âTaylor will send me pictures, Iâll send her some back â we have a really collaborative creative process, which makes it so nice to work with her,â make-up artist Celia Burton tells Vogue. âA lot of the moodboard for the Met Gala was photos of Audrey Hepburn â especially for Taylorâs hair. Joey George [Taylorâs hairstylist] is a magician, especially at creating more technical up-dos like that.â
Since it was Russellâs first Met Gala, Burton wanted to ensure that â first and foremost âTaylor felt âfierce and amazingâ for the big red-carpet moment. âWe stayed in the realm of make-up looks weâve worked with before, using a very feline, cat-eye shape in tonal wooden colours,â she explains. âWe knew the dress was going to be quite ethereal with a wooden flower motif, so we wanted to align with that.â
She started by mapping the shape out on Taylorâs eye, using a cream brown paint from Lady Gagaâs make-up brand, Haus Labs, and a finely-tipped paintbrush to allow for precision. âTaylor had a mirror in her hand while I worked on her eyes, so we created the shape together,â she says. âWe did an amazing catty flick, then cut into her socket line with the paint. Then, I cut a small point in the inner corners of her eyes and dragged that out slightly, too.â
Once they were both happy with the shape of the paint, Burton set it using the Victoria Beckham Beauty Kajal Pencil in brown, which is one of her favourite eye pencils. âIt drys really matte and itâs long-lasting, plus when itâs wet, itâs also really easy to blend,â she says. To create a more statement look, she applied some concealer â Pat McGrath Labsâs Skin Fetish Concealer âaround the edges of the brown shape. âIt offers really good coverage, blends easily and lasts ages â itâs delicious!â she adds.
On Taylorâs âimmaculateâ brows, Burton created super fine hair strokes using Diorâs finely-tipped Brow Styler to fill in any gaps, then Taylor took the pencil to draw some freckles on herself. âTaylorâs also got a beautiful birthmark on her right cheek which, like her freckles, we like to shine through,â says Burton. âI also softly contoured her face, then used Fara Homidiâs Lip Pencil in Riche on her lips for a harmonious finish.â
Tonal and super cool, Taylorâs beauty look partnered perfectly with her Loewe dress. âThe devil was in the detail,â says Burton. âEverything was beyond precise, which I get a real kick out of as a make-up artist. Getting ready with Taylor is always amazing â she is very aware of the energy in the room. Itâs always calm and considered and we have lots of time. Working with her is a treat.â