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Blake Lively’s Met Gala make-up look has been revealed and it includes an unreleased Charlotte Tilbury product
The actor’s red carpet ensemble paid tribute to New York City architecture
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The first Monday in May means one thing and one thing only: the Met Gala. Held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the theme for this year’s glitzy event was “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” in celebration of the museum’s new exhibition.
Offering A-list celebrities a chance to take on the “Gilded Glamour” dress code, a whole host of looks were served. One outfit that we can’t stop talking about is Blake Lively’s. The actor, who is also a chair for the event, took the theme very seriously – and it paid off.
Paying tribute to New York City, Lively arrived in a copper, crystal-encrusted gown and full-length matching satin gloves. But, on the red carpet, with the help of three team members, she performed a dramatic outfit change that some are calling an optical illusion.
Her bustle, train and gloves were removed to reveal her second look, which consisted of the same strapless dress by Valentino, but with a green train and matching gloves.
Explaining the look, the actor told The Cut that instead of looking to fashion to influence the dress, she looked to New York City architecture and the classic buildings. The veil acted as the constellation at Grand Central Station and the dress served as the Empire State Building, while the draping was designed to represent The Statue of Liberty, along with the crown.
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As you’d expect, her hair and make-up were similarly flawless. The actor’s make-up artist, Kristofer Buckle, worked in partnership with Charlotte Tilbury to create her stunning sultry look, and she even debuted one of the brand’s new bronzers, which is due to launch on 19 May.
We also spotted that Blake’s hairstylist, Jennifer Yepez, showed a behind the scenes shot of the Dyson hair tools that were used to create the actor’s loose waves.
If you want to recreate her look, here’s the entire lowdown on all of the products used, from the eyeshadow palette to the all-new bronzer. You’re welcome.
For foundation: Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless foundation: £36, Charlottetilbury.com
When it comes to foundation, there are few better brands to look to than Charlotte Tilbury, so it’s no surprise that this one was used for Blake’s make-up look. This one featured in our review of the best, with our writer noting that it’s the most “comfortable matte, full-coverage foundation” they’d found. And as you’d expect for something used for the Met Gala, it “doesn’t feel heavy or tight as it dries”, and it “blurs over fine lines and pores rather than settling in and exaggerating them”.
For bronzer: Charlotte Tilbury beautiful skin bronzer: £42, Available from 19 May at Charlottetilbury.com
While Blake Lively’s dress was a reveal in itself, the actor also debuted Charlotte Tilbury’s new bronzer, which is due to launch on 19 May. According to the brand, this cream product is infused with hyaluronic acid, so will leave your skin feeling hydrated, as well as giving it a healthy-looking, sun-kissed glow.
The new launch is an extension of the brand’s “beautiful skin” line which debuted earlier this year with a skincare-focussed foundation formula. The complexion product went viral on TikTok and our deputy IndyBest editor, Ellie Fry, loved the glowy finish and skin-loving benefits when she reviewed it. So it’s safe to say we have high hopes for this new bronzer.
We’re also huge fans of Charlotte Tilbury’s powder bronzer (£39, Cultbeauty.co.uk), which featured in our review of the best bronzers, with our writer noting that it has “blurring, perfecting properties”.
For highlighter: Charlotte Tilbury beauty light wand in pillow talk: £29, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Another TikTok-viral Charlotte Tilbury product, when we reviewed this one, our tester said: “As far as liquid highlight goes, this formula is impressive”. We tried the exact shade Blake Lively wore, describing it as “a champagne colour with pink undertones” which “has a luminosity that reflects light beautifully”.
Our tester found that it “sits well on top of other liquids or bare skin”, and it “lives up to its skin brightening qualities, with a pearly, natural shimmer that isn’t too overbearing”. We’re not sure about you, but we’re adding this straight to our basket.
For eyes: Charlotte Tilbury luxury palette in pillow talk: £43, Cultbeauty.co.uk
To complement the golden look, Lively’s make-up artist opted for a dazzling eye, using the brand’s “eyes to mesmerise” palette in chocolate bronze (£25, Cultbeauty.co.uk) along with Charlotte Tilbury’s luxury palette in pillow talk. The latter received rave reviews when we tested it. It contains “four stunning romantic shades that will work with all skin tones and complement all eye colours”. The quad of eyeshades are “ultra-pigmented, super blendable and stay in place without fallout” which sounds perfect for the Met.
For lip liner: Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in pillow talk medium: £19, Selfridges.com
The natural lip look is partly down to this creamy liner, which our tester found to have a “soft formula that makes light work of mapping out the shape of your lips”. The medium shade is a close colour to the matching lipstick, making it a great duo.
For lipstick: Charlotte Tilbury matte revolution lipstick in pillow talk medium: £26, Charlottetilbury.com
Working in conjunction with the lip liner, Buckle used Charlotte Tilbury’s pillow talk medium shade, which is a fresh take on a classic. Offering a slightly darker finish than the original colour, our reviewer noted that it “gives the your-lips-but-better effect” with a “deeper hue”. The “just-kissed nude” will “compliment everyone”, they added.
For lipgloss: Charlotte Tilbury collagen lip bath in gold: £26, Charlottetilbury.com
To lock everything in place, Buckle used this lipstick-gloss hybrid. We’ve reviewed this product too. According to our writer, it’s “packed full of hydrating ingredients such as coconut oil, vitamin A and marine collagen”, and “it feels nourishing on the lips without the annoying stickiness often found in glosses”. As for application, the “heart-shaped wand helps you catch the curves of your pout and the peppermint oil included is refreshingly tingly”.
For mascara: Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk push up lashes mascara: £25, Spacenk.com
Finally, to finish off Lively’s sultry eye look, Buckle used Charlotte Tilbury’s hyped up pillow mascara. It featured in our review of the best, with our writer praising it for delivering on “weightless volume, length and lift”. They added that you can expect “high-impact lashes with an intense black, glossy finish that holds all day”. And you can clearly see it achieves just that by looking at any picture of Blake Lively.
For hair drying: Dyson supersonic hair dryer: £329.99, Boots.com
As we noted above, Lively’s hairstylist shared details on how she created the actor’s gentle, loose waves. Jennifer Yepez worked with Dyson, and of course used the brand’s hair dryer, which featured in our review of the best.
“It exceeded all of our expectations, drying hair quicker than any other device and leaving it with significantly less frizz,” praised our writer. Included within the box are three different nozzles, “designed for diffusion, volume and precise drying”. As for the technology, it “regulates its temperature 40 times per second to prevent heat damage”. According to our tester, “those who take their pampering routine seriously will see this as an investment”.
For hair styling: Dyson corrale cord-free hair straighteners: £399, Johnlewis.com
Yepez shared a picture of the tools she used to create Lively’s hair look and it showed Dyson’s cordless straighteners. The tool was featured in our review of the best hair straighteners, where our tester said that it is “every bit as innovative as the brand’s bestselling supersonic hair dryer and airwrap curling tool”.
Our reviewer explained that you don’t have to go over the same section twice when using these, as they have been designed with “flexing copper plates that grip every strand”. As for the finished look, they left our reviewer’s hair looking sleek, and made “quick work of even the frizziest of manes”.
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