Glowing, hydrated skin is always in, but Tyla took the look to the next level at the 2026 Met Gala with her “wet-look” makeup.
“I wanted her to look almost wet because the [Valentino] dress had all the blue happening on the bottom of the train,” the South African singer’s makeup artist Esther Edeme tells TZR. “It was such a pretty teal color, [so] we wanted to run with that. Also, she was inspired by peacocks because there are a lot of feathers on the dress. It’s not obvious at first, but the feathers are on her arms like dripping down [to her] fingers. I really liked that element, so I just wanted to emphasize the animalistic and aquatic vibes as she loves that.”
Using Valentino Beauty makeup, Edeme first perfected Tyla’s base with the Very Valentino Concealer in a handful of shades. “It’s a liquid that dries down very flat and thin, making it perfect for [the red] carpet,” the makeup artist shares. ‘There’s no buildup or cakiness when the concealer is that thin, you can work in layers.” Next, she added a soft flush to the cheeks with the Eye2Cheek Blushes. “They are so beautiful and have a really natural tone that matches colors already found on the face, making them easy to grab and apply,” she says.
On the eyes, Edeme tied in both the peacock and aquatic theme with the Colorgraph Liner in Baby Blue, and added a defined wing with V-Liner. For a bit of sparkle, she carefully applied two face gems along the outer corner of the lower lash line. Tyla’s nude glossy lip (a combo of Spike Balm in 120R and Puffer Gloss in 302R) and a ton of body glitter finished off the look.
While Met Gala outfits are the result of months of planning, Edeme says the final makeup is ultimately based on the vibe. “The creative process for landing on a final makeup look is that we just vibe and go with the flow and whatever we land on is what we land on,” she says. “We actually never plan glam. I really like that because we just freestyle on the day and it always works out!”
Speaking of vibes, Tyla’s wet-look glam didn’t stop at her makeup, hairstylist Yusef Williams gave her ultra-hydrated, sculptural curls with the help of True Hair Co. bundles, amika styling products (including the Top Gloss Hair Shine Spray), and Wavytalk tools (including the Cool Curl Pencil).
And of course, no red carpet beauty moment is complete without an on-theme manicure. Celebrity nail artist and OPI Global Ambassador Coca Michelle also looked to the feathers of Tyla’s gown when creating her manicure. “I wanted to create a feather silhouette on the nails, and she suggested adding a pop of pink using OPI ‘Strawberry Margarita’ under the tips — something we’ve been doing recently with her manicures,” she said of the peacock-inspired design.
“We have a lot of fun and are very goofy,” Edeme says of her pre-red carpet glam sessions with Tyla. “It’s just so silly, but we have the best time! We listen to good music, and to Tyla’s new album!”
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