How Rachel Brosnahan Got Ready for the 2019 Emmy Awards

“I was so nervous last year,” confessed Rachel Brosnahan from her suite at the J.W. Marriot in downtown Los Angeles, ahead of the Emmy Awards. “But this year, there’s no pressure.” After all, it’s no longer Brosnahan s first rodeo: the actress, who was nominated again for her work as the quirky, headstrong and hilarious Midge on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, knows her way around an Emmys red carpet. And for last night s awards show, Brosnahan called upon her trusted glam squad to prep for TV s big night out.

"We always like to figure it out a little on the fly," Brosnahan said about her makeup look, from a director s chair overlooking Microsoft Theater. "The three of us send a lot of stuff back and forth," she explained, referring to her makeup artist Lisa Aharon and hairstylist Owen Gould. "We like to try new things and have fun with it; we can t take ourselves too seriously."

Besides sharing an appreciation for the light-hearted with her titular character, Brosnahan has learned a beauty trick or two. "I ve learned how to put on a lipstick by myself," Brosnahan revealed. "I had to do it on camera and our show s makeup artist taught me how to not get it all over my face."

Last night, however, she chose to focus the effort on the eyes. Aharon dipped into a palette of shimmering midnight hues to match those of Brosnahan’s sequined Elie Saab gown. “When we saw the dress we wanted to go for a monochromatic effect,” the pro explained while priming Brosnahan’s skin with Cetaphil moisturizer. “We did a navy eye with a little bit of metallic in it and left the rest of the makeup really simple.”

Above the neck, Gould opted for a voluminous long ponytail, set with a spritz of strong hold hairspray to combat the afternoon’s humidity index. “We decided to go with the updo because the dress has a high neck,” he elaborated. “We didn’t want anything too formal.”

Finally, Brosnahan stoked her energy with a bit of room service (tortilla chips and guacamole, to be exact), slipped on her festive ensemble, and was off for a long yet marvelous night ahead. Below, see an exclusive look at how the star got ready for the 2019 Emmy Awards.