Inside Tessa Thompson's "Buttery, Sculpted" Met Gala Glam

Yesterday evening, Tessa Thompson stepped onto the Met Gala red carpet with a major case of the blues—a royal-blue custom Valentino gown with swirly cutouts, to be more specific. Her structural dress was a work of art, her hair was sleek and glossy in a wet look by Lacy Redway, the fingers on her left her hand were intentionally dipped in a blue pigment by manicurist Mei Kawaljiri, and the glam, courtesy of Michael Anthony, tied everything—the dress, the theme, and everything that fashion's biggest night calls for—together.

Hours before, the vibes in her hotel room were high, with jazz music setting the tone. "The energy is always lovely and warm [as we're getting ready]," Anthony says. "Very classy, lots of laughs, but we’re definitely focused and we’re being meticulous because Met Gala is so public and so photographed." For her makeup look, he used a vinyl lid to nod at using paint as a medium for expression: "The texture of the eyelids reminds me of oil paint before it dries," he says.

When it comes to creating a look, Anthony and Thompson have gotten it down to an easy flow—they both have an appreciation for tones, textures, and general artistry, so the process tends to begin with a conversation, followed by reference photos and sketches. "I think one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle is staying super open and not having an ego about making changes or pivoting to different ideas," Anthony says.

All of the creatives behind this look seemed to have paint on the mind. "Tessa’s dress reminded of a splash of paint or dripping Klein blue paint, so I wanted there to be an element of wetness, which is why I used that effect on the eyelids and kept everything else toasty and bronze," Anthony says. He achieved the notable bronzy glow through the use of the Spike Valentino Buttery Matte Lipstick in the shade 'put a spike on it' and a good amount of buffing with two shades of Valentino's Eye2Cheek powder. "I get in the zone when I’m painting, and I love this type of red carpet buttery, sculpted look," Anthony says. "I’ve been doing this particular type of makeup for so long now and I love how it’s evolved."

As for products or tools that this look would've been impossible to achieve, the Very Valentino Concealer (two shades, MR1 and DN1, mixed for the perfect coverage) was essential for a glowy base and the Spike Valentino Disco Balm in 'Rose In The Woods' provided a glowy lip, but the Valentino Brow Trio Eyebrow Liner in taupe and brown were no-brainers for Anthony. "They came in clutch for this look!" he says. "I love the flat thin blade to draw in and fill the brow shape, and I become very fond of the very fine tip liquid marker on the other end for individual flicks of hair." Because for an event as iconic as the Met Gala, all of the seemingly small details matter—including individual strands of brow hair.