Michelle Obama - fashion icon, beauty inspiration, and all-around hero - glowed at the 2021 inauguration thanks to her bouncy curls, gorgeous purple outfit, (opens in new tab) and chic smokey eyes. For an inside look at the former first lady's beauty routine, look no further than her makeup artist, Carl Ray (opens in new tab). Below are the products he used on President Obama and the inspiration for her look.

MC: How was Michelle's skin prepared prior to makeup?

CR: The former First Lady already has great skin and takes great care of her skin, so it was easy with not much preparation on my part. She's all ready to go, so I start directly with the makeup!

MC: What was your inspiration for your inauguration makeup?

CR: My inspiration was strength and confidence. Yesterday was a historic moment for women not only in the United States, but around the world. I wanted to honor that with the makeup I applied to her and celebrate the day at the same time. For the event, I wanted to create a smoky eye with impact. I wanted a dramatic, glamorous eye that would look great on camera. For TV, I needed to make it a little more dramatic so that her eyes would shine.

MC: How did the face mask affect Michelle's makeup?

CR: The masks allowed us to be creative with her makeup. We focused on making her brows, eyes, and lashes pop. I would recommend a stain or matte lip under the mask to avoid smudging.