View From the Red Carpet: The Woman Who Perfects Jessica Alba's Face

December 5, 2014

Author: Sienna Haynes

Hair and makeup artists who work in film and television are not usually household names, but at least one night, at the New York Women in Film and Television's Designing Women Awards, they were the stars of the show. I caught up backstage with makeup artist Evelyne Noraz and her friend Jessica Alba (above), along with Denis Leary, who professed his devotion to Kerrie Smith, the top hair stylist he resentfully shares with Michael Douglas.

What does Jessica Alba bring to the makeup table?

Evelyne Noraz: "She's really good at contouring. She knows her face very well. She's just really good at doing her own makeup."

And Jessica, what have you learned from Evelyne?

Jessica Alba: "Before I worked with her, I thought that makeup in movies meant that I would literally have another person's face on top of mine. And she enhances your beauty and brings out the best part of it, and makes you look how you want to look, but without making you look artificial. She never tries to paint you. She doesn't want to do too much."

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And have you become close working together on so many projects?

Alba: "When we're on location, I always try to get her to be my roommate. We like living together. We have a codependent relationship. In the trailer we dance, listen to music, tell jokes, watch silly things on YouTube."

And Evelyne, do you do your own makeup?

Noraz: "I'm blind, so I can't really do my own makeup with glasses on. I have to do it in front of a big magnifying mirror, so I don't even wear makeup usually."

Did you do Denis Leary's hair tonight?

Kerrie Smith: "Um, he did his own. But I cut and colored it two days ago. We've been working together since 1999. It's rock and roll. That's just him. I just give him a couple of blonde highlights on top, a golden highlight. I also do Mr. Michael Douglas all the time. He would be here but he's on vacation. And yes, that's Douglas's natural color, the silver fox. I cut it and color it, depending on the part. For Liberace, we colored, we permed, we had a lot of wigs. In the beginning it was fun, but then he had to sit in the chair for two hours."

Denis, anything Kerrie has taught you?

Leary: "Keep your hands out of your hair."

And do you get the same treatment as Mr. Douglas?

Leary: "Yes, but is Michael here tonight? Michael is a big, giant important movie star. I'm just the guy who is here at the award show for Kerrie. But I'm second place to Michael all the time. That's true!"

Your hair looks terrific, but is it all yours?

Leary: "I have the actual hair, but it doesn't look this good unless she's involved, believe me. People don't understand hair and makeup. It's one of those things on television and in the movies that sort of disappears, unless there is something flashy about it, like Behind the Candelabra. Then it gets a little bit of press. But people forget when you go to work in the morning, these are the people that not only make you look good then, they make you look good all day for the 12 or 14 hours that you're on set. And she's great on set. That's an important part of keeping the energy up."

Who has better hair, Leary or Douglas?

Leary: "There's the question. We all know Michael has great hair. I don't look at guy's hair, but because of her, I'll see Michael in a movie, and I'll say, 'Michael has got great hair.' I'd like to challenge Michael Douglas to a hair off. We can do it live at a charity event."

Smith: "It would be a tie... but I'd still win."