When Sydney Sweeney stepped on the carpet at the 2024 Met Gala, she was nearly unrecognizable, thanks to a new jet-black bob. To complement her edgy new look, makeup artist Melissa Hernandez took her face in a moody, yet enchanting direction.
"I fell in love with the contrast between the black gloves and delicate blue tulle of Sydney’s custom Miu Miu ensemble, " says Hernandez. "It was giving dark enchanted princess energy, and it inspired me to create a look that felt edgy, yet ethereal and feminine."
Ultimately, edgy eyes and soft blush were the key elements of Sweeney's dreamy look.
"My first instinct was to do a jet-black lip paired with beautiful luminous skin, and Sydney was into it! But after doing a full run-through and seeing it all together, it just didn’t feel right," says Hernandez. "I loved the idea—l legit lost sleep over it, but the day of Met, something just clicked, and I thought, let’s do a sharp liner, bold lashes, dainty pink blush, and glitter! I’m so happy we went this route. The edgy eyes perfectly complemented the black details of the look, and the flushed, rosy cheeks balanced out the look."
The star products of the look were the Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in shade 4, the Eyes to Kill Classico Mascara, the Luminous Silk Cheek Tint in shade 53 (a bold pink), and Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder.
"I lined her eyes with jet-black eyeliner and added multiple coats of mascara for a tough, gritty feel," says Hernandez. "Then, I swept a bubble-gum-colored blush onto the apples of her cheeks, blending it upwards towards the under eyes for a romantic flush of color. As a final step, I sprayed body glitter onto her face and body to create an otherworldly feel."
To give Sweeney a glowing base, Hernandez leaned on Laneige products. “To achieve a lit-from-within glow, I applied a thick layer of Bouncy & Firm Sleeping Mask ($36) onto Sydney’s skin and allowed it to absorb for 20 to 30 minutes,” she says. “It’s formulated with a blend of peony and collagen complex peptides that work together to preserve and boost the skin’s natural collagen. I love placing it in a bucket of ice for a few minutes prior to application—it cools the formula, adding a refreshing sensation to Sydney’s skin.”
Next, she patted on the Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer and Water Bank Blue Cream Moisturizer before adding foundation. “For her complexion, I used Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation to create a glassy base and layered Armani Beauty Fluid Sheer 2 on the high points for a hyper-dewy finish,” she says.
For Sweeney’s new ‘do, her hairstylist Glen Oropeza added the Kérastase Premiere Serum Filler and Mousse Bouffant to her damp wig. Then, he dried it with the Sutra Beauty Infrared Blow Dryer and added waves with the Sutra Beauty Infrared 1” Flat Iron.
With her dramatic new hair look, pretty, yet gritty makeup, and Cinderella-blue dress, Sweeney truly was the dark-and-enchanting belle of the ball.
