to make sure that they were hitting the light in the right way and the Chanel stick really does a beautiful job of making everything look dewy," she says.

When it came to DeSorbo’s hair, stylist Mitchell Ramazon went for “movement and body” so she could “toss it around” during the shoot. After curling each section of hair, he twisted it around his finger and secured it with a clip to let it cool. Then, he brushed out the curls and sprayed them with Living Proof Flex Hairspray. 

For her bangs, he applied a bit of Living Proof Texturizing Foam and used a flat brush and blowdryer to smooth out any cowlicks. He finished with a small round brush to add the perfect amount of bend. 

With her glam glam-ing, the industrial fans on full blast and hip hop playing on the speakers, DeSorbo was ready to hit the racks of clothes assembled by stylist Natalie Cantell.

“I leaned into what I saw her gravitating towards on her Instagram,” says Cantell. “She clearly likes more directional looks that feel polished, but a little edgy.” And since the theme of the issue is denim, she says that translated to “modern and unexpected” pieces inspired by the "cool tailoring and really editorial silhouettes” seen on the fall runways. 

Of all the chic styles, it’s no surprise that DeSorbo gravitated towards the Alaïa draped denim top. “It's such a unique piece,” says Cantell. “At first it reads a little dramatic, but it's ultimately so chic and sophisticated, you can't help but feel good in it.”

Cantell also incorporated some of the upcoming season’s biggest trends into DeSorbo's looks, and promises they’re easy to do in real life.

“Burgundy is about to make a big entrance for fall, it's going to feel like a neutral,” she says. Another hot tip: keep wearing your cream-colored summer denim well into fall," because it "gives fall looks a fresh lift, whether you're pairing it with colors or neutrals.” Lastly, she says you can’t go wrong with a denim jacket in a non-traditional shape or silhouette, like the Zimmermann and Acler styles DeSorbo modeled in the shoot.