3 min readWhat was your weekend like?
For Colman Domingo, it was a busy one: On Sunday, the actor reprised his role of Ali Muhammed during the season three premiere of the acclaimed HBO show Euphoria and the night before, the 56-year-old made his debut as host of Saturday Night Live, an experience he tells Men’s Health was akin to a “beautifully orchestrated storm.” “You rehearse, you plan, and then you surrender to the chaos,” he continues.
The analogy is apt—just like a storm, things took an unexpected turn, with his closing remarks abruptly cut-off by a technical glitch. But despite the widely-reported snafu, Domingo’s turn was widely praised, with some calling him the best host of the show’s fifty-first season.
His comedic skills were on fully display—and so was his flawless look. The Oscar-nominated star exuded poised confidence during the show’s opening in a black double-breasted blazer with flowing sequin-studded lapels. His monologue was a fun take on how he always brings “the vibes,” and for his SNL appearance, the grooming vibes were all Italian. That’s because Domingo’s groomer, celebrity makeup artists Jamie Richmond, exclusively used products from Valentino Beauty to create the look. “When it comes to men’s makeup, my goal is always a natural, healthy glow that lasts all night,” Richmond tells Men’s Health exclusively. “For Colman, that meant creating a polished, luminous finish that could hold up through the pace and energy of the evening.”
The backstage vibes were scent-sational.
So, what was it like behind the scenes as he prepared to take the stage at New York City’s famous 30 Rock? “Jamie and I moved with intention, with ease,” he says. And fragrance played a big part of that: “We set the mood with a dreamy jazzy playlist and with Valentino Beauty’s Anatomy of Dreams: Sogno In Rosso.”
The scent is an alluring blend of black pepper, vanilla bourbon, and an Italian milk foam accord, a perfect transitional fragrance for the between-seasons time we find ourselves in. “It’s rich, it’s sensual, it breathes confidence into the air,” Domingo says. “The fragrance has to meet that moment with you. It has to be bold enough to hold its ground, but fluid enough to evolve.”
This unisex scent is slightly ambery, slightly spicy, and fully sexy. Top notes of juniper and black pepper give it a kick from the get-go while base notes of sandalwood and vanilla bourbon leave behind a lasting sillage that’s perfect for a date night.
How Colman got his skin ready for his hosting debut.
As Domingo’s grooming routine proves, real men most definitely wear makeup. Richmond started by prepping his skin with the Valentino Beauty V-Lighter Face Beam to hydrate his face—a must for any guy over the age of forty. Next, she used the Very Valentio 24-Hour Wear Liquid Foundation: “It evens out the skin while keeping it very fresh and natural,” Richmond says.
With the groundwork laid, Richmond concealed any blemishes and uneven skin tone with the Very Valentino Concealer, a medium-coverage product that masks what you want it to mask but still allows skin to breathe. “I usually avoid heavy concealers on men, but this one is buildable, and enriched with caffeine and vitamin E to brighten and de-puff,” she says. Next, Richmond traced Domingo’s lash line with the tiniest bit of Valentino’s Colograph Eyeliner to make his eyes pop and then coated his lips in the brand’s Spike Valentino Disco Balm, “a pH-reactive balm that hydrates and adds a little bit of tint.”
To finish, she used the Valentino Beauty Go-Clutch Powder under Domingo’s eyes and on his T-zone to dampen any shine. “The result is polished, luminous, and effortless wearable.”
Once finished, what truly shined through was Domingo’s confidence and ease on stage. His opening salvo set a tone of subdued anticipation for what lay ahead. He adds, “That’s how I walk out there—centered, open, and ready to dance with whatever comes.”
Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.
