It’s one of fashion’s biggest nights but the Met Gala is also home to the year’s most inspiring beauty looks. Scroll through for our top picks for 2019’s Met Gala beauty.
Two-Faced Met Beauty: Ezra Miller
The hands down winner of Met Gala beauty was Ezra Miller. The Fantastic Beasts star embraced all of the theatrical elements of the “Camp” theme with a dramatic, masquerade inspired makeup. He walked onto the pink carpet in a white silk cape holding a lifelike latex facial mould over his own face. His dramatic unveiling revealed a custom Burberry suite complete with train, jewelled corset. As he lifted his mask he revealed the most mesmerising makeup magic we’ve seen on the red carpet in years. It might be magic he picked up in the wizarding world, it might be the work of expert illusionist Mimi Cho – whatever it was the results were eerie, hypnotic and breath taking.
Old Hollywood: Kim Kardashian
And now for something completely different. Kim Kardashian stunned in her wet-look Muegler gown. The piece was so figure hugging it looked like it had been airbrushed onto her skin. Muegler’s first design in 20 years was created specifically for the occasion and was a show stopper. The dress was designed to look as if its wearer had just emerged from the ocean. Inspired by Sophia Loren in the 1957 film “Boy on a Dolphin” the effect was completed with diamonds designed to look like droplets of water.
Kardashian’s makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic ran with this inspiration. He created skin that looked like literal glass. Perfect sculptural lowlights around the cheeks and lips accented the impressions in the folds of the gown. I would never have dreamed of matching my contour to my outfit before this, but now I’m having second thoughts. The perfect peach glossed lid brought the look home, screaming luxury all the way.
The fashion and beauty moment was, of course, the perfect advertisement for Kim Kardashian and Mario’s KKW Beauty collaboration – we’ve fallen for it hook line and sinker. Dedivanovic, as always, used Tatcha skincare and we’re sure their luxurious skin treatments played a serious role in the mega-watt glow being served.
Her “wet” hair was created by Olaplex ambassador and “hair artist” Chris Appleton. He more than earned his title. Beginning with deconstructed victory rolls before cascading into believably tousled and damp tendrils the hair made a perfect complement to the look. An incredible example of masterful Hair and Makeup team truly elevating a look.
Political Met Beauty: Lupita Nyong’o
Talk about nailing the brief! Lupita’s look was another example of hair, makeup and fashion coming together to make a serious statement.
Nyong’o’s towering regal column gown was created by Versace. Celebrity hair stylist Vernon Francois was inspired by the striking column gown as well as old school camp icon and regal beauty Marie Antoinette. Francois created a towering bouffant for Lupita topped with custom golden “Fight the Power” combs. Francois, who has made a name for himself creating natural hair red carpet looks, often draws on cultural influences for his hair work.
The combs reference artist Lauren Kelley’s 2007 self portrait “Pickin” in which the artist hair is obscured by a painful looking crown of combs topped with fists. The artwork speaks to the politicization of hair amongst women of colour. Francois told reporters he wanted to celebrate “the power, malleability and luxuriousness of natural hair texture” – a hair type that has often been problematically dismissed as “difficult to work with” or “tame” at backstage fashion events.
Meanwhile Nick Barose created a wonderfully eccentric beauty look complete with blocked out brows, kaleidescopic glitter and pitch-black lips. The look referenced to camp icon and John Water’s muse Divine. Barose used a mixture of Lashify, Lancome and artistry products to create the playful homage. A Met Gala beauty moment for the history books.
Playful Met Beauty: Lady Gaga
It makes sense that two American Horror Story alums tied for most dramatic entrances on the red carpet! Gaga and Billy Porter both rocked seriously dramatic beauty looks. While we don’t know how Gaga kept her eyes open (and unscathed) beneath those hefty lashes all we can say is more. power. to. her!
Lashes were custom made by Gaga’s long time makeup artist Sarah Tanno who used Marc Jacobs beauty products to create the flawless look – including his new “Youthquake” moisturiser and Accomplice concealers.
Boy With the Pearl Earring: Harry Styles
Harry Styles served up serious grunge along with his Edwardian-Goth look. Skin was raw and eyes ever-so lightly lined to complement his deconstructed trademark bouffant. What really brought the look together for us was the single Gucci natural pearl earring in his right lobe. Whether an earring counts as a beauty moment is open to argument but for us it captured the spirit of the night – playful, young and gorgeous.
The Ethereal: Gigi Hadid
The VS Angel’s were responsible for some snooze-worthy beauty and fashion looks this year (ahem, Taylor Hill and Gisele Budchen) so it’s nice to see GiGi made some effort for the team with her Met Beauty look.
Michael Kors, the designer behind her catsuit, described the look as a “little bit Liberace, Cher, Elton John, Daisy Buchanan, Great Gatsby” while Gigi confessed she wanted “a look I couldn’t wear anywhere else” Hadid’s sky-scraper lashes were perfectly complemented by a matte sculpted complexion and nude lips.
Make it Regal, Make it Met: Billy Porter
Billy Porter told Vogue interviewer Liza Koshy that he was “just trying to show up and be appropriate for the moment” and that he did. Porter argued that while “Camp has been used as a pejorative” taking it to an event like the Met imbued it with respect. Porter said “it’s high art… I have built a career on playing ‘campy’ characters, I have a career and I have this life because of that.” He described the look as “positive and filled with upward motion” and boy did he deliver. Pat McGrath crafted his beauty look to complement the intricate beaded The Blonds suit he wore. The look was golden and textural, a shining yellow cat eye emblazoned with beading and lacquered plum and gold lips. Blindingly brilliant.