Makeup can hide a multitude of sins. Hangover pallor, blemishes, and dark under-eye circles are just a few imperfections that can be improved with some powder and cream. However, it can also work conversely, as proven by Scarlett Johansson’s recent makeup fail that resulted in her looking way older than 39.
Clad in an off-the-shoulder burgundy ruched dress, Johansson was her usual glamorous self when she graced the red carpet at the European premiere of “Transformers One” in central London on September 19, 2024. It was two thumbs up for her stylist. But her makeup artist? Not so much. They committed a common makeup fail that often results in aging rather than enhancing: ditching the light in favor of the dark and, more importantly, not remembering that less is more.
“Dark eye makeup can make you look older than you are if you have a fair complexion,” Prime Prometics decrees. “Heavy eyeliner, smokey eye makeup, and bright colors all make you look older.” The beauty site also advises readers that “when applying makeup, it’s important to maintain a natural look. Do not overdo or use too much foundation, blush, face powder, and eye makeup.” Still, despite the makeup mishap, Johansson was drop-dead gorgeous, even if she did look remarkably different from her usual self.
Johansson embraces the dark side
Scarlett Johansson suffered a common beauty blunder when she matched her lipstick and eyeshadow to her dark burgundy dress at the “Transformers One” Euro premiere. At least it was still much better than other celebs’ mishaps, such as the numerous Trump family makeup fails that left us speechless and scratching our heads — none more so than the sin that Donald committed for his Dr. Phil interview in August 2024. Early naughts-style concealer lips will never make makeup great again, no matter how hard you try, Donald.
By comparison, adding a few years is really no biggie, and Johansson is no stranger to looking mature for her age. It’s an issue she struggled with a lot when she was a rising star. In an October 2022 episode of the “Armchair Expert” podcast with Dax Shepard, Johansson talked about the challenges she faced as a young actor who people perceived to be older.
“You got labeled 15 going on 30 early,” Shepherd observed. Johansson agreed, explaining that when she started on movie sets at age seven, adults always treated her like she was older, which fitted with how she felt. “I got married when I was 23, so got married really young, and by that point, I felt like I was 33; I had a really full life,” Johansson said, admitting that appearing to be older had definitely had its downsides, such as being objectified and pigeonholed by directors. “I felt like I wasn’t getting offers for work for things that I wanted to do.”
