Bustle Exclusive
The Secret To Ashley Graham’s Lit-From-Within Met Gala Glow
An exclusive peek at how she achieved her radiant, skin-first makeup look.
The Met Gala might be fashion’s biggest night, but it’s the beauty details that can really make — or completely transform — a look.
The second someone appears on those steps, every inch of the look goes up for inspection. But for Ashley Graham, who was pulling double duty as one of Vogue’s livestream hosts alongside La La Anthony and Cara Delevingne, the night wasn’t just about making an entrance — it was about making sure the look held up from start to finish.
In a custom body-clinging nude gown by Di Petsa, Graham tapped into the sculptural side of the “Costume Art” theme. Sheer, snakeskin-patterned webs draped across the bodice created shape without stiffness, while the glam kept everything equally sensual and fluid.
“We wanted this glam to feel ethereal, radiant, and fresh — glowy from the inside out,” Graham tells Bustle. “Keeping the makeup soft and dewy allowed the look to enhance my features while still letting the outfit have its moment.”
Skin prep set the tone, so makeup artist Kabuki started with Revlon’s Illuminance Protect + Moisturize Primer SPF 30 to create a smooth, hydrated base before tapping ColorStay Face + Body Glow Lotion in the shade ‘Glow Through It’ onto the cheekbones for a little extra radiance.
From there, he kept coverage intentionally light, using just a touch of Revlon’s ColorStay Longwear Makeup to even out redness around the nose and ColorStay Flex Wear Full Cover Concealer to brighten under the eyes. The goal wasn’t to layer on products, but to keep everything looking skin-like. “Good art often strips back unnecessary distractions and reveals the underlying truth of its time,” Kabuki says. “I wanted that immediacy and freshness in the makeup.”
For the rest of the face, that idea translated to rosy blush — courtesy of Glimmer Blush Drops in ‘Pink It Over’ — and diffused doe eyes. Kabuki smudged ColorStay Multi-Liner™ Liner in the soft brown ‘007 As Is’ along the outer edge of the upper lash line, then layered the deepest shade from Revlon’s ColorStay Day to Night Eyeshadow Quad in ‘500 Addictive’ to smoke it out. A hint of champagne shimmer in the center of the lid opened up the eyes, while lashes got two coats of ColorStay Full Time Mascara in ‘Black Brown’ for definition that still felt airy.
Lips followed suit, with swipes of the PhotoReady Instant Plump Serum and Instant Blur Liner for a plush, diffused effect. To finish the look, silver-dipped fingers — Graham’s own idea — really sold the illusion of a “mythological transformation beginning to take place from living woman to statue,” as Kabuki puts it.
With every beauty detail in sync with her Medusa-inspired gown, Graham pulled it off — a fully realized beauty-as-art moment.
