Ginny & Georgia's Antonia Gentry Shows the Edgy Side of Spring Makeup

Antonia Gentry doesn't know what time it is. Her phone shattered the night before we meet for this interview, and she is now straddling the space-time continuum that is the sum of hours between when you contact the Apple Store to order a new phone and when they can deliver it to you.

To be fair, no one in New York City really knows what time — or day or month — it is. The chilly-but-not-cold weather suggests it might be October, the calendar claims it's February, and the fact that, after we part, Gentry will head to an Allure photo shoot to model spring makeup alludes to it being April or May.

Nevertheless, Gentry is right on time to meet me for breakfast at a café in Brooklyn. It isn't far from her apartment, she says, which, as a self-proclaimed introvert, she doesn't like to leave unless absolutely necessary — say, to go to Toronto to shoot episodes of her hit Netflix show, Ginny & Georgia.

Gentry stars as Ginny, a teen navigating high school drama while grappling with the reality that her mother, Georgia (played by Brianne Howey), has a very sinister past. Gentry landed the role two weeks after graduating from Emory University in Atlanta. Is there a certain level of pressure that comes with having your first big hit right out of the gate? "Yes," she replies in a matter of milliseconds.

"I think it's because in so many ways this character feels tailored to me, [but] also I know that I want to do more," she explains. "It's the fear of, 'What if I can't top this?'" But if you've watched her emotional performance in season two — throughout which her character battles self-harm — you know that Gentry has range. 

The actor, who is now 25 (season one of Ginny & Georgia was filmed in 2019), is on the tail end of her first in-person press junket. "I'm just now kind of getting used to wearing these clothes and looking this way, and I still don't know how to pose," she says. "But I actually know what I like [to wear] now."

The overarching theme is "comfortable but chic," Gentry says. For the SAG Awards, she wore a flowing, icy-lavender Celine dress; days later, sitting front row at a Dior show, she wore a pair of leather culottes that looked "like something from The Matrix."

The trends in spring makeup — like glossy red lips and eyebrows embossed with metallic accents — showcase a similar duality. As she forges her own path both onscreen and on the red carpet, allow Gentry to demonstrate — her way.

1. Spring lineup: Apply pastel eyeliner in subtle shades. 

"It takes me, like, 45 minutes to do my eyeliner at home," says Gentry. "My boyfriend has actually witnessed me in tears because I couldn't get my liner straight." Happily, though, with the help of single-moniker makeup artist Kuma, no tears are shed in the making of this graphic look. 

Kuma takes a cue from the pastel hues on view at recent shows like Prada and Carolina Herrera, pairing lilac with white — but this look can be created with any two complementary shades of eyeliner. (If you're not sure where to start, take a peek at the color wheel and pick two from opposing halves.)

Kuma traces the upper lash line with lilac before using the same shade to create a V-shape on the outer corners. He then inverts the process on the inner eyes using white liner. If, like Gentry, you're easily intimidated by liner, Kuma's best advice is not to be afraid to get messy: After you've created the shape, you can always go back in with a Q-tip to clean up the lines.

To create a similar makeup look: Epic Wear Waterproof Eyeliner Stick in Periwinkle Pop and Pure White and Soft Matte Lip Cream in Amsterdam by Nyx Professional Makeup.

2. Supernatural shimmer: Try a sun-reflecting sheen on lids and lips.

At Altuzarra, Proenza Schouler, and Victoria Beckham, models walked the runway with skin so dewy, it was almost reflective. Inspired by this — and the way sunlight bounces off the surface of a lake — Kuma creates a single look with two distinctly different interpretations of sheen.

To create the wet, metallic look on Gentry's lids, Kuma mixes clear gloss with a shimmery eye shadow and applies the mixture haphazardly, before cleaning up the edges with a fresh makeup brush. For the sparkling effect on lips, Kuma applies the same clear gloss, then dabs the slightest bit of glitter on the Cupid's bow, allowing the sparkles to scatter where they may.

To create a similar makeup look: Extra Dimension Eye Shadow in Evening Grey, Lipglass in Clear, and Glitter in Reflects Transparent Pink by MAC Cosmetics.

3. Golden arches: Consider glittery accents for statement brows.

When you have brows like Gentry's as your canvas, the possibilities are endless. ("I pluck the unibrow, and then I just have to keep them trimmed, because they get long and curly [if I don't]," says Gentry of her brow-care routine.)

In a nod to the "goth girl" trend ushered in by Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Addams and the arch embellishments seen at the Thom Browne and Peter Do shows, Kuma strategically glues down gold glitter to fake a razored look. 

But the inspiration for this lip look is clearly all '90s: Kuma uses brown lip liner to fill in the mouth and define the edges. A pinky-beige lipstick is applied only in the center of lips and diffused outward to help create dimension.

To create a similar makeup look: Star Lit Powder in Antic Gold, Artist Color Eye Shadow in I-524, Aqua Resist Color Pencil Eyeliner in Graphite, Artist Color Pencil in Versatile Chestnut, and Rouge Artist Lipstick in Striking Spice by Make Up For Ever.

4. Glossed over: Make red lipstick fresh with a touch of shine.

If Gentry's glossy red lips are the star of the show, her freckles are the supporting actors. "Everyone has something special," Kuma says. "The freckles are part of [her] originality." He keeps her skin practically bare for each of these looks, but here — going foundation-free in contrast to a slick of bright red lipstick — it is particularly impactful.

Finding the most complementary red for your skin tone can take some trial and error, but a blue-based true red like this one is damn-near universal. The glossy finish, as seen at shows such as Moschino and Miu Miu, is the key to making the look feel "fresh and feminine," says Kuma. Choose a lipstick with a satin or shiny finish, or add a layer of clear gloss over any formula.

To create a similar makeup look: Ecstasy Mirror Lip Gloss in 401 Adrenaline by Giorgio Armani Beauty.

5. Rainbow connection: Get creative with a dreamy wash of color on eyes.

"I love cold weather, don't get me wrong, but I'm over it," says Gentry. "I'm ready for birds and allergies. I'm ready for my Claritin." Yet even this look — perhaps the most traditionally spring-forward of the looks Kuma creates for this photo shoot — has an edge: He produces an asymmetrical effect by blending shades of green and pink with an allover wash of yellow around the eyes, but only on one side.

This trick not only saves time but makes the look what people in the fashion biz might call "very editorial." As in, this would fit right in on a runway or in, say, a spring makeup photo shoot produced by Allure.

The selection of colors is up to you, but a mix of brights from different color families will set up the most striking contrast.

To create a similar makeup look: TruNaked Eye Shadow Palette in Dazed by CoverGirl.

6. Lip service: Go grunge with a matte black lipstick. 

"She is an incredible model," says Kuma of Gentry. "She can wear any makeup and be any character!" Here, she plays the role of Girl Who Makes Wearing Black Lipstick Look Totally Effortless.

"To me, the color black doesn't have a season," says Kuma, who pairs the dark lip with a matching jet-black cat eye. There are no tips or tricks that make applying black lipstick different from red or pink or beige. Just go for it — oh, and try using a black eye pencil as a lip liner, says Kuma.

To create a similar makeup look: Diorshow 24H Stylo in 091 Matte Black and Rouge Dior Forever Lipstick in 111 Forever Night by Dior.

Photographer: Andy Jackson
Stylist: Anatolli Smith
Hair: Edward Lampley
Makeup: Kuma
Nails: Elina Ogawa
Post Production: Alberto Maro