Fashion

My Daily, 'Doctor Who'-Inspired Beauty Look

by Rosie Narasaki

Let me let you in on a little secret: I've been basing my makeup look after Clara Oswin Oswald's for weeks now. No, but in all seriousness, it actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it: Doctor Who is actually kind of the perfect place for everyday makeup inspiration. It's not a super glamorous show, so it would make sense that the makeup is pretty low-key — which also happens to mean that it's simple, clean, and professional.

When it comes down to it, it's a look designed to look natural, because if you're traveling all of space and time with a mad man in a blue box, when the heck are you going to have the time to blend five different eyeshadow shades and contour the hollows of your cheeks? That said, a bold swoop of black eyeliner takes all of about two minutes.

Clara's day-to-day look is quite simple, and it's served me well — it's taken me to job interviews (fingers still crossed), volunteering at the library, and out to lunch with friends. It's very all-purpose. Plus, it's a great way to soothe the pain of the Doctor Who hiatus (not to mention Jenna Coleman's imminent departure — excuse me while I go cry in the corner).

The Base

See? Very simple.

  • Face: Go for a dewy foundation (my favorite du jour is my IOPE BB Cushion in Cover 23).
  • Eyebrows: you can go a little dramatic, because Clara's eyebrows are fierce.
  • Cheeks: A natural pink applied to the apples of your cheeks should do nicely — I used Tutu Pink (an ever-so-slightly bubblegum-esque satin blush from Clinique's holiday 2014 palette).

The Eyeshadow

MAC Copperplate Eyeshadow, $16, Nordstrom

Also very simple. In fact, you almost want it non-existent: I just swept a sheer layer of pale taupe over my mobile lid, than dusted a tiny bit of grey-brown shadow into my crease, as well as the outer V of my eyes. You see, Clara has a much more defined crease than me, so I need a little extra help from some eyeshadow. MAC Copperplate is perfect for this, as cool greys are great for creating shadow naturally.

The Eyeliner

For the eyeliner, I created a subtle cat eye on the upper lid with my black gel liner, and connected it to a (very) thin line of dark brown liner on my lower lid. Make sure to prime your eyes, because lower lid eyeliner is a recipe for smudging.

The Finishing Touches

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry, $7, Jet

I topped it all off with a coat of mascara, and a neutral pink lipstick (Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry). Clara switches up her lip game a lot (she's been known to rock a mean red lip), but for her day-to-day look, she tends towards more natural colors. That said, the lips are definitely open to your interpretation — I could also see a lipstain or tinted gloss working just as well for this look.

Images: Doctor Who/BBCAmerica; Rosie Narasaki