Lupita Nyong’o Met Gala 2021 Makeup Look

Learn how to create Lupita Nyong’o Met Gala 2021 makeup look created by makeup artist Nick Barose. Shop eyeshadow, lipstick and makeup Lupita uses at Lancôme.

Each year the Met Gala sets a theme for the fashion and celebrity crowd to dress up and experiment with new and exciting looks all in the name of supporting the MET Museum Costume Institute the New York City’s Museum program dedicated to fashion. For the 2021 Met Gala theme was “American Independence”. Lancôme ambassadress Lupita Nyong’o was in attendance and wore a Hollywood style denim dress paying homage to the classic fabric so often associated with American culture. Whilst the dress was one part of the look – the makeup was another. For this look celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose went bold and dramatic.

"Lupita’s denim Versace gown was inspired by the American West, so I wanted to draw inspiration from 90s Versace makeup, as well as Femme Fatale looks from old Hollywood western movies in the 40s - both had strong brows and bold lips. I wanted the look to be super glamorous and classic, but also tie-in the blue denim color, which is so iconically American." - Celebrity Makeup Artist Nick Barose

Lupita Nyong’o Skincare Routine Met Gala

When applying makeup for a big red carpet event skin preparation is everything. For the 2021 Met Gala makeup artist Nick Barose used Lancôme to prep and prime her skin. Nick prepped skin with Lancôme Advanced Génifique Serum – our anti-aging serum which works to visibly smooth, hydrate, even out skin texture. To prep the under eye area Nick applied Advanced Génifique Eye Light Pearl under eyes to help provide a smoother and more radiant look prior to concealer.

Lupita Nyong’o Makeup Look for Met Gala

Lupita Nyong’o Foundation and Face Makeup

Skincare preparation is one of the most important steps in makeup application, but beyond that a full face of makeup can also benefit from a face primer. To assist with making makeup last all evening Nick Barose applied Lancôme Prep & Matte Primer on the t-zone and side of the nose to ensure a long-wearing, shine-free effect. With an ultra-lightweight oil-free formula this face primer leaves skin looking mattified and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores.

For evening out the complexion Nick next applied our full coverage breathable foundation -- Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation. Rather than just applying one shade Nick applied a lighter shade on the center of Lupita’s face and then a darker shade around the perimeter to sculpt and define her face more in photos. For this look the shades 550 and 555 were used. With 24 hour wear and color that stays fresh all day without oxidizing or fading it’s the perfect foundation for a big event like the met gala.

After evening out the complexion with foundation Nick then used Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer in 520 under the eyes. Our Teint Idole Concealer provides breathable full coverage and can even be used to conceal, brighten, contour and highlight.

Finally Nick applied Lancôme Dual Finish Powder Foundation in 550 all over face using a powder puff to set all the cream and liquid products into place for all night wear.

Lupita Nyong’o Eye Makeup at Met Gala

For Lupita’s eye makeup the brows were the building blocks for the makeup look. To start Nick Barose Brushed up brows with Lancôme Sourcils Styler in Brun to allow him to see the shape of the brows and provide hold. After brushing up the brows Nick Barose then filled them in to create a strong shape using Lancôme Sourcils Gel in Brun a creamy brow pomade which fills in brows for a bold effect. For precision and definition, the creamy gel was applied with an angled brush to build out and volumize brows.

For the beautiful bold and blue eyeshadow worn by Lupita at the Met Gala Nick Barose used a combination of eyeshadows and eyeliners. To add definition to the upper lash line Nick Barose lined eyes with NEW Lancôme Drama Liqui-Pencil Waterproof Eye Liner in Cafe Noir and winged it out for extra 90s drama and also added some liner along the lower lash lines. If you struggle with applying eyeliner Nick provides a handy makeup tip:

"The easiest way to create winged out lines is by not doing one continuous line. It's harder that way to be precise and symmetrical and I prefer to create the tails first so I can decide how long and what shapes the tails will be. Then, I line the entire eye and connect it with the wings later. So much easier!”

After mastering and perfecting the eyeliner Nick moved forward onto the eyeshadow. To create the look Nick provided the following how to:

• Firstly apply the darker blue shade from the Lancôme Hypnôse 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette in Drama Denim (coming soon) on the upper eyelids and smoke it out on the bottom. Add the brighter blue from Lancôme Hypnôse 5-Color Eyeshadow Palette in Bleu Hypnotique from the palette on the center of lids and towards the outer corners, sweeping it up and out towards the temples

For the finishing touch to the bold eyeshadow mascara is a must. For bold and voluminous lashes follow Nick’s lead and apply 2 coats of Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara – our big bold mascara which provides up to 12x more volume compared to natural lashes.

Lupita Nyong’o Lipstick at Met Gala

Although Lupita’s eye makeup was bold at the Met Gala the lips also had drama. For a 90’s inspired lip look that was as Nick Barose described as “femme fatale” he started by prepping the lips with Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge La Base Rose a lip caring primer infused with jojoba oil and vitamin E. For lip color Lupita wore Lancôme L'Absolu Rouge Drama Ink in the shade Nuit Pourpre – with an ultra-lightweight consistency and all day wear the bold liquid lipstick is ideal for a night out or big event.

To add an even more dramatic effect to the lips Nick Barose lined the outer corner of the lips with NEW Lancôme Drama Liqui-Pencil Waterproof Eye Liner in Cafe Noir.

Shop the makeup used for Lupita’s look at Lancôme.