Collage: Adobe Stock; Source images: Courtesy of @kimoramulanSave this storySave this story
We know summer officially starts on June 21, but for us, it began on Olandria Carthen’s birthday. The Love Island star marked the occasion on May 29, during the hottest week of the year (and we’re not talking temperatures). Miami Swim Week brings some of the biggest (and sexiest) names to South Beach, and towards the end of the week-long festivities, Carthen gathered friends at Miami Beach hot-spot, Papi Steak, to celebrate another year of being hot—as she should.
While the birthday girl is usually the one getting all the presents, the now 28-year-old partnered with Anastasia Beverly Hills to gift her fans with a sultry, golden glam—complete with her signature Barbie-pink blush. Makeup artist Kimora Mulan created the bold look featuring dark lip liner, fluttery lashes, and gold shimmer that stretched from her lids to her décolletage.
Mulan and Carthen speak in code when planning their glam, and when asked what vibe she wanted for her birthday, Carthen said, “Let’s give Barbie tonight.” “That means real dolly, cutesy glam with extra blush and sultry lashes,” Mulan explains. The pair tapped into some of summer 2026’s biggest makeup trends for her birthday look—namely, body glitter, reflective lids, and matte skin.
You may cringe when you hear the words matte makeup—we get it, we have horrific flashbacks of our crackly 2016 base, too—but in 2026, a matte complexion has a soft, blurred effect that gives more natural-looking Instagram filter and less dry, thirsty skin with foundation slathered on top.
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Dior
Forever Skin Wear Blurring Natural Matte Foundation
Sephora
Ulta Beauty
Sephora
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Impeccable Blurring Second-Skin Matte Foundation
Anastasia Beverly Hills
To achieve this modern, matte look, Mulan used the Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second-Skin Matte Foundation in the shade 6WO. The medium-to-full coverage formula undoubtedly contributed to Carthen's velvety smooth complexion. (The new Dior Forever Skin Wear Blurring Natural Matte Foundation, an Allure editor favorite, also delivers an airbrushed finish without feeling heavy on the skin). When working with matte products, Mulan says, “the key is making sure you still prep the skin with a great moisturizer and eye serum.”
Courtesy of @Kimoramulan
Carthen stuck with her signature bold blush look, combining cream shades from both the Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Blush Trio in Pink and Berry/Rose to create a punchy, diffused flush on the cheeks—perfectly on theme with her Barbie vibe. If you prefer a powder blush versus cream or liquid, the Nars Ethereal Aura Blush Palette in New Realm also has a mix of bright pink and berry blushes that layer well to create this trendy, transitional blush look.
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Blush Trio
Anastasia Beverly Hills
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NARS
Ethereal Aura Blush Palette in New Realm
Nars Cosmetics
Carthen’s flushy cheeks are definitely the focus of this makeup look, but her golden lids and dazzling décolletage are no less mesmerizing. Mulan used the ABH Glidr Eyeshadow Stick in Sunny across the lids for a touch of 24-karat shimmer that twinkled behind Carthen’s thick lashes and dark eyeliner. “I added a pop of Glow Seeker Highlighter to the inner corners of her eyes and topped it off with a sultry cat-eye to keep the look sexy,” Mulan adds.
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Nyx Professional Makeup
Fat Oil Body Oil Coconut Cutie
Nyx Professional Makeup
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Glidr Eyeshadow Stick
Anastasia Beverly Hills
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Glow Seeker Powder Highlighter
Ulta Beauty
Anastasia Beverly Hills
“The body is part of the canvas too,” makeup artist Ash K. Holm previously told Allure—this philosophy is central to Carthen’s makeup looks. No, seriously, we’ve never seen this girl not glistening. And for her birthday, her body glow was as blinding as ever—Mulan placed a warm golden shimmer pigment artfully along her sternum. The NYX Fat Oil Body Oil in Coconut Cutie, swiped across the chest, will do the trick if you’re looking to replicate this sparkly, Y2K-inspired effect.
To top off the look, Carthen’s lips were deeply lined with the Anastasia Beverly Hills lip liner in Obscura and topped with an ultra-shiny combination of peach- and clear-colored lip glosses.
Consider us inspired and now, well-equipped to recreate this look. Even if you’re not a summer baby, this golden statement glam can be pulled out for that concert you just bought tickets for in August, the July wedding you can’t wait to attend, or just another summer night out with your girls.
