Beauty How-To: Met Gala Looks

For those of us who appreciate the aesthetically pleasing things in life, the sartorial eye candy on display at the Met Gala 2012 was enough to quench even the largest of visual appetites. From modern rock to 1920s glam, every frock was a masterpiece in its own right. However, as hard as it may be to tear your eyes away from the garments, all the real action on the night was from the shoulders up. Take a look at these hair and makeup trends, and although you’ll be excited, take it from me. Don’t try them all at once!

Berry Lips

There is only one word that truly sums up this look: Stunning. The trick with berry toned lipstick is to keep the rest of your makeup as simple and as polished as possible. This is the perfect colour for winter and will leave you feeling sophisticated on even the gloomiest of days.

Winged eye shadow

Winged eye shadow, next to the berry lips, was one of the most striking makeup techniques of the night. Although that much eye shadow can get a bit messy, apply your foundation, concealer and powder after doing your eyes. Not only will this help you avoid dark splotches all over your face caused by straying eye shadow, it is also a sneaky way to help shape the wings if they’re uneven, too thick or too thin. Simply work the foundation/concealer around it for a much sharper look.

Soft glow

You know how some people look like they’re lit from within? Well Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Cameron Diaz all fit that description. By keeping their eye makeup to a minimum and lips nude, these three blonde beauties nailed it. The main focus was on the foundation and contouring, meaning they ended up with flawless looking skin. The best bit is that you don’t even need a spray tan to get that glow, just a tad of illuminator.

Beach glam waves

Not quite beach hair and not quite a curl, these soft and casual looking waves epitomise the term “effortless glamour.” Perfect for those occasions where you want to look amazing, but not too “done,” all you need to do is run your fingers through your hair after curling it, or even braid it the night before. Unlike beach waves, this is a very clean look, so don’t weigh it down or grease it up with too many hair products.

Simply straight

Remember those days when we wanted our hair to be so straight we basically burnt it into oblivion? Well now our hair can stop fearing for its life because this look is a little more relaxed. Not as severe as its sister, “dead straight,” this hairdo is all about health and brilliant shine. With slight waves sitting at the tips of your hair, this is one style you don’t need to freak out about if it’s a windy day. In fact, a soft breeze just might even add to its charm.