Exclusive: Ashley Graham On Finding Confidence And Her Met Gala Beauty Prep (2024)

When Ashley Graham isn’t walking some of the most acclaimed runways, sharing relatable snaps on Instagram or challenging the beauty status quo, she’s serving endless style and make-up inspiration on the red carpet.

And for the latest Met Gala, which celebrated the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring exhibition with the theme Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion on Monday evening, Graham gave us a masterclass in nostalgic make-up and dewy skin.

There was the ethereal glowing complexion, the glossy 1990s lips and a nod to her chainmail dress in the form of a striking cat eye. 'I drew inspiration from the wet look that her chainmail dress gives off and opted for a glowing, dewy glam,' Ivan Nunez, the make-up artist behind the look and Revlon brand ambassador, tells ELLE UK.

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'I used Revlon's ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow in Cognac & Vanilla to create a base shade, then used ColorStay Multiplayer Liquid-Glide Eye Pencil in Checkmate to create a subtle cat eye,' she adds. The final make-up touch was all about a glossy lip. 'To complete her look, I mixed Super Lustrous The Gloss in Sandstorm & Snow Pink to make the perfect nude,' she says.

'To play up the Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Awakening theme I wanted her look to be glowy, healthy and fresh,' says Nunez. 'I started with the Illuminance Serum Tint in Hazel 405 all over to create a fresh base, then applied Illuminance Gel Serum Blush in Beaming Coral then Powder Blush in Naughty Nude on top for a flush, sunkissed look. I set the look with a face mist for an all-over glow.'

Here, ELLE UK speaks exclusively to Revlon's brand ambassador, Ashley Graham, about the inspiration behind her Met Gala beauty look, her unwavering approach to beauty and navigating date night make-up as a mum...

On her Met Gala beauty inspiration...

'It’s always such an honour being invited to the Met Gala, and I always look forward to celebrating fashion’s biggest night! The theme this year is Sleeping Beauties: Fashion Awakening so my make-up artist Ivan and I discussed a fresh and dewy makeup look with a glowy finish that perfectly compliments my dress. I love the whole look we created, but the Revlon ColorStay Multiplayer Liquid-Glide Eye Pencil in Checkmate that we used to create a subtle cat eye was one of my favourite finishing touches!'

On navigating make-up as a mum...

'Over the years, when it’s just me doing my own glam for date night or an event with the kids, I’ve definitely adopted a more low-maintenance, minimal beauty routine. I have three young kids and I’m always on-the-go, so I love to go for products that I can rely on and can last all day and just work.'

On her approach to beauty...

'My approach to beauty has always been the same: as long as I feel beautiful and confident in my look and I’m kind to myself and know that true beauty is interior and not exterior, that’s a win.'

On her essential Met Gala beauty prep...

'Prioritising skincare and my skin health is important for any red carpet event, especially the Met Gala! Hydration is a must, so products that have a lot of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are great to keep my skin glow-y and moisturised. I opt for make-up that also has skincare benefits for the red carpet. REVLON’s Illuminance Serum Tint has the perfect balance; a formula that has skincare ingredients so it leaves the most flawless finish while also taking care of my skin.'

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