We all have our favourite Met Gala beauty looks. But we wanted to let those who are in the room – the beauty professionals – weigh in on what makes a truly magical Met Gala beauty look. “It feels like the Olympics of hair, makeup, and styling,” says makeup artist Ash K Holm, who did Jennifer Lopez’s sexy cat eye for “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” last year.
Below, seven celebrity makeup and hairstylists share their absolute favourite beauty look – while we wait to see what comes tonight.
Feline Liner on Jennifer Lopez
“My all-time favourite Met Gala beauty look was last year’s makeup for Jennifer Lopez. She wore a stunning, fitted gown by Ralph Lauren in light pink and black. With her hair pulled back, we needed her face to truly stand out. The makeup featured a sultry feline cat eye paired with Jennifer’s signature glow. Understanding Jennifer’s preference for options, I prepared multiple mood boards for all three potential dresses. Once we finalised the dress, we were able to narrow down the makeup look. Preparing for this event involves countless hours of meticulous planning and execution by the entire team.” Ash K Holm
Moving Art on Cara Delevingne
“I commissioned the artist Machine Dazzle to create this exceptional, fully-custom headpiece to match Cara’s outfit and the “Notes on Camp” theme. We went back and forth for months ahead of the Gala, sharing inspiration and direction. I didn’t see the final piece until a few nights before the Met, when I went to his studio to try it on and discuss final prep. (Those wind up teeth were fully functional, btw!) I love that we created our own piece of art for that night.” Mara Roszak
A Hair Whip on Tessa Thompson
“My favourite Met Gala moment was turning Tessa Thompson’s hair into a hair whip for the 2019 “Notes on Camp” red carpet. The Met Gala is a favourite event in our collaboration, and I love bouncing off ideas with her and the team leading up to the event. Another favourite look of mine with Tessa was for “In America” – I created a braided cowboy hat, which was a last-minute idea we had dreamt up. My hair team and I sat up all night, braiding away and constructing the hat. I followed her in her car to the red carpet and finished up moments before she walked onto the carpet.” Lacy Redway
Rockabilly Barbie on Kristin Stewart
“I wanted to pay homage to America’s glamour and the working girl of the 1940s and ’50s with a ‘Refined rockabilly style’. This is look is what Kristen is all about. This sex, this glamour, this magic colour… It’s her.” Adir Abergel
Creative Collaboration with Gemma Chan
“What made this so fun was the creative collaboration between Gemma and I up til the gala. Anna May Wong and old John Galliano at Dior Haute Couture runway images from the ’90s were our mood board inspiration.” Daniel Martin
Incredible Sparkles on Lily James
“Lily James wore a Versace dress to the 2022 Met – it was very aquatic and mermaid like. It took hours of trial and error to match the lilac and silver sparkle on the dress with the right cream shadow, so many different products were layered until it reached a 3-D sparkly eye. I wanted Lily’s skin to be super pale and give the impression of an ‘otherworldly’ figure so there was the body makeup element also as quite a bit of skin was on show.” Valeria Ferreira
Hollywood Glamour on Halle Bailey
“My personal favourite look I created was on Halle Bailey for last year’s Met Gala, themed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”. She wore Gucci, which fit like a glove, and looked so angelic and timeless. I love the makeup look I created on her. I used opalescent shimmers and glitters to complement the sequins in her dress. Also, her red bob was the star of the show. The colour was a nod to The Little Mermaid. Her hairstylist Tinisha Meeks is really a magician!” Christiana Cassell
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