How Demi Lovato Kept Her Mascara From Running During That Emotional Grammys Performance

In her first performance since being hospitalized for an overdose a year and a half ago, Demi Lovato took the stage last night at the Grammy Awards to debut a heart-wrenching new song, titled "Anyone," that was written just days before the incident. The rendition was emotional from the get-go, with the singer starting over after getting choked up, and the audience wiped away tears of their own as they gave Lovato a standing ovation at the end.

This touching moment was planned down to the last detail days ahead of the ceremony, from pre-show interviews to creating her onstage look, which included tear-proof makeup. We spoke to celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, who told us the inspiration behind Lovato's look came to him just hours ahead of the show. "I kept thinking of a phoenix rising when I watched her rehearsal, and yet she looked so angelic at the same time," he exclusively tells Refinery29. "I wanted to do something soft that wouldn’t take any attention away from her powerful voice and performance."

In a post shared to his Instagram feed, Dedivanovic admitted to panicking once the show was underway. "When I saw the tear coming down my heart starting beating so fast," he wrote. "I went into panic mode." But there wasn't a single mascara streak to be found — and the pro credits one go-to product for keeping Lovato's eye makeup perfectly intact.

"For a big performance, powder is key," Dedivanovic tells us. He set the undereye area with YSL Beauty All Hours Setting Powder in B30 Almond, which ensures that the "mascara and liner [didn't] smudge or run." For retaining natural radiance under the heavy lights on stage, he always avoids the cheekbones when sweeping on powder and focuses on the undereyes, sides of the nose, chin, and forehead.

Dedivanovic also used smudge-proof mascara, YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils: N. 1 High Density Black, and water-resistant eyeliner, Eyeliner Effet Faux Cils Shocking, to ensure the look was locked down. In the close-up shots during the telecast, Lovato's shimmery eyeshadow took centre stage, courtesy of the crushed-gold YSL Sequin Crush Eyeshadow in N. 1 Legendary Gold that the makeup artist brushed all over her lids, with the same formula in brown applied to the outer corners for dimension.

With last night marking Lovato's return to the stage — she'll also be singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl LIV this weekend — we're excited for what's to come from the star, who never stops inspiring us, from her music to her mental-health advocacy and her beauty prowess.