As New York City’s most glamorous events resume, once again, we have so much great content to gossip about. Being one of the most anticipated, the Met Gala certainly did not disappoint in terms of fashion. I think we’ve all seen the most iconic gowns and suits from the night (the good, the bad, and the ugly). However, the same can be said for the makeup worn by our favorite celebrities.
Now, the official theme of the Met Gala this year was American Independence. Was the theme represented through the makeup? Yes and no. It depends on who you ask. Nonetheless, the amazing artists’ talent behind the scenes has not gone unnoticed, with looks consisting of classic smokey eyes, bold lips, and face jewelry.
One of the most show-stopping appearances from the night was from Billie Eilish, paying homage to Marilyn Monroe. Her makeup artist, Rob Rumsey, served us with a classic “old Hollywood beauty” inspired makeup look. Reminiscent of the 1950s, Rumsey created a black, smokey wing on the eyes and used a heavy hand on the blush, matching perfectly with his lipstick choice. He worked with Eilish’s natural brow shape to his advantage, as it resembles Monroe’s, who often broke the rules of beauty during her era. Just as the title says, Rumsey killed it with this classic Hollywood Glam.
Rihanna, a returning Met Gala queen, came in hot with a monochromatic purple look, rocking a dark lip moment paired with a soft purple smokey eye. Hector Espinal, the talent behind this look, is one of Fenty Beauty’s global makeup artists. Although it was not an outside-of-the-box makeup look, it’s Rihanna. In my mind, she can do no wrong.
Now you can’t talk about the Met Gala of 2021 without mentioning pop superstar Lil Nas X, who stunned the night with three different outfit changes. Although his makeup stayed stagnant and minimal, the gold graphic liner was still an iconic move, pairing hand in hand with current Summer 2021 makeup trends. Korean makeup artist Grace Pae created the look. Did it match the American Independence theme? No, but still a look to remember.
However, two women that did follow this year’s theme are makeup influencer Jackie Aina and legendary pop star Ciara. Jackie Aina, who made history being the first black beauty content creator to attend the gala, showed up dressed as a real-life Barbie, 90’s version, of course. Aina, of course, did her own makeup for the event and did a classic dark brown and black smokey eye paired with big, bold lashes. The look was complete with a nude lip topped with a clear gloss, paying homage to the makeup trends popular in the 1990s, an era also very popular for the Barbie franchise.
Ciara took a different route but still represented American nonetheless: football. Risks were taken as Ciara dazzled in a literal jersey dress, decked out in sequins. Her makeup artist, Yolanda Fredrick-Thompson, a long-time pro in the industry, paired the green dress with a dark green and black smokey eye, flawless glass skin, and a nude lip. Probably one of my favorite makeup looks from the night.
If we talked about every single attendee’s makeup, we would be here for hours. So, let’s end it off with one of the most talked-about moments from the night: Hunter Schafer. The American model channeled her alien alter-ego with the help of makeup artist Sandy Gazner, who described the look as “a little bit of late ’90s grunge, a pinch of playful dystopian sci-fi, and just a sprinkle of romantic horror.” The answer to this vision was sticking a metallic white-gold brooch across the bridge of her nose. Many stated it looked like a decorative insect. Schafer also showed up wearing bright white contacts. The rest of Schafer’s makeup was actually very simple; a light brown smoked-out eye and a terracotta lip liner that filled in her lips.
The attendees and their makeup artists wanted to create classy, beautiful looks, and they did not disappoint.
Words by Amanda Applebaum.
Graphic by Carlota Sosa