The Embarrassing Makeup Mistake Nicole Kidman Was Caught Making

Even with access to the best makeup products and tools, actor and beauty icon Nicole Kidman still isn't immune to the occasional makeup blunder. One thing she's certainly guilty of? Flashbacks, or having that chalky white powder on your skin that looks as though you've been dusted with baking flour. During the New York premiere of her film "Nine" in 2009, Kidman suffered this embarrassing makeup fail while posing on the red carpet. As seen below in the left photo, Kidman was photographed with visible streaks of powder under her right eye and on her nose, despite the rest of her makeup looking flawless. Unfortunately, it happened again at the Monte-Carlo Gala event in Monaco in 2019, where Kidman was captured with a white cast under her eyes and on the bridge of her nose. Clearly, she hasn't learned her lesson.

Dimitrios Kambouris & Daniele Venturelli/Getty

Notably, it's the same makeup mistake that pop superstar Taylor Swift has been caught making. Well, it turns out it's a common occurrence. "Typically, flashback is caused by too light of a powder or powder that has a high amount of silica in the formula," Milk Makeup's Sara Wren explained. "Silica reflects light, so when the camera flashes, ... it creates a white cast on the skin." However, flashbacks can also happen with powders that contain ingredients like talc or mica. Thankfully, you can avoid this by choosing powders with looser and finer textures over heavy ones. It's also important to mattify the skin once your makeup has been applied by using a mattifying setting spray.

"The key with powder is 'less is more,'" Wren also stressed. "Too many layers of powder can make skin look dull or dry." Regardless of whether you're using fine powders, the Philadelphia-based MUA warned, "If it is applied too heavily, it will look dry." Got that, Nicole?

While Nicole Kidman hasn't said anything about her makeup disasters, the star of A24's "Babygirl" has certainly not shied away from spilling some of her beauty secrets. Notably, the closest we've seen Kidman go makeup-free was on the set of her Prime series "Expats" in 2022, and she definitely looks stunning with or without her signature makeup look. Speaking with Allure in 2013, Kidman said she normally skips the makeup when she's not shooting or doesn't have to be in front of a camera. "I get my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted," the actor dished. One makeup product she can't live without is lip gloss. And speaking of lips, her favorite is Benefit's Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain, which is well-loved among beauty buffs all over the world. "There's always a lip gloss in my bag," Tom Cruise's ex-wife once told Harper's Bazaar. "If I swipe on some gloss and curl my lashes in the morning, I look pulled together (or good enough for school drop-off)." For red carpet events, she works with her go-to makeup artist, Gucci Westman. Kidman gushed about working with Westman in a previous chat with Vogue. "Gucci's work is just like her personality. Chic and effortless," she said. "I love the way she does my makeup, but I love the time we get to spend together while we're getting ready just as much."

As for her skin secrets, aside from using the right products for her skin, Kidman credits her flawless complexion with using SPF quite religiously. She's a huge fan of Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer SPF100+ sunscreen. "As a fair-skinned girl, I've worn sun cream since I was a kid," Kidman told Harper's Bazaar in 2018.