Met Gala 2023 Beauty: From Minimalist Manes to Glowing Glam, Fashion’s Fanciest Night Was All About Effortless Elegance
While past Met Gala looks have spanned a spectrum of eccentricity, stars know better than to go oddball for the late Karl Lagerfeld.
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Natalie Alcala
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May 2, 2023 1:53pm
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Last night’s Met Gala theme honored the late Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019. The dress code simply read “In honor of Karl,” leaving it mostly up for interpretation for the celebrities attending — and their stylists.
While past Met Gala looks have spanned a spectrum of eccentricity, stars know better than to go oddball for the late designer and fashion icon, an effortless style enthusiast known for quotes like, “luxury is the ease of a T-shirt in a very expensive dress.” Similarly, Coco Chanel — who founded the namesake fashion house that Karl creative directed for three decades — famously said, “Before you leave the house look in the mirror and remove one accessory.”
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In that vein, we’re highlighting the subtle yet standout beauty touches that stars are showcasing on this year’s red carpet, from sleek and manageable manes to glowing glam to throwback accessories — and the products to help you get there.
From the chic bow barrette worn by Daisy Jones & the Six star Camila Morrone and the simple and sleek ponytails worn by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actress Rachel Brosnahan and Karlie Kloss, to the glowing glam on Nicole Kidman and Met Gala co-chair Michaela Coel, see and shop last night’s standout beauty looks.
Face
No Makeup-Makeup
Similar to Karl’s quote above, there’s something so chic about juxtaposing an haute couture gown with barely-there makeup and effortless hair, which is what Nicole Kidman and Gisele Bündchen did on last night’s red carpet. Keke Palmer also turned up in a nude lip to pair with her voluminous mane (more on that later), and the makeup guru herself, Kylie Jenner even turned up with a less-is-more makeup look.
Chanel No. 1 de Chanel Revitalizing Foundation $75
For Nicole Kidman, who re-wore a vintage Chanel Haute Couture 2004 gown that she first donned in her Chanel No. 5 campaign directed by Baz Luhrmann, makeup artist Angela Levin used a host of beauty products from the luxury French house, including skincare and cosmetics.
Chanel
Westman Atelier Vital Skin Full Coverage Foundation and Concealer Stick $68
Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder $36
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Kind Words Matte Lipstick $20
Golden Hour
A touch of shimmer takes natural beauty to the next level, as demonstrated by Nicole Kidman who paired her iconic Chanel No. 5 commercial gown with an all-over glow. Equally radiant was Met Gala co-chair Michaela Coel, who offered a show-stopping sheen on her cheeks courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs team makeup artist Bernicia Boateng, who used the brand’s Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence on her face and a new, yet-to-be-announced product on her cheeks.
Pat McGrath Labs Divine Skin: Rose 001 The Essence $86
PatMcGrath Labs
Merit Day Glow Dewy Highlighting Balm $32
Tom Ford Mini Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil $36
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight $25
Pop Star
On the flip side of the subtle beauty looks were some eye-catching pops of color, namely on stars like Keke Palmer, Emma Chamberlain and Glenn Close, who all opted for blue eyeshadow to accent their natural glam. Other color moments include Suki Waterhouse turning up in all-over peachy eyeshadow with blue on the inner corners of the eye (created using YSL Beauty), Chanel muse Carla Bruni and Christina Ricci with a metallic silver-blue on the lids, and both Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens going for sultry and smoky.
YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Mascara $29
Daisy Jones & the Six co-stars Suki Waterhouse and Camila Morrone, Olivia Rodrigo, Lila Moss and Nicole Peltz Beckham were among the Met Gala attendees backed by YSL Beauty‘s glam squad team. Their celebrity makeup artists used the luxury brand’s Lash Clash Extreme Mascara, Rouge Volupte Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick, All Hours luminous matte foundation, Nu Halo Tint Highlighter and more products to create their glamorous red carpet looks.
Courtesy of Nordstrom
Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Eye, Cheek & Lip Cream Pigment $18
Hair
Simple & Sleek
One of the main themes we saw for this Met Gala’s manes was straight and sleek. Take it from Ice Spice, who made her Met Gala debut by trading in her signature Annie curls for a long fiery orange ‘do. Karlie Kloss debuted her baby bump while wearing a sleek ponytail (created by hairstylist Irinel de Leon using Living Proof hair products and Dyson hair tools), while Rachel Brosnahan, Kendall Jenner and Paris Hilton also kept it polished, opting for sleek looks with a middle part. See how the glam squads of Kloss, Brosnahan and Gisele Bündchen created their Met Gala 2023 hairstyles below.
Living Proof Style Lab Blowout $32
Hairstylist Irinel de Leon used Living Proof haircare products and Dyson hair tools to create model Karlie Kloss’ sleek ponytail. She prepped the star’s hair with Living Proof Style Lab Blowout, then applied Full Root Lift before using Dyson’s Supersonic Professional Edition hair dryer on medium heat and airflow to dry. De Leon then used a boar bristle brush to distribute Living Proof Style Lab Flex hairspray throughout Kloss’s hair, then created waves with the Dyson Corrale hair straightener. Finally, she secured the ponytail and used Living Proof Full Dry Volume & Texture spray and No Frizz Vanishing Oil to provide volume and a high-shine finish, and flattened flyaways with the Dyson Supersonic.
Ulta
Dyson Supersonic Professional Edition Hair Dryer $480
Dyson
Pattern Beauty By Tracee Ellis Ross Double-Sided Bristle Brush $20
Sephora
Living Proof No Frizz Vanishing Oil $32
Sephora
Better Not Younger Wake Up Call High Hold Thickening Hair Spray $35
Rachel Brosnahan’s hairstylist, Owen Gould, used Better Not Younger’s hair products to create a “sexy, sleek and sophisticated” ponytail that would complement her custom Sergio Hudston dress. “We decided to do a modern take on the classic ponytail” using the brand’s Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp serum to prep the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star’s damp hair, then used the Lift Me Up Hair Thickener before blow-drying her tresses.
“After blow drying the hair back and away from the face using a boars’ bristle brush, I sprayed each section back towards the crown using new Better Not Younger Wake Up Call High-Hold Thickening Hairspray,” says Gould. “Once the hair was secured into the ponytail, wrapping a section of hair around the base of the pony to hide the elastic, I finished off the style with one last spritz of Wake Up Call.
Bombshell
Inching towards extra were the superstars known for their iconic tresses, offering bombshell-worthy looks. Gisele Bündchen paired her natural skin with her classic beachy waves (hairstylist David Von Cannon used Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Hair Oil for the supermodel’s natural waves); Keke Palmer, Sydney Sweeney and Devon Aoki gave us Glamour Girl blowouts; and Yara Shahidi, Margot Robbie and Gwendoline Christie stunned in starlet waves. Anne Hathaway opted for a bump-it beehive, Kora Organics founder Miranda Kerr starred in a princess up-do (created by hairstylist Ericka Verrett using äz Craft haircare) and Kim Kardashian stuck with her current favorite *La Dolce Vita-*esq up-do.
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Hair Oil $34
David Von Cannon wanted to create “a beautiful natural wave [that was] quintessential Gisele.” He created the airy look by using a hair dryer with a diffuser on low speed, then adding water and drying to create texture. He then added Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Hair Oil to the mids and ends of the model’s hair to boost shine and reduce frizz, and then he removed any tangles with the brand’s wide-tooth comb.
Sephora
äz Craft Luxury Hair Care Elevate Luxe Mousse $40
For Kora Organics founder and model Miranda Kerr (who naturally used her own skincare products to prep for the big event), hairstylist Ericka Verrett “was inspired by the high glamour girls of the ’90s Chanel runway shows. Loving the high glamour of the era, I created an updo that complimented both Miranda and the dress, while giving a nod to the theme. We chose a top knot bun that wasn’t too structured and added softness throughout.”
Verrett used the brand’s Elevate Luxe Mousse and Intense Volume Mist on Kerr’s wet hair, then she sectioned out pieces and sprayed the Amplify Texture Spray for hold before and after securing the model’s ponytail. She sealed the look with Obey Hairspray all over.
Ouai Wave Spray $28
Oribe Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse $22
Nostalgic Accessories
Quite literally topping off this year’s Met Gala hair story are the girls who had fun with accessories. Karlie Kloss and Sydney Sweeney had big, beautiful ribbons in their hair, Emma Chamberlain and Cardi B went for retro headbands and Jennie of Black Pink showcased a hair-braid that doubled as a headband — accented with a rosette. That’s not all: Elle Fanning subconsciously nodded to Coachella with a flower crown and bows hybrid headpiece, Amber Valletta went for feathers and Billie Eilish kept it together with sequin barrettes.
Jennifer Behr Agatha Bow Barrette $198
Karlie Kloss, Aubrey Plaza, Camila Morrone and Mary J. Blige wore bow barrettes by Jennifer Behr at the 2023 Met Gala red carpet. Kloss wore the Agatha barrette below, while Plaza, Blige and Morrone finished their tresses with the Wide Velvet Bow.
Get the Met Gala bow look for less with these ribbon hair clips for under $10.
Shashi Nova Headband $45
Lele Sadoughi Lily Claw Clip $38
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