When you’re a National Youth Poet Laureate, the youngest-ever inaugural poet, Estée Lauder’s first-ever Global Changemaker, and an all-around national treasure, stealing the show comes naturally. But when Amanda Gorman arrived on the world’s most watched red carpet as a reimagined Lady Liberty for the Met Gala, honoring the Metropolitan Museum’s “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibit, she was poetry in motion.
Gorman’s makeup artist, Joanna Simkin, took us behind the scenes of Gorman’s beauty beat, sharing what makes it so much more than your typical beauty look—it’s makeup with meaning. “When I saw the dress with the stones, I immediately thought of the stars on the American flag and wanted to echo the shape of the flag blowing in the wind,” Simkin said. Here’s her step-by-step for you to recreate life, liberty, and the pursuit of glamour for yourself.
• First, I applied Advanced Night Repair Serum and Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix to prep and hydrate Amanda’s skin. Then, I added Revitalizing Supreme+ Bright Moisturizer for additional hydration and glow before priming her skin with The Illuminator Radiant Perfecting Primer + Finisher, focusing on the high points of her face for added radiance.
• For the long night ahead, I applied Double Wear Stay in Place in 6W2 Nutmeg to the center of her face, and 7C1 Rich Mahogany to the perimeter. Then, I brightened under her eye with Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Concealer in 6W Extra Deep, and set her foundation using Perfecting Loose Powder in Deep. I then highlighted her cheekbones with Bronze Goddess Illuminating Powder Gelée in Mirage.
• Amanda wanted a defined brow look, which we achieved with Brow Now Stay-in-Place Brow Gel and The Brow Multi-Tasker in Dark Brunette. We gave her a subtle winged eye using Little Black Liner and finished her eye with Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara.
• To create a shimmery base before applying the gemstones, I applied the metallic shadows from two Pure Color Envy Sculpting EyeShadow 5-Color Palettes – Dark Ego and Pink Mink.
• For the lip, we wanted to keep it neutral, so I first applied Pure Color Envy Color Replenish Lip Balm to prep her lips, then added the Pure Color Whipped Matte Lip Color in 922 Cocoa Whip.
