Lana Del Rey is bringing the music — and the glam — to Coachella!
Ahead of her headlining performance on Friday night, April 12, the “Summertime Sadness” singer’s makeup artist Etienne Ortega gave PEOPLE an exclusive look at what fans can expect from Del Rey when she takes the stage.
While Ortega says he “always” likes to refer to the singer as “a timeless beauty” because he can “throw anything on her and she still will still look beautiful and amazing,” he says they’re “going to switch it up a little bit” for her performance tonight.
Del Rey has become synonymous with her black-winged eyeliner, an aspect of her glam that Ortega is “changing up” to reflect the desert vibes and sandy hues that create the backdrop of her Indio, Calif., surroundings.
“We’re still going to have a liner. Lana can’t be Lana without her infamous liner!” assures Ortega. “But tonight’s color story is a bit more warm tones. Usually we do a cool-tone eye, a very black, bold liner.” He explains, “We’re going for a little bit more of browns, like a brown warm sandy palette with gold, with a little bit of a golden, radiant skin.”
Ortega says he and Del Rey are “all about lips too” — but as a singer performing an hour-and-a-half set, he has to strategize his application. “I got to make sure it doesn’t move,” he says before stressing that “the hydration of it all” is key for a long-lasting look.
Fashion and beauty have become staples with Coachella just as the music itself with trends like body glitter, face gems, chunky accessories, cowboy boots and macrame being among the many fads that have come and gone through the years.
But among the most memorable and nostalgic of Coachella — particularly between 2012 and 2016 — are the flower crowns. In fact, sartorial stans are predicting the floral-headband trend will make a comeback this year because of Del Rey, the flower-crown queen herself.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of little Lanas running around. I definitely think people are going to be wearing the flower crowns,” Ortega predicts of the trend’s revival. He also anticipates her signature bows, too!
For Del Rey’s Coachella looks herself, Ortega was tight-lipped ahead of her performance. “She’ll kill me if I say anything,” he jokes. “But she’s got a lot of amazing surprises, I’ll tell you that much!”
“I’m going to go back to what I said earlier about something fresh and new and different,” he continues. “I think tonight’s look will be maybe even unexpected, but different… It’ll still be Lana, but just different.”
Del Rey’s Friday night set marks her return to the Coachella stage since her performance in 2014, just ahead of the release of her third album, Ultraviolence. Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat join her as this year’s headliners.
Plus, a promised reunion will occur with Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt as they take the stage for the first time since 2015. Coachella will take place on April 12 to 14 and April 19 to 21.