Get Meryl Streep's Latest Rockstar Beauty Look

The best actors are the ones who embody their on-screen personas, and for her latest, arguably edgiest role, Hollywood legend Meryl Streep in Ricki and The Flash transformed into '80s rock-star has-been Ricki Rendazzo. In order to perfect her performance, the actress took all necessary steps to get into character, including taking up guitar lessons and a beauty routine complete with smoky eyes and hot-mess hair.

This is definitely a side to Streep we haven't seen before. Cover band lead singer Ricki Rendazzo is no Abba-inspired Donna Sheridan. Of course, despite the fact that these performances fall on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, I am expecting an Oscar nomination to ensue, because that seems to be the magic of Streep.

Unfortunately I was not gifted with any sort of musical instrument talent. I asked for a guitar for Christmas after Lindsay Lohan's epic guitar solo at the Hard Rock in Freaky Friday, only to break almost every string off the instrument with my strumming. So, clearly, music is not my forte. Makeup, however, is and I am loving the authentic rocker chick beauty routine Streep and makeup artist Bernadette Mazur perfected for her role.

Nickelback hit the hammer on the head when they said "we all just want to be big rock stars" and while some of us may never live in hilltop houses and drive fifteen cars, we sure can look the part. Check out how you can get Meryl Streep's rock-star beauty look from Ricki and the Flash from Allure's recent interview with Streep's makeup artist for the film.

1. Face

According to Mazur, as far as face makeup goes, she wanted "to let her age show," according to Allure. Ricki Rendazzo left her family behind to follow her rock and roll dreams, only to return years later, and I'm willing to bet nights of long sets, living out of a suitcase and caking on the heavy makeup pays its toll on how a woman ages. In order to look the part, Streep skipped the concealer and let her wrinkles show.

2. Eyes

Heavy, disarrayed eye makeup is what makes a performer's style look so ... cool. They are more concerned with their music and hopping on stage than spending time perfecting their cat eye, and I have so much respect for that. According to Mazur, rather than creating a glamorous image of the rock and roller, Streep opted to let "the powder shadow fall beneath the eyes into the creases, never doing the [eye] liner right, and putting the eyebrow pencil on half the time good, half the time not good."

3. Nails

I can totally relate to rock star nail issues. I may not be strumming a guitar for hours, but typing on a keyboard all day every day does a number on your polished to perfection nails. I can only imagine the constant upkeep guitarists face when it comes to their nails, and Streep wanted to make sure that wear and tear was represented. “You wanted that peeling like she’d been playing guitar — like they were done at different times.” Mazur told Allure.

4. Hair

I am a fan of the messy 'do. For years I was a loyal servant to my straightener; every strand could have put a soldier's stiff posture to shame. Now? Messy buns are my friend, and go-to style for my day job (working from home for the win). Streep's character is very much stuck in her '80s rock star past, so hair teasing was a given. The braids were the actress's added touch. “I met [Meryl] at her apartment, and she came out and gave me these braids that she had in a box,” hairstylist Alan D’Angerio told Allure. “She said she wanted to wear the braids, so I designed the hairstyle around them.”

Seems to me like Streep knows a thing or two about this whole rock-star lifestyle. Is there a double life we should know about, Mer?

Images: Walden Media (5)