Every year, the first Monday in May is reserved for the most prestigious event in the fashion industry—the Met Gala. The exclusive guest list features celebrities, fashion icons, designers and society’s elite.
Chaired by Vogue’s recognizable editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, the Met Gala (aka Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) marks the grand opening of the Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit in New York.
The gala has a different theme every year, and in 2024, it’s “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” Guests bring the annual theme to life through their haute couture and fashion interpretations as they walk the red carpet with the prestigious art museum providing their backdrop.
If your invitation to this year’s gala was lost in the mail, there are ways to get your favorite looks at home. The makeup artists and hairstylists responsible for creating some of this year’s most stunning Met Gala appearances are sharing their insider tips on how you can recreate these glamorous looks at home with the exact same products they used on their celebrity clients.
2024 Met Gala: Makeup
Kelsea Ballerini
When makeup artist Kelsey Deenihan created Kelsea Ballerini‘s Met Gala look, she was inspired by the peach and floral tones of the Michael Kors couture gown the singer was set to wear. And for that, Deenihan turned to CoverGirl.
Here are the products Deenihan used and how she used them so you can recreate the look at home.
- I applied CoverGirl Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence ($15.99) in shade 40 Medium to Kelsea’s entire face. It’s perfect for days when you want a glowy, even tint that lasts all day.
- For Kelsea’s eyeshadow, we wanted to pull the beautiful peach and coral tones from the flowers in the dress and also add a pop of lavender. I swept the lavender shade from the CoverGirl Clean Fresh Clean Color 242 Mellow Mauve Eyeshadow Palette ($13.99) in the inner corner of the eye towards the lid and below the bottom lash line.
- To create shape and drama, I used a smaller tapered eyeshadow brush. Then I applied a mixture of the first matte copper shade and the last sparkling copper shade from the CoverGirl Clean Fresh Color 252 Spiced Copper Eyeshadow Palette ($4.94) softly to the outer corner of the eye.
- Finally, I coated the lashes with a few generous coats of CoverGirl Eye Enhancer Mascara ($10.49) in Intense Black (which launches May 15) for beautiful fluttery lashes, no lash curler needed.
- For Kelsea’s lips, we went with CoverGirl Exhibitionist Crème Lipstick in 485 Coral Dreams ($8.75), a beautiful, light coral. This is my go-to CoverGirl lipstick because it’s super moisturizing and lasts all night.
- We topped it with our favorite CoverGirl Yummy Gloss in 550 My Main Squeeze ($8.99) for that perfect shine.
2024 Met Gala: Hair
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is a fashion icon and a frequent visitor at the Met Gala year after year (13 to be exact). Wearing a naked dress by Schiaparelli Haute Couture with over 2.5 million hand-embroidered beads, this year’s look might have just topped them all.
Lopez’s effortless high bun was created by hairstylist Lorenzo Martin, who’s also worked his magic on Heidi Klum and Gwyneth Paltrow. If you’ve always wondered how Lopez manages to get the most perfect, messiest bun ever, Martin is sharing his secrets and the products that will you get the look at home.
Here’s his step-by-step guide:
- Step 1: On wet hair, apply the Tresemme Mousse Keratin Smooth Hydrating Hair Treatment to roots and protect heat all over.
- Step 2: Begin rough drying with the Styling Concentrator attachment of the new, fast, and powerful Shark FlexStyle® Sparkle Air Styling & Drying System in Black Diamond. Dry until damp.
- Step 3: Take small sections and wrap your hair around the 1.25” Auto-Wrap Curler attachments to give it texture! You can use this on straight, wavy, curly and coily hair!
- Step 4: Mix a dime-size amount of Tresemmé Weightless Silk Serum, Tresemme Freeze Hold Hairspray and Tresemme Mega Control Hair Gel together. Run your fingers through the hair.
- Step 5: Snatch a high pony using Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Styler Hairbrush to tame all the hair.
- Step 6: Tease the ponytail with Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Teaser Backcombing Hairbrush to make hair look messy! The messier the better!
- Step 7: Secure with brown medium Hair Elastic at the top of your head. For the last wrap, pull the hair halfway through, creating a loop.
- Step 7: Pin the loop above the crown with a large bobby pin.
- Step 8: Secure any extra hair loosely into the bun.
- Step 9: Spray Tresemme Extra Hold Hair Spray to complete the look.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson was an ethereal vision in an Oscar de la Renta gown and Noel Stewart feather headpiece, which paired perfectly with Anderson’s no-makeup makeup by Pat McGrath. Her super pretty updo was created by celebrity stylist Orlando Pita, whose fingertips have touched the tresses of Anne Hathaway, Shakira and countless models in ads for Calvin Klein, Valentino, Chanel and Vogue.
According to Pita, Anderson’s hair was inspired by “light and ethereal,” incorporating feathers and jewels into her look. He’s spilling the beans about recreating her fabulous hairstyle at home.
This is Pita’s step-by-step routine:
- I prepped her hair with Orlando Pita Play Atmos-Shield Hair Protectant Spray ($22.99) and blew it out.
- I then sprayed each section of her hair with Orlando Pita Play Body Breakthrough Volume Boosting Hairspray and put them in T3 hot rollers.
- Once the hot rollers cooled off, I removed them and brushed her hair out.
- I teased the roots all over and began to create a loose French twist with some loose tendrils.
- I completed the look by adding this gorgeous feather headpiece by Noel Stewart that I had sprayed with a colored hair spray (Ebin Tinted Lace Spray) to blend in with her blonde tresses and a hair pin by Pandora.
- I finished it off with Orlando Pita Play Climate Change Humidity Blocking Hairspray ($19.99).
Karol G
Cesar Deleon Ramirez has styled the tresses of celebs like Karol G, Paris Hilton, Camila Cabello and Ciara. So when Karol G received her Met Gala invite, of course, she turned to Ramirez to make her creamy blonde hair look its best.
Ramirez was inspired by this year’s Met Gala “sleeping beauties” theme and wanted to bring this out with Karol G’s hair. He says, “Our creative idea was to transform Karol G into a beautiful Queen of the Fairies. I love fairy tales, so this was a dream come true.”
Here’s how Ramirez created the look and how you can do it at home:
- On freshly washed hair, I applied Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep ($35) and Smooth Infusion Perfect Blow Dry ($37) to protect from heat damage while achieving a smooth finish with shine.
- Once the hair was all smooth and dried, I used my Hot Tools triple barrel waiver to create soft, ethereal waves. I worked the iron on large sections to create looser, larger waves.
- Once I created my texture, I pinned one side back to expose the elf ears, and to perfectly frame her face. To seal the look I sprayed Aveda’s Air Control Hairspray ($40), and Aveda’s Brilliant Anti-Humectant Pomade to smooth away all the flyaways and to ensure that the look would last all night.
Elf ears are optional.
2024 Met Gala: Skin
Sabrina Carpenter
Celebrity makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez has touched some of the most famous faces in the world, like Alessandra Ambrosio, Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively and Kelsey Merritt. And as Sabrina Carpenter’s No. 1, it’s no surprise she was there to help the singer make her Met Gala appearance.
Wearing a strapless Oscar de la Renta gown featuring a blue, puffy satin skirt, Gonzales wanted Carpenter’s look to “be delicate yet fierce.” Gonzales says, “I used the Solawave 4-in-1 Red Light Therapy Skincare Wand ($169) with Activating Serum ($29) to prep the skin to create a glowing foundation to the look.”
You can shop Solawave at Solawave.co, Ulta.com and Amazon.com.
Lizzo
Lizzo looked simply ravishing at the 2024 Met Gala in a Victor Weinsanto floral gown from his Spring Summer 2024 collection, featuring a matching headpiece that extended some distance above her head. To make her skin shine, celebrity makeup artist Alexx Mayo used his favorite Kate Somerville products to prep the Grammy-winner’s skin for a flawless complexion.
Here are Mayo’s tips for getting the same look at home:
- I started off the skin care prep using ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment to get rid of any dead skin cells and to brighten the complexion.
- Next, I used the HydraKate Recharging Serum to wake up the skin and add an extra boost of radiance as well as hydration. Then, I applied the HydraKate Recharging Water Cream, which is light and perfect for under makeup. This is my go-to skin prep for red carpet — the key to beautiful glam is to start with smooth, hydrated and healthy skin!
- As for the final step, I used the new HydraKate Illuminating SPF 50+ Drops. I love this under makeup because it leaves a soft radiant glow and protects skin with absolutely no white cast. Our goal was prepped and primed for skin that glows and gives makeup a buttery smooth application.
2024 Met Gala: Nails
Allison Williams
Celebrity manicurist Pattie Yankee designed bold, personalized nails from imPRESS that will coordinate with Allison Williams’ black and white Michael Kors Collection gown, creating a custom black floral print design on top of the shimmery, pearlescent nail. The sheer shade was the perfect base for the rose and vine nail art.
Here are Yankee’s tips for creating your own personalized nails at home:
- Ahead of the event, Yankee created a custom design with black nail art paint on the imPRESS Premium in shade “Vanilla Glazed” nails, using a color swatch of Williams’ dress as inspiration.
- Yankee first prepped the nails using the manicure stick and file included within the imPRESS Manicure set, then cleaned, filed and buffed the nails. She then wiped the nails clean with the included prep pad.
- Yankee then preselected Williams’ nail sizes to ensure a proper fit, then peeled the backing from the nail and gently pressed onto her natural nail, center and sides at the same time, held for 30 seconds, then repeated for each nail.
The post Celebrity Stylists’ Tips for Getting Their Met Gala Beauty Looks appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
