Emma Stone: Met Ball

The 2011 Met Ball did not disappoint this year and I had the distinct pleasure of working with blonde beauty Emma Stone for fashion’s big night, creating what I like to call her “Avant-Garden” look.

Her dress, made specifically for her by the incomparable genius Elber Albaz, had me dreaming of color from the moment I saw it. Emma and I were lucky enough to get to see his Fall 2011 Lanvin collection up close and personal last March in Paris where we went gaga over the the dress below. Alber used the same fabric in creating this stunning evening dress for her and I think the result is pretty spectacular.

I knew the focal point of her make up was always going to be the lip I just wasn’t sure what color, then suddenly my inspiration came from a very unexpected place. The same day I saw the photo of the completed dress I was walking down my block and saw the most beautiful pink Bougainvillea vine, so enormous it was literally swallowing my neighbors garage.

Something about the way the late afternoon sun was hitting the petals reflecting a color so vivid and blinding had me contemplating how such a color could be found in nature. Voila, there it was! I would find the color that most closely resembled this glorious shade. The hunt was on.

I found it in Nars Pure Matte lipstick in Carthage, a shade from their summer 2011 collection that had the exact vibrancy and shock of color I was looking for.

I think this look is a great example of how bright vivacious color is fun and playful yet still very fashion forward. To remain modern and chic I kept the rest of her make up very simple and kept the focus on the lip, using pale pinks and nudes on the eyes and cheeks. The only other focal point was the lash line where I layered lots of individuals over a very fine line of ebony black liquid liner by Hourglass.

I used CHANEL Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15 in Beige Rosé-Pastel. This lightweight, luminous formula allows her freckles to show, I’m obsessed with her freckles! I dusted a faint amount of Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Natural Lightening Powder in the T-Zone leaving the rest of the face glowy.

I sculpted her cheeks first with Burberry Natural Bronzer in Nude Glow then layered Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Peony on the apples of her cheeks.

On her eyes, I used a wash of pale pink shimmer from CHANEL Quadra Eyeshadow in Lilium on the entire lid; then layered lots of individual lashes over a very fine line of black liquid liner by Hourglass Cosmetics.

I finished with two coats of CHANEL Inimitable mascara in Noir and for added shine, a coat of Hourglass Cosmetics Lash Lacquer—an incredible product coming out next Fall that I’m already obsessed with. It’s a jet black gloss for your lashes that stays shiny even after it dries and doesn’t flake. It’s insane!

Lastly, I lined her inner eyelid with CHANEL Intense Eye Pencil in Clair a fleshy tone for a subtle contrast.

Spring is in full swing and color is everywhere. Like Diane Vreeland used to say, “Why don’t you?…Trade in your red lipstick for a pink one? Dare to light up the night!”