Last night was Ambika Mod’s first ever Met Gala, which she attended as a guest of Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson. Naturally the One Day star wore a custom-made Loewe gown that nodded to “The Garden of Time” dress code. So it’s no wonder that Mod’s beauty look, by make-up artist Vincent Oquendo, followed suit.
Oquendo shared his inspiration board a week ago, which Mod was into. “She’s very collaborative,” he says. “I always have a strong art influence in my work so working with the theme, I imagined what the thorns would look like. In the short story ‘The Garden of Time’, thorns would grow instead of flowers. So we created thorn-inspired lashes, infusing a touch of mystique and allure into every detail.”
To create the effect on Mod’s eyes and lashes, Oquendo “adorned” the eyes with elf’s Liquid Metallic Eyeshadow in Moon and Perfect Shade Eyeshadow Palette in Nude Mood. The make-up artist ended up applying six layers, waiting until each layer dried before patting in the next, until it reached “a peak in the middle of the eye.” Layering elf’s Lash Xtndr mascara to create the base, Oquendo then used black feathers that flickered in the light to cut several “thorn-esque ‘V’ shapes” and applied them to the underside of the outer corner of the eye. “It meant that from every angle, each flick of her eye was dramatic – the shadow cast made them looked pristine and destroyed,” he explained.
A delicate and time consuming look to create? “Well, we had two hours for glam,” Oquendo laughs. “The first hour was spent chatting and catching up and she also had her hair chopped into a bob, so when it came to applying the feathers, it only took about ten minutes.”
Mod’s skin was left natural and fresh. “I wanted it to be effortless and aspirational – which is very British,” the make-up artist continues. “It has an ease and coolness to it.” And once glam was finished, Anderson walked into the suite to see Mod’s final look. “I love the make-up,” Oquendo recalls him saying. The highest beauty praise indeed.
Met Gala 2024 Red Carpet: See Every Celebrity Look, Outfit And DressGallery100 PhotosView Gallery
