Behind Olivia Rodrigo's Blotted Lip and Hepburn Bangs at the 2023 Met Gala

You can count on Olivia Rodrigo for a few things: the most relatable lyrics, igniting your inner moody queen, and serving up a minimal yet captivating red carpet moment. Sure, she usually wears colorful gowns with long, flowing hair—but she decided to switch it up with her look for the 2023 Met Gala last night. She looked almost unrecognizable with micro bangs and a fringed dress, and we’re obsessed. Luckily for us, we had the chance to catch up with her makeup artist, Nina Park, who broke down the entire glam process for the evening.

Rodrigo arrived at the steps of the Met wearing a stringy custom Thom Browne gown with a strapless neckline, and camellia flowers all along the bust as a nod to Karl Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel. The dress has a faux empire waistline, as the black and white fringe that travels down the entire dress into a train starts just below Rodrigo’s bust, yet has a snug fit around the star’s torso. Rodrigo isn’t usually one for flashy accessories, so her stylist Danielle Goldberg added in dainty diamond earrings and black and silver rings.

“I was so happy to partner with YSL Beauty for my look tonight,” Rodrigo tells Byrdie exclusively. “Nina Park, my makeup artist, gave me an incredible golden glow.” Rodrigo’s makeup was equal parts soft and bold, and Park says that the inspiration came straight from Rodrigo’s striking dress. “I was inspired by the graphic lines of black and white and the strong Camellia shapes at the top of Olivia’s dress,” Park tells Byrdie. “I decided to do a bold, graphic brow and, of course, a winged liner (Olivia’s favorite). I wanted to make sure we celebrated Olivia’s aesthetic while complementing the boldness of the dress.”

Park tells us that priming the skin for makeup was her trick to ensuring Rodrigo’s makeup would last all night: “[I took] the time to really prep her skin using blotting/anti-shine primers in the T-zone to help with unwanted shine and also using glowy, dewy highlighters strategically on the tops of cheekbones and side of the forehead to make the skin look lit from within.”

Park first prepped Rodrigo’s skin with the YSL Beauty Nu Blotting Lotion ($39) and then added a base glow with the YSL Beauty NU Glow in Balm ($39). After her base had set in, Park evened out Rodrigo’s complexion with the YSL Beauty All Hours Foundation in shade 4 ($44) as well as the YSL Beauty Touche Eclat All-Over Brightening Pen in shade 2.5 ($40).

She then used the YSL Beauty NU Halo Tint Highlighlighter in shade Rosy Quartz ($28), mentioning, “Not only is it gorgeous on the face with or without makeup, but I love mixing in with moisturizer or body lotion to give a soft-focused strobe to the skin.” Park finished off the singer’s complexion with a peachy flush with the YSL Beauty NU Lip & Cheek Balmy Tint in shade Pinch ($28).

To create a soft-focused smoky eye, Park dipped into the YSL Beauty Couture Clutch Eyeshadow Palette in Desert Nude ($160) and smoked out Rodrigo’s crease and lower lash line. Next, Park added in Rodrigo’s signature baby wing with the YSL Beauty Crushliner in shade Noir Intense ($29) before adding a fluttery curl to her lashes with the YSL Beauty Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara in Black ($29). Finally, the YSL Beauty Dessin Des Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil in shade Dark Brown ($30) was essential for creating a bold, graphic brow that aligns with her dress.

To top off Olivia's classic glam, Park used the YSL Beauty Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick Balm in shade Nude Transparent ($43), saying, “I love using this directly from the tube for full color but to make it last, I always diffuse and blur with fingers, patting the color into lips. I find that the color lasts longer after applying it this way.”

Rodrigo went an entirely new route with her hair and swapped her typical undone waves for a timeless swoopy micro bang and a sleek updo. Her hairstylist, Clayton Hawkins, first detangled Rodrigo’s hair with Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Detangler ($12) and then coated her hair with the Dove Hair Therapy 7-in-1 Miracle Mist ($8), and blew it out with a round brush. Once her hair was dry, Hawkins saturated her strands with the Dove Brilliant Gloss & Repair Serum ($9) to make the hair shiny and moldable.

“From there, I used Tangle Teezer’s The Ultimate Styler ($16) to brush her hair back into a tight bun,” says Hawkins. “This brush was designed to dry style and is perfect for giving hair a smooth and shiny finish. Next, I used large open hair pins to keep it all in place.” After that, Hawkins styled Rodrigo’s bangs with serum and oil and set the entire look with the Dove Extra Hold Hairspray ($7). Hawkins finishes, “The result was classic, beautiful, and timeless." We have to agree, and it was the perfect complement to her stunning dress.