Blushing as an Art

Once again, it was the Met Gala, the annual ball which sees hordes of celebrities constellate around a theme in a bid to raise money for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year, the theme was “Fashion in Art,” and as such the looks were steeped in visual history and painterly motifs. In contrast, the best faces were stripped and blushing, as if translated from an oil painting circa 1500. 

Or, perhaps a Klimt? One of the night’s best looks was Euphoria actor Hunter Schafer’s ensemble inspired by Mada Primavesi, which features the titular girl in a floral dress and large silver ribbon in her hair. The cheeks and lips are pinkish-red, and her eyelids a pallid grey. Make-up artist Sandy Ganzer was inspired by the subject’s youthful innocence and “stoic, elegantly defiant stance.” For Hunter, she used the Prada Beauty eyeshadow palette in the shade Pure – a cool, delicate blue – and a barely-there swipe of the Prada Beauty Lash Extending Mascara in Mahogany. On the lips, the Monochrome Hyper Matte Lipstick in the shade Tamaris is a perfect neutral pink, balancing the triple-layered Touch Blush in the shades Tulip, Waterlily and Peach.

Elsewhere, Ayo Edebiri wore a white Chanel gown poised to look as if held up by birds. On her skin, the Chanel Beauty Sublimage L’Essence De Teint provided a glowing base. Make-up artist Dee Cameron said of the look: “I was inspired by Ayo’s ethereal and angelic dress. I wanted to keep her makeup within that same world, so I created a look of glowing skin, which was complimented by reflective shimmers and a soft, flushed lip.” Her hyper-highlighted complexion was a mix of the Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Transparent and the Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid in Sunkissed, applied liberally around the eye sockets, inner eyes, cheekbones and decolletage. On the lips, the Rouge Coco Gloss Moisturizing Gloss in the aptly named shade, Melted Honey.

Lastly, Naomi Watts’ Dior look – a bustled black gown, festooned by flowers – was taken straight from a Dutch still life. Like her dress, her nails and hair were lavished by florals of all hues, but the makeup by Mary Wiles was an example of clean, classic beauty. Like Ayo and Hunter, Naomi’s skin was fresh and luminous, gently bronzed with Dior Forever Skin Bronze in the lightest shade, and topped with the Glow Luminizer in Nude Halo. The eyes felt like a nod to Marilyn Monroe: layers of eye crayons and shadows in various colours, finished with a heavy lashing of the Overvolume Waterproof mascara to last all night. Finally, the lips were the same perfect peach seen all over the red carpet: the electric pinky-red Rouge Contour liner in #999 topped with the Dior Addict Glass Lipstick in Rose Charms. 

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