While the Met Gala red carpet is where the final vision unfolds, the real craft begins months in advance—and the chaos kicks in just hours before showtime, often inside a buzzing hotel suite. The day is a whirlwind of creative energy, and while the outfits shine, as a beauty editor, my focus is on the glam. And Laura Harrier's Met Gala makeup look? Well, with a glowing, skin-first approach with subtle pops of color, it's easily one of the best beauty moments of the night. From her luminous skin to her pink blush and her fluttery, bold eyelashes, the actress embodied a handful of summer makeup trends.
I caught up with Harold James, L'Oréal Paris Creative Director and Global Makeup Artist, and Harrier herself to get the exclusive breakdown on their collaboration on this year's Met Gala theme: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. The look is "all about the glow and the illumination," James tells me. He shares that Laura really wanted to feel like herself, and it was important for the makeup to capture that. "The products we used enhance her skin instead of covering it up," he says.
