“Taylor will send me pictures, I’ll send her some back – we have a really collaborative creative process, which makes it so nice to work with her,” make-up artist Celia Burton tells Vogue. “A lot of the moodboard for the Met Gala was photos of Audrey Hepburn – especially for Taylor’s hair. Joey George [Taylor’s hairstylist] is a magician, especially at creating more technical up-dos like that.”
Since it was Russell’s first Met Gala, Burton wanted to ensure that – first and foremost –Taylor felt “fierce and amazing” for the big red-carpet moment. “We stayed in the realm of make-up looks we’ve worked with before, using a very feline, cat-eye shape in tonal wooden colours,” she explains. “We knew the dress was going to be quite ethereal with a wooden flower motif, so we wanted to align with that.”
She started by mapping the shape out on Taylor’s eye, using a cream brown paint from Lady Gaga’s make-up brand, Haus Labs, and a finely-tipped paintbrush to allow for precision. “Taylor had a mirror in her hand while I worked on her eyes, so we created the shape together,” she says. “We did an amazing catty flick, then cut into her socket line with the paint. Then, I cut a small point in the inner corners of her eyes and dragged that out slightly, too.”
Once they were both happy with the shape of the paint, Burton set it using the Victoria Beckham Beauty Kajal Pencil in brown, which is one of her favourite eye pencils. “It drys really matte and it’s long-lasting, plus when it’s wet, it’s also really easy to blend,” she says. To create a more statement look, she applied some concealer – Pat McGrath Labs’s Skin Fetish Concealer –around the edges of the brown shape. “It offers really good coverage, blends easily and lasts ages – it’s delicious!” she adds.
Met Gala 2024 Red Carpet: See Every Celebrity Look, Outfit And DressGallery100 PhotosView Gallery
On Taylor’s “immaculate” brows, Burton created super fine hair strokes using Dior’s finely-tipped Brow Styler to fill in any gaps, then Taylor took the pencil to draw some freckles on herself. “Taylor’s also got a beautiful birthmark on her right cheek which, like her freckles, we like to shine through,” says Burton. “I also softly contoured her face, then used Fara Homidi’s Lip Pencil in Riche on her lips for a harmonious finish.”
Tonal and super cool, Taylor’s beauty look partnered perfectly with her Loewe dress. “The devil was in the detail,” says Burton. “Everything was beyond precise, which I get a real kick out of as a make-up artist. Getting ready with Taylor is always amazing – she is very aware of the energy in the room. It’s always calm and considered and we have lots of time. Working with her is a treat.”
