Happy First Monday in May to everyone celebrating! met gala It’s essentially the Super Bowl for fashion and beauty lovers, which means our Who What Wear editors are superglued to our screens to watch the event. best dressed celebs. (Be sure to check out our live blogWhere we shared these looks (and our unfiltered thoughts about them) in real time!) This year’s dress code fashion is artBut in my humble beauty-editor opinion, it’s not just the clothes that deserve to be immortalized in a museum; charming momentAlso, there are some worth seeing. Lots of A-listers managed to take my breath away tonight – including paloma elssesserJoe hit the carpet wearing a painterly Francesco Risso dress and full-on crystal ears.
The supermodel and host committee member looked positively breathtaking in that patterned gown, but it was her makeup that made me immediately take a screenshot of the look. (Call it beauty-editor bias!) Below, discover all the details you need to know, including exclusive tips from her makeup artist michaela bosch.
(Image credit: Getty Images; Theo Wargo/Filmmagic)
“Painterly effects and metallic details were our main source of inspiration, paired with Paloma’s weird-eclectic-gorgeous sensibility,” says Bosch. “She is the face of my dreams. It’s like her face tells me what to do every step of the way.” When I asked her about Elsesser’s overall goal, she replied simply: “Subversive. Sexy. Skin!”
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Elsesser is known for her glowing, soft skin – not only that She’s often praised for how velvety her skin feels – so of course her red carpet glam always has an ethereal, effortless skin focus. “We wanted the skin to be luminous and breathable, allowing her beautiful freckles to shine through, but with a subtle sculpting,” says Bosch. To do this, she defined Elsesser’s cheekbones using YSL Beauty’s All Hours 24H Hyper Sunkissed Glow Bronzer In the shade of Sienna 5, then warmed up its color Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush In shades Hot Mauve 23 and Peachy Nude 37. “We chose shades that matched her beautiful ocher complexion,” she explains.
To exhaust the base, he strategically applied YSL Beauty’s Touche Éclat Awakening Concealer Click Pen Apply only on precise areas in shades 4 and 6.5, making sure to let it sit and oxidize for a while before blending. “To make your skin glow like Paloma’s, wait to apply foundation or concealer until blush, bronzer, and the rest of your look are complete,” advises Bausch. “Apply only where you really need it. For example: around the nostrils, in the hollows of the eyes. Your skin will breathe and you’ll feel beautiful even without all the coverage—I promise!”
(Image credit: Getty Images; Theo Wargo/Filmmagic)
The eyes left very little to be desired by comparison – just a quick layer. Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara (an impressive clump-free formula) and a dusting of shadow Couture Mini Clutch Luxury Eyeshadow Palette To subtly define lashes. To complete the look, Bausch created a subtly sculpted lip YSL Kiss Shaper Lip Liner Sienna Rebel 109 and Kakao Flirt 107 followed by swipes LoveNude Lip Blusher 8. Results in Mauve Haze? Effortless, breathable glam that looks straight out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting. “The hope is that people will want to recreate this ethereal, effortless tone and luxurious shine,” says Bosch. “And maybe… a crystal or two on the ear?”
(Image credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Shop Paloma Elsesser’s 2026 Met Gala Makeup
ysl beauty
Make Me Blush 24H Buildable Powder Blush
ysl beauty
All Hours 24H Hyper Sunkissed Glow Bronzer Powder
ysl beauty
Touche Éclat Awakening Concealer Click Pen
Sephora
Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara
Sephora
Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette
ysl beauty
Kiss Shaper Long Lasting Sculpting Lip Liner
ysl beauty
LoveNude Lip Blusher Soft Smudgy Lip Color
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