Mariska Hargitay Is Bringing Mermaid Waves and Glass Skin to the Emmys Red Carpet
It's definitely not Mariska Hargitay's first time at the Emmys. She's been nominated 12 times. She won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Olivia Benson in Law & Order: SVU circa 2006, and again in 2017 for her directing work in I Am Evidence. But the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards, taking place a decade later, are a Big One for the actress. Not only did she already win two Emmys tonight for My Mom Jane, but she's also the host. And, she is the first female host in 15 years, I might add.
While I'm confident that she will do an A+++ job (supposedly Stephen Colbert's writing team helped her prep), I'm going to spend the little bit of time leading up to the show by doing a deep dive into her glam for the evening.
Here's what I know: she teamed up with makeup artist Kate Synott for the big night. Her skin was prepped exclusively with Cetaphil products, proving once again that drugstore staples can help you achieve a very luxe-looking glow. Her makeup—from foundation to mascara—is courtesy of It Cosmetics. She's playing in the peachy -nude family (at least for her first look) and is reminding me exactly why I should never forget to tightline. I'll be restocking the Superhero No-Tug Eyeliner ASAP.
As for her hair? It's looking particularly thick and voluminous courtesy of the genius that is Adir Abergel and Virtue hair products. After proper prep, he whipped out a GHD flat iron to achieve the most gorgeous mermaid waves, which I suspect will be a huge fall hair trend.
Below, shop the exact products used to get this look.
Shop Mariska's Look
"I focused the lotion across the neck, shoulders, arms and décolletage, areas that are often on display during a red-carpet moment," says Synnott.
"The Cetaphil Skin Activator Hydrating & Firming Cream became an essential step in Mariska’s pre-glam routine," says Synnott. "It helps activate surface skin cells while delivering 72-hour hydration and helping skin look smoother and firmer, giving the skin the moisture and nourishment it needs before makeup."
"This was really the hero of the skin for me. It’s 92% skincare with collagen peptide, so you get that beautiful skincare-first feel, but it also gives sheer coverage and a really natural radiant finish. I love that the skin still looks like skin — just smoother, hydrated and perfected," she says.
"I then used Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream only where I wanted a little extra coverage, followed by Do It All Concealer under the eyes and around the mouth to brighten and lift," she adds.
"The eyes were the real focus. I blended Superhero No-Tug Shadow Sticks in Copper Charisma and Fearless Umber to create a warm, diffused smoky eye, then added an elongated feline wing with Superhero Liner for definition and a little drama. I completed the eyes with Superhero Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara in Super Black," says Synnott.
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